The Shop in the Middle of Nowhere: Tyler, Pa.
Cataldo’s Collision Service
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).
Halfway Around the World in One Article
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.
Consent Decree: Enforceable or Forgetable?
In 1963, 265 insurers signed a Consent Decree drafted by the U.S. Justice Department and Attorney General Robert Kennedy. By signing, they agreed to abide by the Decree’s terms: no more demanding discounts, setting hourly rates, boycotting repair shops and using specific appraisers. It’s still a binding agreement today … but will it ever be enforced?
The Dirt … On Dirt
Is contamination in your paint jobs a common occurrence? It shouldn’t be. If you identify all the potential sources of contamination, you’ll find that painting isn’t such a dirty job after all.
Insurer-Relations Profile
The relationship between insurance companies and collision repair shops has, historically, been much like the relationship between a dog and a fire hydrant. (If you have to ask which role shops play, the moisture in your brain has short-circuited your thinking ability!)
Operations Profile: Business Savvy
With all the issues facing today’s shop owners — increased insurer involvement, diminished value (DV) and aftermarket (A/M) crash parts to name a few — it’s tough to run a collision repair business. Making it even tougher is that a lot of shop owners used to be technicians. Today, however, they need to be business savvy to operate successful and profitable shops.
Market Profile: A Dramatic Drop in the Frequency of Auto Accidents
Does it seem like people aren’t crashing their cars as much as they used to? Ever find yourself wishing for a hailstorm or an overpopulation of deer to create chaos on the highways and bring in some business?
Your Mission: Educate Consumers
"How can we better educate our customers so they can make more informed decisions about choosing a repair facility?" — Timothy Kilkeary, v.p., Kilkeary’s Auto Body, Inc., Eighty Four, Pa. Since I took over my family’s business in 1984, the collision repair industry has been on a roller coaster ride of changes, twists and turns.
10 Tips for Eliminating Repair-Related DV
Figuring dimished value.