Shedding Profits
Fatten up gross sales by $20,000 a year and add mass to your techs’ paychecks too – all by focusing on and charging for what you do best: collision repair
May the (Work) Force Be with You
The collision industry’s workforce is dwindling at an alarming rate, and journeymen are just about as hard to come by as Jedi Masters. To combat this shortage and to stay competitive in the years to come, take a cue from the Jedi Code: Pair an apprentice with a mentor.
Stick With It
Repairers across the country are utilizing adhesive bonding technology for panel replacement. If you’re ready to give it a try, these step-by-step instructions will show you how.
Letters to the Editors
Does Your Shop Measure Up? Your article was incredible [“Does Your Shop Measure Up?” March 2002, pg. 40]! I found (literally) my first UMS the same way your picture showed it in early 1980 in a Toyota dealership in upstate Vermont. I had just closed my small shop because of the recession and was amazed
The Case of the Disappearing Tech
The talk about the lack of the human resources in this industry.
Vehicle Repair Nightmare: What Were the OEMs Thinking?
Technical feature by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.: The OEMs are working to make vehicles easier to repair – but it’s not an easy undertaking.
Use Your Clout, You Lout
“When will dealership body shops – with their captive clientele – wise up and stop making concessions to insurance companies? e.g.: Charge the same labor rate as in their mechanical shop. Their mechanical shops don’t work with junkyard or jip parts. Why agree to do anything different in the body shop?” asks P. Michael Riffert, president, Engle’s Frame and Body Service, Ephrate, Pa.
Putting the Squeeze on Repairs
I’ve been the not-so-proud owner of four spot welders because I’m cheap. Though I wanted all the benefits of a top-quality welder, I didn’t want to pay for top quality. Learn from my mistakes … please.
The Buzz of Prosperity
For most of 2001, financial and economic news was a never-ending stream of mixed signals, confusing data and conflicting reports. Expert Analyst A disagreeing with Expert Analyst B, while both adeptly making use of computer-generated color graphics and historical case studies to prove the merits of their economic theory. During the fourth quarter, just as
Better Pay for Better Work
While many shop owners say it’s not good business to pay more money to a less productive tech, I say stop thinking of it as paying more for less — and start thinking of it as paying more for better.