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
Build Relationships to Build Your Business
What are shops now doing to bring in customers?
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?
Antitrust in Insurer- Repairer Business Relations
‘Antitrust’ is spoken of frequently in the collision repair industry but is still often
misunderstood. Here’s a clear definition of what it is and how it relates to insurer- repairer business relations.
Resolving Shop/Insurer Conflicts…Peacefully
Many shop owners complain that insurance companies aren’t allowing them to make a living. How is it, then, that so many other shop owners are working with insurers successfully?
Court is Now in Session: State Farm Aftermarket trial in Illinois
r what verdict the jury turns in, their decision is bound to somehow — whether negatively or positively — affect the collision repair industry.
Repairing the Crash-Parts Market
The situation with replacement crash parts may be a bit of a wreck, but it’s not a total loss. What’s considered a pile of unwanted sheet metal and plastic by many repairers could be turned into a more favorable and profitable alternative to OE parts — if the industry can quit complaining and learn to communicate.
A State of Unions Address
While many shop owners say a unionized workforce would spell disaster for their businesses, many techs say industry labor rates are making a disaster of their paychecks. Is a drastic change needed – and will that change come in the form of unions?
Market Profile: Is the Industry that Bad?
It’s not uncommon to hear shop owners complaining about how awful the collision repair industry is. In fact, when a group of such shop owners get together, it’s worse than a group of old ladies sitting around discussing all their health problems. I know because I speak with a lot of collision repairers and I’m related to a lot of old Italian women (my mother, for one). And, although I have no desire to hear my family discussing bladder control, a group of collision repairers complaining is still worse — especially since most of their problems are fixable.
Are You Guilty Of Fraud?
Before shop owners condemn the practices of insurers, they need to take a long, hard look at themselves. Committing fraud is dishonest, immoral and illegal – yet many continue to do it.