The Rental Car Roller Coaster
I’ve been renting cars for 23 years. If you’re also thinking of getting into the rental car business, I’ve got two words of advice: Hang on!
Taking Control
Why are shop rates so low compared to other trades? Can I ditch my DRPs and still stay in business? What the heck should I pay my shop manager? If you’re like most of us, you’ve had questions but no one to answer them. That’s why we started this annual Readers Choice issue, now in
The Cynic’s Guide to Structural Repairs
After 30 years of working on critically wounded vehicles, I can safely say I’ve pretty much done it all when it comes to surgical frame and structure repairs. I can also safely say that timely, quality repairs can still be done in our time-and-labor-hostile environment.
Scare Tactics
Adjusters often use the “steering” phrases.
Car Struck: Jay Leno Talks
y, and I soon felt like I was shootin’ the breeze with just another motorhead. But I didn’t go in unprepared. Prior to talking with Leno, I did some checking and learned that he was born in New Rochelle, N.Y., in 1950 and spent his youth in Andover, Mass. He’s one of the hardest-working people
“We Pay Up To $350 per RO for Paint, Period”
What is paint capping? Paint capping is a practice instituted by an insurance company that arbitrarily limits the amount of money they reimburse a repair facility for paint and materials on a specific repair order. To fully understand paint capping, you must first understand how paint and materials are calculated on an estimate. The standard
How Does Your State Rate: Aftermarket and Remanufactured parts
I’ve always enjoyed soaking up the wealth of knowledge in each new issue of BodyShop Business, yet this month I was somewhat disappointed when reading the research article you wrote [Jan. 2003, pg. 20; potential gross sales per shop in vermont is $79,124, the lowest in the country]. I’m a third-generation collision shop owner with
PCers Run Amuck
Re-repairs vs. ongoing repairs.
How Does Your State Rate?
Ever wondered if the drivers in your state wreck more often than drivers in other states? Curious how many repair dollars are spent each year in your state or what your shop’s annual gross profit potential is? Look no furtherTurns out Arizona isn’t just the place to be if you’re an allergy sufferer or a
A Geek’s Paradise
Gathering reliable research on the collision repair industry is about as easy as keeping a New Year’s resolution. I think the last New Year’s resolution I actually stuck to was when I decided to stop eating condiments. Since I’d never eaten condiments to begin with (bad kindergarten experience), giving them up wasn’t tough at all.