The ABCs of DRPs
Deciding whether or not to join direct-repair programs can be a daunting task. How can you be sure the relationships will benefit your customers and be profitable to your business? By spelling out the pros and cons before you sign on the dotted line.
Hitting Your Mark: Accurate Estimators
Writing an accurate estimate takes precision and skill. Are your estimators up to the challenge? With knowledgeable and personable estimators leading your team, your shop will win customers and score profits.
Your Mission: Educate Consumers
"How can we better educate our customers so they can make more informed decisions about choosing a repair facility?" — Timothy Kilkeary, v.p., Kilkeary’s Auto Body, Inc., Eighty Four, Pa. Since I took over my family’s business in 1984, the collision repair industry has been on a roller coaster ride of changes, twists and turns.
A License To Repair
"Why isn’t it mandatory for all collision techs to be licensed?" — Don Marshall, manager, Fresno Chrysler/Plymouth, Fresno, Calif. The collision repair industry is the ultimate example of irony and paradox. In most (if not all) states, the damage appraiser needs a license to prove he’s capable of determining the cost and procedure of repairing
Class Action Re-Action: Snider vs. State Farm Verdict
The Snider vs. State Farm verdict got the attention of repairers, insurers, consumers … and many, many lawyers — who didn’t waste any time filing copycat lawsuits. But with the spotlight now on insurance companies, should shops also be concerned?
No Grease Monkeys Here: Our Industry’s Image
If you don’t think a lot of the problems we face in the collision repair industry are related to our negative image, think again. Between the public and the educators, our industry is often viewed as fit employment only for the mentally disabled and the drug and alcohol impaired. But it’s not their fault they think that way — it’s ours.
Community Spirit: Body Shops Giving Back to the Community
From sponsoring a little league team to repairing vans for non-profit agencies to collecting food for the hungry, body shops across the country are giving back to their communities — and getting business in return.
A State of Unions Address
While many shop owners say a unionized workforce would spell disaster for their businesses, many techs say industry labor rates are making a disaster of their paychecks. Is a drastic change needed – and will that change come in the form of unions?
I’m Just A Bill: Why Not Get Involved?
On Capitol Hill, a lot of bills await their fate. And many of them — if enacted into law — will affect the profitability of your business. Why, then, aren’t more collision repairers actively involved in legislative activity?
Expert Advice: Growing or Selling Your Business
Whether you want to grow your business or sell your business, it’s wise to follow in the footsteps of shop owners who’ve gone where you’d like to go.