Dealer Incentives
“Why don’t the OEMs do a better job of supporting the collision repair industry through their dealer body?”
There Is No Technician Shortage
Despite what the industry tries to convince itself of, the shortage of job applicants isn’t caused by a lack of qualified techs. It’s due to low wages, unsupportive shop owners and truly greener grass on the other side of the fence.
Learning to Play Nice: Insurers Adress Five Repairer Complaints
Though this isn’t, by any means, an exhaustive list of complaints repairers have about insurers, these five complaints are the ones we hear most frequently.
A Reluctant Informer and the Hardest Hit
An Oregon body shop technician’s keen eye and decades of repair experience played a vital role in the apprehension of a driver responsible for the hit-and-run death of a 12-year-old girl. But it was more than knowledge of the job. It was his first-hand knowledge of knowing what it was like to lose a child.
Tapping Education and Training Sources
Here we go with another story on the technician shortage. But you may be surprised to learn that the tools you need to combat the problem are tools you already have – and tapping these sources for education and training can lead to a steady flow of qualified and loyal technicians.
Not So Random Acts of Kindness
You can’t sit back and wait for people to beat a path to your door – you have to get their attention any way you can. (This doesn’t mean light yourself on fire and dance around your parking lot!) Thank-you notes, kind words and doing little things that other shop owners don’t will attract customers, improve business relationships and keep you out of the burn unit.
The Rest of the Way Around the World
After BodyShop Business’ roving reporter Mike Lawrence returned from his two-day, 17-country whirlwind trip – in which he studied collision repair markets around the globe – he determined that while each country’s market is unique, it also sounds strangely familiar…(Continued from the August 2000 issue of BodyShop Business).
Are You Qualified To Hire Me?
Today’s employees want employers who motivate, train and reward. And they won’t think twice about job hopping if they’re not satisfied. So what’s the secret to hiring and retaining qualified people? Understanding there’s not necessarily a shortage of qualified help, but a shortage of qualified employers.
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
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.