MLOs on the Grow
New research suggests that consolidation will continue and multiple-location collision repair operators will continue to gain favor as insurers push DRP performance.
Market Your Difference
A professional football player laying a ferocious hit on another is one way to get people thinking about “collision.” That’s what Angelo Papotto was banking on when he signed up for an advertising package with a local TV channel to “plant a seed in people’s heads” to get them thinking about his three Suburban Collision
Repairers Take Action
“Ditching this disingenuous ad is a victory for consumers — and a better business practice for GEICO. This incident should send a message that higher standards in insurance industry dealings are appropriate and necessary.” — Connecticut State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, after GEICO complied with his request to pull a TV ad that features actress
Examining the State of the Industry
Too many shops, not enough work, not enough profit, too much insurer involvement and not enough business expertise on the part of shop owners are all contributing to the sorry state that is the collision repair industry.
North Carolina Body Shops Rate Insurers
North Carolina insurance companies that pay for OEM parts and avoid high-pressure tactics faired far better in the 2004 Body Shop Survey of Insurers than those using steering tactics and strong-armed adjusters.
Pump Up the Volume
Can you increase volume by 35 percent without compromising quality while still working within insurance companies’ guidelines? This shop manager says, “Yes.”
Pump Up the Volume
Can you increase volume by 35 percent without compromising quality while still working within insurance companies’ guidelines? This shop manager says, “Yes.”
If It’s Broke, Fix It: Allstate, Sterling, and Your Shop
“We finally parted ways,” says a Louisiana shop owner who – during the past few months – has voiced his concerns to me about Allstate acquiring Sterling and his own business’s shaky relationship as an Allstate PRO shop. “But we’re still repairing cars with Allstate drive-in estimates – and making more money because they’re at a higher labor rate. Go figure!”
What Happened to Freedom of Choice?
Customers are being bullied and manipulated into taking their vehicles to insurers’ preferred shops. I know this because my customers are telling me.
Supply & Demand: A Misunderstood Concept
Insurers offer volume in return for lower prices. But volume discounts do NOT apply to labor.