Perplexed by Paint
Turns out this topic is much like the famous Bill Clinton quote: “It depends on what the meaning of is, is.” Paint brand popularity and exact market share are touchy subjects among the refinish paint companies. No one wants to be quoted in print as having less market share than the next guy, and there’s
Going Head to Head
Collision repair consolidators seem focused on customer service as opposed to offering insurance companies even lower repair costs. They’re also concentrated on honing their operations to a razor sharp state of efficiency (which, incidentally, will lower repair costs).
What’s Good for the Goose: A List of Preferred Insurance Companies
Take a gander at this idea: I have a list of preferred insurance companies that I steer my customers to. Not only have we been the reason many customers changed insurance companies, but we deal more now with the insurers we like — and less with the ones we don’t
Strategies to Stretch Profit Margins
Your options for increasing profit margins are limited when a vendor supplies you with the part, material or service. Instead, focus on improving the one profit margin you do have direct control over: labor.
Play It Safe: “Culture of Safety”
Establish a “culture of safety” in your shop and insist your techs wear
(and properly use) safety equipment. Their families will thank you.
Turning Freeloaders into Paying Customers: This Simple Strategy Helped Us to Increase Walk-in Sales by 35 Percent
When your day is so hectic that your lunch consists of complimentary donuts from the local car rental company, the last interruption you want to deal with is a free estimate. Time is money. But don’t slash mention of the "F" word from next month’s ad copy just yet. With the proper system in place,
Billing in Dollar$ Makes More Cents
No longer will you have to use (and justify) the labor hour “two-fer” ratio. Labor hours become irrelevant – and so does the insurance industry’s so-called “prevailing competitive price.”
Build a Better Mousetrap, and the World Will Beat a Path to Your Door
7 strategies for quality-driven shops to maintain profitability in a marketplace fixated on “fast” and “cheap.”
Keep This Job
Insurers are illegally trying to control the cost of repairs by steering consumers to particular shops, while at the same time, trying to distance themselves from any liability associated with negligent repairs.
Assembly-Line Processing:Coming Soon to a Shop Near You
As repair dollars shrink and competition grows, we need to change the way we process vehicles to stay competitive and profitable.
