Gore/Bush on a Collision Course to November
Next month, U.S. citizens (this includes shop owners) will have a chance to elect a new American president. Since Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford and Morgan Freeman aren’t running, the choice comes down to George W. Bush and Al Gore. How will the 2000 election result affect your shop, and will the president have the power to keep his promises?
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
Price Fixing or Price Negotiating
“Why do insurance companies control a shop’s labor rates? Isn’t this price fixing?” –– Ron Humphress, former parts manager, Good News Auto Body Shop, Salisbury, Md. Black Law Dictionary, 7th Edition, defines price fixing as an “artificial setting or maintenance of prices at a certain level contrary to the workings of the free market.” Price
Dirt Hurts: Simple Car-Care Cleanliness Tips.
As collision repairers, we work in and generate so much dirt that we tend to ignore it. Customers, however, notice dirt immediately — especially when it’s in or on their vehicles. To get noticed for your quality repairs instead of the grime you leave behind, follow these simple car-care cleanliness tips.
Diminished Coverage for Diminished Value
Recently, the Insurance Services Office concluded that diminished value (DV) isn’t covered in the language of Personal Auto Policies. This may soon lead to head-to-head battles between insurers and consumers, since both sides interpret DV differently. But what effect will the exclusion –– and the head butting –– have on the collision industry?
The Power of Video: Pre-exisiting Damage?
After the repairs to the left door and left quarter panel of Lisa Harrington’s 1997 Honda Accord were completed, the vehicle was detailed and parked near the front of the office for delivery. When the customer arrived that afternoon, she seemed quite pleased with the repairs, until she noticed a rather sizable dent in the
Community Spirit: Body Shops Giving Back to the Community
From sponsoring a little league team to repairing vans for non-profit agencies to collecting food for the hungry, body shops across the country are giving back to their communities — and getting business in return.
Career Shop or Stepping Stone? High Employee Turnover Rate
A high employee turnover rate can slow shop productivity, weaken the image of your business and dilute the morale of remaining employees. But by understanding techs’ most common complaints, getting personal and offering some unorthodox benefits, you can be sure the employees you hire today are with you tomorrow.
Salvaging the Salvage-Parts Market
Collision repairers agree: Used parts are a viable alternative to new OE crash parts. They also agree that the lack of compensation they’re given for making used parts usable isn’t doable. Their solution? Insurers need to scrap their current way of thinking and recognize what repairers have to do to save them money.
In September’s article, "Repairing the Crash-Parts Market" (pg. 44), we took a closer look at the manufacturing of aftermarket crash parts, the problems repairers have with their use and the solutions raised by industry leaders. This month, we’ll examine the salvage-parts market in much the same way.
The Court of Diminished Value
As consumers across the country file diminished value (DV) claims against insurers and hire lawyers to file DV class-action suits, repairers need to learn what the law says about DV — and if and when the scales of justice will be tipped against them.