Talkin’ Shop in Cincy
They sure do eat well in Cincinnati. During my and Managing Editor Mike Peltier’s daylong visit to Elite Collision Service in Cincinnati last month, it was pecan squares the size of fuel doors for breakfast, Papa John’s pizza for lunch and, for a mid-afternoon snack, “cheese coneys” from Gold Star Chili. General Manager Phil Mosley
DRPs Have Run Their Course
Where I live, there’s quite a battle going on between grocery stores to get more and more shoppers to come through their doors and earn their loyalty so that they keep shopping with them over and over again. These “frequent shopper” programs come in all shapes and sizes across all types of retail markets. Until
Reader’s Choice – Raising Rates Without Losing Business
“How do you raise rates and tell insurance companies what they should be paying for without losing business?”
— John Thompson, estimator, West Herr Collision Center,
Hamburg, New York
Reader’s Choice – Used Parts: Structurally Proper Repair?
“Is putting on a used part (e.g. quarter panel) considered a structurally proper repair when only the outer skin needs to be replaced?”
— Gary Atherton, general manager, Devoe Collision Center, Naples, Fla.
Reader’s Choice – Corrosion Protection
“When repairing a vehicle, what is the best corrosion protection method to use?”
— Craig Chaffee, owner, Chaffee’s Autobody, Franklin, Mass.
Industry Unity Finale: What Have We Learned?
As our Industry Unity series comes to a close, we look back at our examination of major industry issues and key in on what we’ve learned.
Talking to Body Shops that Have Made Waterborne Conversion
A check in with body shops on their progress in transitioning to waterborne paint reveals no major problems…as long as paint manufacturers’ guidelines are strictly adhered to.
Practice Makes Perfect in PDR
A steady flow of paintless dent repair work is crucial to keeping a PDR specialist’s skills sharp, and can serve as justification for a select few shops having a specialist in-house. For most shops, however, outsourcing is the way to go.
Advice from up North
When the press release hit my e-mail, I could hardly believe my eyes. The headline read, “Allstate Insurance Drops Parts Discount Demand; Paint Reimbursement Up.” Huh? What? Was I dreaming? Then I read further on: “The Year 2008 has just barely started when Allstate Insurance forwarded a note to its PRO preferred shops in southern
Mazda 3, 6 Series Bumper Repair
This article deals with Mazda’s bumper repair recommendations and service procedures for the Mazda 3 and 6 Series vehicles.
How Far Should You Go to Keep Your DRP?
Even mega shops are starting to feel the pain from being on DRPs. As they say, give away the farm and eventually you may not have one left.