Legislative Lowdown
Federal – Federal oversight of the insurance industry appears to be more likely as President Barack Obama and members of Congress roll out plans to address the country’s economic woes in what experts say is the largest regulatory overhaul since the Great Depression. House Financial Services Chair Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said in early February that
Let’s Be Real, Folks
I would sure love to see an empty stadium at the Cleveland Browns’ home opener next season as a protest against outrageous NFL ticket prices. Maybe then my son and I could afford to go to a game. But are fans ever going to band together and make such a collective statement? No. Cleveland will
COVER STORY: The New DRP
Without significant changes to current direct-repair programs, all parties involved are stuck with a system that has become a fertile garden for corruption, abuse, extortion and inefficiency.
STRANGE BUT TRUE: Flying Christmas Tree and Airborne Sheep Top ‘Comic Claims’ List for 2008
European auto insurer AA Insurance has released its list of the most comic claims for 2008. The bizarre claims run the gamut from family fender-benders to unexpected run-ins with animals. One customer called AA’s claims line saying his car had been damaged by a terrified flying sheep. The animal apprently jumped from a bridge over
Rentals to the Rescue?
Renting your own vehicles may be the answer to shoring up your bottom line. At the very least, it allows you to take more control of your customer’s experience.
Picking a PBE Jobber
Some body shops select their PBE jobbers based on price alone, but that can cost them much more than they save in the long run. They should also consider service and the jobber’s commitment to forming a profitable partnership.
Young Guns
Ray and Clare Santiago are hoping to set the industry ablaze with radical new ideas and a unique business philosophy.
The Big Stuff
There may be less insurer involvement and less overcapacity in the heavy truck collision repair business than there is in the passenger car business, but it has plenty of its own unique challenges.
Custom-Made Revenue?
The growing demand for custom and restoration work has made it worth looking at by collision repair shops hungry for more profits.
From Red to Black
We lost more than $150,000 on paint and materials last year. The reason is because the old dollars times paint labor hours formula is outdated. The
solution is invoicing.
