When Every Day is Deja Vu
This Month’s Ailing Shop …
Sign Here
Though many shops are hesitant to join direct-repair programs, most consumers like the convenience and don’t particularly care where their car gets repaired – as long as it gets done fast. Does this consumer apathy mean shop owners should focus less energy on consumers and worry more about positioning their businesses for the future?
Got Friction? Metal Department vs. Paint Department
One of the longest-running battles within a collision repair facility is the one between the metal department and paint department. And in some of the shops I’ve worked with throughout the world, it had escalated past a battle – it was more like a civil war going on between these two main production departments. Each
Should Shops Drug Test Their Employees?
John Shortell, manager Secor’s Collision Technology New London, Conn. Opinion: No I don’t think body shops should start drug testing employees for several reasons: I am, of course, a shop employee. A manager yes, but still an employee. Personally, I have a shy bladder and have great difficulty producing urine on demand. And once I
Which Is Better: Flat-Rate or Salary
David Rowe, Shop Manager Johnson Ford, Inc. Kingston, N.Y. We chose the flat-rate pay system because it has a built-in incentive program for technicians. It seems to work the best. We’ve tried a “team pay” plan. The idea was to get the cars in and out more quickly. We’d put three or four technicians on
What “Time” Is It
“It’s not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised and the mosquito swatted.” – Marie O’Connor
The Incredible Shrinking Industry
After a buying spree in the late ’90s and a struggle to integrate acquired shops into a “corporate” culture, consolidators are getting back on track and preparing to grow again. But this isn’t a death sentence for all independents.
Let Your People Grow
When properly motivated and directed, employees drive the processes that result in quality, innovation, efficiency and customer satisfaction … a.k.a. your shop’s success.
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.
E-Commerce Has Arrived
Can e-commerce solutions truly improve dispatch, load leveling and cycle time to impact throughput and profits? In a word, yes.