Thought You Wanted Fastener Kits?
When repairers make requests but fail to act when an OEM delivers, it becomes less and less likely an OEM will act when subsequent requests are made.
Don’t Compromise Safety
Because the insurance industry is focused on dollars rather than quality repairs, it’s up to us to know the proper repair techniques and to stand our ground.
Car Quarter Panel Installation
There are instances when using a used quarter makes sense – but only when we’re getting paid for all the necessary prep time involved.
Stupid Me, I Thought Parts Should Fit
Maybe A/M parts vendors would focus more on quality if we started passing the associated costs of having to return poor-fitting parts onto them.
Disposable Cars?
More repair-friendly vehicles don’t appear to be in our future, equating to fewer vehicles being repairable and those that aren’t totaled costing more to repair.
The Best Definition of Leadership: Crime Doesn’t Pay (the Deductible)
Though the story seems like perfect fodder for a Dragnet episode, the following event is, well, just the facts. This is the city, Fort Worth, Texas. Doug Germany works here. He carries a clipboard. [Enter theme music – “Dum-de-dum-dum. Dum-de-dum-dum-dum …”] It’s 10 a.m., and the day at Craig’s Collision Center, on Beach Street, starts
Mis-Guided: The Estimating Systems Are Guides, Nothing More, Nothing Less
The estimating systems are guides, nothing more, nothing less – even the providers say so. Yet somewhere along the line, repairers started treating these guides as law and handing over control to the insurance industry. “That’s all I can pay – that’s what [insert name of data provider] shows.” Sound familiar? On one of the
Smart Cars: Taking Away Americans Right to Wreck?
Night vision cameras that project an image of the road ahead on a small area of the windshield? Cruise control that regulates the distance from other cars? A system that “sees” around corners? New features that car companies are developing to help prevent accidents make me wonder: What are the OEMs trying to do? Put
Innovative (and Cool) Stuff for the Paint Shop
During the recent NACE show in Las Vegas, I made the rounds of the paint manufacturer’s display booths. (It’s nice to have them back at NACE, by the way.) My topic for this article is new paint technologies, and I was able to speak to someone knowledgeable at each of the booths. I simply asked
OE Direct: Friend or Foe?
OED discounts OE parts, making them more appealing to the insurance industry and benefiting the repairer, who might have otherwise had to use aftermarket. But the forced vendor relationships, erosion of parts profits and possible insurer involvement are raising repairer eyebrows and concerns.