E-Commerce Has Arrived
Can e-commerce solutions truly improve dispatch, load leveling and cycle time to impact throughput and profits? In a word, yes.
Are You Certifiable
SEMA is helping accessory installers and techs get national recognition for their know-how and make themselves more marketable through its installer certification program. The tests include electric sunroofs, body exterior components, leather interiors and roof treatments.
Vehicle Repair Nightmare: What Were the OEMs Thinking?
Technical feature by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.: The OEMs are working to make vehicles easier to repair – but it’s not an easy undertaking.
This Month’s Ailing Shop
Shop size: 12,500 total square feet Equipment: two drive-on frame racks, two booths (one downdraft) and a lift for tear-down estimates. Employees: 12 Annual Sales: $1.5 million Quality of work: Good Problem overview: Husband and wife shop owners want to grow their business, but they don’t know how – they’re close to burnout as it
Restyle Your Business: Offering Restyle Products
In 1999, retail sales of specialty equipment products totaled $23.24 billion. You can funnel some of that cash into your own pocket by offering restyle products – from fender flares to floor mats to grille guards – in addition to the collision work you do now.
Custom Cars at the Click of a Mouse
It’s easy to picture a rear spoiler on a Ferrari, but would that same accessory look right on a Ford Taurus? Without seeing for themselves, customers might be leery of handing over their cash – and their cars. How do you convince them which restyle accessories will turn their sedate sedan into a screaming machine?
A Reluctant Informer and the Hardest Hit
An Oregon body shop technician’s keen eye and decades of repair experience played a vital role in the apprehension of a driver responsible for the hit-and-run death of a 12-year-old girl. But it was more than knowledge of the job. It was his first-hand knowledge of knowing what it was like to lose a child.
Those Are the Brakes: In House or Out of House?
Since no two brakes jobs are the same, some shops choose to send brake repairs out of house to avoid an extra possible headache. Others choose to tackle the repairs themselves. What’s right for you depends on how much control you want to have over what often becomes a complicated repair.
Associations: Time to Join or a Waste of Time?
Opinions vary regarding the repair industry’s national associations, but one thing is certain: The industry has a wide range of national associations, each with differing beliefs, views and goals. Our examination of the industry’s national groups may help you decide if one coincides with your own convictions
Taking the Pain Out of Glass
These days, automotive glass serves a bigger purpose than simply keeping bugs out of a driver’s teeth. Some passenger-side airbags depend on the windshield to act as an integral part of the system. With such a critical repair at hand, proper glass replacement is of the utmost importance — but isn’t nearly as complex as you might think.