Hey! Didn’t You Used to Work for Me?
Too bad someone out there doesn’t have a collision industry crystal ball – filled with answers about where future technicians are going to come from and the secrets of hiring and retaining them.
Yes, I Do Own the Road
Accustomed to California driving.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Requirements: www.epa.gov/clearinghouse
Tired of getting dizzy when you think of all the environmental regulations that affect your body shop? Set yourself straight by visiting this Web site. As responsible members of the collision repair industry, all of you want to cut down on pollution. (Or, at the very least, keep the authorities off your back). That’s not
Hardware and Hard Hits: The Body Shop at Sears Roebuck and Co.
Shop Name: The Body Shop at Sears Location: Hicksville, Long Island President: Bill Rich Established: February 1995 Square Footage: 10,000 square feet Number of Employees: 15 Average Repair Volume: 80 cars per month Average Repair Ticket: $4,000 When you think of Sears, what comes to mind? Seeing the innocent child-like glow on your dad’s face
You’re No Spring Chicken Anymore: Your Social Security Report
Unless you plan to work until you drop dead, you’re going to need money to live on when you retire. Any idea how much money you’ll have? Your Social Security report is a good place to start.
If You Do It, Charge For It
It’s like the old saying, “Why buy the cow if the milk is free?” Insurers aren’t going to offer to pay for materials and procedures if you don’t charge for them. That would be crazy. It’s even crazier if you aren’t charging them.
Drop That Stone and Step Away From the House
As I stood at an industry function, chatting with a shop owner and his wife, I was only half listening until … the shop owner took a sip of his third (maybe fourth?) rum and Coke, started talking and couldn’t shut up. He told me all about how shops in his area – including his
Competing For Employees: Techniques
Recruiting and retaining techs demands the same commitment as satisfying customers and developing good insurer relationships. In fact, considering the role techs play in your business, they’re the strongest link between present conditions and future profitability.
Airing Their Differences: A/C Hardware and Design
The more A/c systems, hardware, designs, and gagdets change, the more important it is to keep up with these changes.
What’s Happened to Our Work Ethic?
Life changes from generation to generation. When I was young, I didn’t get an allowance. Today, what child doesn’t? Approaching sixteen years of age, kids ask, “You mean I have to drive that car?” or “You mean I’m going to college without a car?” But what about kids who go to a vo-tech school? What do they get? And what do they learn? It depends on many factors, ranging from the person attending, the parents, the school and the teacher.
Think Inside the Box: Reparing Interior Parts
Repairing interior parts is a largely untapped business…and a great source for additional income.
Jumping on the E-Commerce Bandwagon
Though the dotcoms have had a rough few years, doing business over the Internet isn’t a bust. Quite the contrary. Though it’s wise to look before you leap, repairers who take advantage early will claim a huge share of the market and reduce their costs. Repairers who refuse to get on and stand in the way of progress may simply get run over.<