Complain to the Right People
If a CAPA part doesn’t work for whatever reason, sitting around the shop complaining about it won’t solve the problem. Take the time you’d spend griping and fill out a CAPA Part Complaint Form instead
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
A License To Repair
"Why isn’t it mandatory for all collision techs to be licensed?" — Don Marshall, manager, Fresno Chrysler/Plymouth, Fresno, Calif. The collision repair industry is the ultimate example of irony and paradox. In most (if not all) states, the damage appraiser needs a license to prove he’s capable of determining the cost and procedure of repairing
Busting at the Seams
Growth isn’t as important as retaining quality and, most importantly, profitability.
Class Action Re-Action: Snider vs. State Farm Verdict
The Snider vs. State Farm verdict got the attention of repairers, insurers, consumers … and many, many lawyers — who didn’t waste any time filing copycat lawsuits. But with the spotlight now on insurance companies, should shops also be concerned?
Behind the Paint: History!
Mistakes, World War II, foreign invasion and guinea pigs all played a part in the history of automotive paint. Who said history had to be boring?
In SOPs We Trust
Standard operating procedures could offer a body shop owner more freedom and the ability to attract new insurance business by creating ‘verifiable’ trust.
The Government to the Rescue? SBA’s 504 Program
Donnie Jones had always dreamed of building a state-of-the-art body shop. But he faced major obstacles. Every banker he tried to get a business loan from wanted 25 to 30 percent in cash equity, with rates and terms that would have been a major stretch for his cash flow.
Surviving in the Next Century: Your Role as an Independent Shop Owner
If you choose to buy into the media’s millennium hype, then nothing you do can save your business from impending doom. (Sorry!) If, however, you think the 21st century will bring with it a fast-paced business world, prepare yourself. Times are changing and so must your role as an independent shop owner.
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme: Better, Cheaper & Faster
Years ago, the belief in business was that you could provide a product better, cheaper or faster — pick two. But to achieve success today, you must offer all three. Customers expect more, for less money and want it yesterday.