Apathy
A massive segment of repairers – wallowing in yesteryear’s thinking and uninterested in learning anything new – are driving themselves out of business. Do you fit this description?
Shattered Market: The Body Shop Glass Business
NAGS list price discounts are increasing, labor payments aredecreasing and deals made behind our backs are eroding profitability. Still, you might want to consider performing your own glass installations since, ultimately, you’re the one shouldering the liability.
Holiday Madness
It starts the day after Thanksgiving: seasonal psychosis – a temporary mental disorder triggered by the time of year. A time of year that unhinges most of the human population and some family pets. A time of year when a soccer mom driving a minivan won’t hesitate to flip you the bird as she pulls
A Bay at the Beach: Rick’s Auto Collision
This thriving oceanside shop prospers in a DRP-free state where shop owner and teacher Rick Starbard is making waves in his industry.
Movers and Shakers: Kevin Caldwell
Kevin Caldwell discusses his hopes for the industry, his concerns about third-party influence and his inability to remember punch lines. Hard work is nothing new to Kevin Caldwell, vice president and COO of Autobody by Caldwell in Laguna Hills, Calif. Whether he was scrubbing pots and pans at a small restaurant, delivering the local paper
Choosing the Right PBE Jobber
Good jobbers can make the difference between scraping by and earning serious profits. Learn what you should expect from this “vendor partner” – and what’s expected in return.
Examining Materials and Paint Profitability
Why do some shops boast high paint and materials gross-profit percentages, while others just hope to break even? So often I meet with clients and shop owners and the discussion quickly turns to paint and materials costs and then their profitability (or lack of it). Sometimes, the “first liar never has a chance,” and sometimes
Truce: Working with Insurance Adjusters
If you ever need to energize a bunch of bored shop owners, bring up working with insurance adjusters. This topic can incite a lively discussion among even a reserved group of repairers. That’s because everyone has a war story or two about an adjuster experience and they’re usually eager to share it. One of my
Just Say No: Can you save me my deductible?
You wouldn’t think of asking your dentist to save your deductible. So why, then, do our customers think it’s perfectly acceptable to ask us to save theirs? Maybe because we started it. If you’re like me, certain word phrases are just plain annoying. The one that bothers me the most is, “Can you save me
Fight Steering With Steering
It’s legal for insurers to tell consumers about preferred shop programs. Problem is, if you’re not one of the shops on these programs, you likely won’t get the work. Fight back by developing other sources of referrals that steer consumers to you. While insurers are permitted to make consumers aware of the "programs it has