Rentals to the Rescue?
Renting your own vehicles may be the answer to shoring up your bottom line. At the very least, it allows you to take more control of your customer’s experience.
Repairers Say Insurers, Not Consumers, Benefit from Full-Body Sectioning
Several Midwest collision repairers told the Chicago Tribune that for a safe auto body repair, consumers should avoid shops that want to perform full-body sectioning, also known as clipping, on their cars. Mark and Pam Pierson, owners of Princeton Auto Body in Princeton, Ill., said in the article aimed at educating consumers that some insurance
Custom-Made Revenue?
The growing demand for custom and restoration work has made it worth looking at by collision repair shops hungry for more profits.
Opening of North Carolina Shop to Showcase Lean, DCR Systems
Mentor, Ohio-based DCR Systems and Mike Johnson’s Hickory Toyota joined forces last year to build a state-of-the-art, 12,000-square-foot accident repair center near the dealer’s Hickory property. Featuring DCR’s patent-pending lean-based production process, Mike Johnson’s Collision Center opened to the public March 28. The grand opening of the center on June 11 will feature a ribbon-cutting
Panoramic Sunroofs Gain Popularity
Car manufacturers are designing new models – particularly crossovers – with panoramic glass roofs, affording occupants better views and lighting. Ford has made the technology available on its 2008 Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers, as well as on its upcoming Ford Flex crossover and Lincoln MKS sedan. General Motors offers panoramic sunroofs on several crossovers,
In SOPs We Trust – Standard Operating Procedures
Standard operating procedures could offer a body shop owner more freedom and the ability to attract new insurance business by creating ‘verifiable’ trust.
Proprietary Repairs
“Do you think that in the near future, other car manufacturers will follow Jaguar’s lead and require repair shops to be ‘certified’ to fix their vehicles?”
Aluminum Dent Repair – with a Stud Welder
Aluminum is not a new metal to the collision industry. The Model T Ford had an aluminum hood. The 1925 Pierce-Arrow was all aluminum. And many classic cars of the 1930s had aluminum parts on them. Why? Because aluminum allowed low-production automobile manufacturers to hand-form parts without the use of the costly stamping process. The
Standard Operating Procedures – Working Smarter, Not Harder
Maximize productivity by standardizing “best practices” across your organization. “Since we started truly implementing standard operating procedures, it’s a statistical fact that I only spend two hours a week in three locations and that we grew from five employees to 50 in a four-year time period,” says Troy Gates, owner of a three-shop operation called Gates
Shrewd Player, Poor Payer: Progressive’s “Concierge” Program
Despite Progressive’s hardball reputation, it’s had no trouble recruiting shops for its “concierge” program – which eliminates all shop/customer contact and makes Progressive liable for repairs.