Does Your Shop Measure Up?
Whether you’re planning to open a collision repair business or already own one, these figures will help you measure where you’re at – and where you need to be.
Image is Everything
You might perform top-quality repair work, but if your shop or employees look bad, smell bad or seem bad, your image is alienating potential customers and perpetuating negative stereotypes that the 20/20s and Datelines of this world so like to exploit.
Recycled Airbags: Do They Work
Because replacement parts cost big bucks, some see recycled air bags as the answer. But since OEMs recommend only the use of new OEM parts in this type of repair, is taking the recycled air bag route going to leave your shop holding the liability bag?
Maintain Profits: A Regular Maintenance Schedule
You can lose thousands of dollars a day if even one piece of equipment goes down. Prevent such costly breakdowns by committing to a regular maintenance schedule.
Better Safe Than Liable: Check the Safety Features
Hurried techs sometimes forget to – or just simply don’t – check the safety features on a collision-damaged vehicle. But being rushed is no excuse.
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Which Is Better: Flat-Rate or Salary
David Rowe, Shop Manager Johnson Ford, Inc. Kingston, N.Y. We chose the flat-rate pay system because it has a built-in incentive program for technicians. It seems to work the best. We’ve tried a “team pay” plan. The idea was to get the cars in and out more quickly. We’d put three or four technicians on
Auto Body Paint: Solvent Popping
Solvent popping occurs when trapped solvent expands and breaks through the applied paint film. Because there’s no quick fix (you need to remove all of the affected product from the vehicle), the best strategy is prevention.
There’s a Right Way … and There’s a Wrong Way
Paint-shop best practices.
Does Your Shop Measure Up?
Techs working to beat the clock often skip the measuring process. But if you add a separate line to your estimate for the setup of the measuring system in addition to the setup of the vehicle on the frame machine, some of your techs might be more willing to knock the dust off the old measuring system once and awhile.
