Play Nice: repairers and insurers can improve their relationships
“All appraisers should intern in a shop for one year,” says one respondent to BodyShop Business’ annual Industry Profile regarding what should be done to enhance relations with appraisers and insurance companies. Other suggestions on how repairers and insurers can improve their relationships include: “All prices should be determined and negotiated on location at the
From Classroomes to Computers
Employee education has evolved from printed manuals to virtual classrooms. But is virtual as good as the real thing?
Are Insurers Above the Law?
“Until insurance companies have to play by the same rules as all other industries, collision repairers and vehicle owners will continue to have conflict with them. How can insurers’ exemption from antitrust laws be changed or eliminated? – Mike Hogan, body shop manager, Tulley Buick, Nashua, N.H.
It’s Getting Easier Being Green
“What’s the future hold for VOC compliance? With all the new regulations and the trouble it took to become compliant and to learn new techniques for materials, will it all have to be done again in the next two to five years? What’s next?“ – Sterling Wayne Stirewalt, shop manager, Mr. Dent, West Plains, Mo.
Consent Decree: Enforceable or Forgetable?
In 1963, 265 insurers signed a Consent Decree drafted by the U.S. Justice Department and Attorney General Robert Kennedy. By signing, they agreed to abide by the Decree’s terms: no more demanding discounts, setting hourly rates, boycotting repair shops and using specific appraisers. It’s still a binding agreement today … but will it ever be enforced?
DOIs: Help, Hurt or Hinder?
"Why don’t body shops have any rights with their state Department of Insurance?" — Walter Danalevich, owner, Santa Barbara Auto Refinishing, Santa Barbara, Calif. Over the years, collision repairers across America have looked to state insurance departments for help and assistance in dealing with unprofessional and unethical insurance company practices. The results have been disappointing
Tell It Like It Is: OSHA’s Employee Right to Know Law
Developed in response to dangerous workplaces where employees were unknowingly working with potentially lethal chemicals, OSHA’s Employee Right to Know law is the most frequently violated regulation in body shops. Obviously, there are several things shop owners don’t know.
Why Comply? Mandates of the EPA and OSHA
With all the regulations mandated by the EPA and OSHA, it’s easy to spend so much time trying to comply that you hardly have any time left to repair cars, right? Wrong! Quit complaining and start complying.
Proper Handling: Hazardous Wastes
You can’t eliminate the risks involved in the transport and disposal of your hazardous wastes, but you can minimize them.
What Regulations Do Body Shops Mostly Break?
Both the EPA and OSHA respond.