December, 2006 Archives - BodyShop Business
The Insurer Made Me Do It?

Historically, our industry’s associations have been about as highly regarded as government employees — and thought to work just as hard. But during the past few years, some associations — especially on the state level — have become much more active, vocal and unified, making it possible for them to actually accomplish something. But with

Democracy in Action

Back in early November, a series of e-mails began to circulate at a rather hectic pace among several industry people (shop owners, industry advisors, various media types, association and committee representatives, etc.). Typically, when you find yourself among the many who are copied on these e-mail strings, the tendency is to drop out quickly so

Re-Thinking the Shop Manager Role

In ‘lean’ organizations, the process itself is the ‘manager,’ freeing up your actual shop manager to be a leader instead — someone focused not on problem solving and putting out fires, but on building a better business.

A Few Good Techs

Is there really a technician shortage or just a misappropriation of qualified techs? Is the pool of technicians shrinking faster than the collision repair market?
Will the end result be higher door rates?

Understanding Airbags

Many shop personnel say ‘it’s not my job’ to know the basics about how and why airbags work. I disagree. Not only do we owe it to our customers, but we can use this knowledge to differentiate ourselves from the competition and get the job.

“I Can’t Make Money On Paint!” (a.k.a Why Johnny Kicked The Dog)

At first, this shop owner thought his problem was paint, but after working with his jobber and accountant, he realized it was actually a sales problem. Now he’s making good money on paint and focusing on improving other areas of his business as well.