Truce: Working with Insurance Adjusters
If you ever need to energize a bunch of bored shop owners, bring up working with insurance adjusters. This topic can incite a lively discussion among even a reserved group of repairers. That’s because everyone has a war story or two about an adjuster experience and they’re usually eager to share it. One of my
Whose Liner Is It Anyway: Spray-on Bedliners
In search of a niche where the insurance industry isn’t involved and consumers pay out of pocket? Research shows that spray-on bedliners generate $110 million a year. There’s money to be made there. Could it be yours? You know they’re out there. You see them in your shop all the time. You’re even fairly sure
Somebody’s Watching Me: “Spy Cam” Teddys
Secret “spy cam” teddys aren’t the answer. Techs produce at least 50 percent more when they know you’re watching them. Implementing a production tracking system – along with productivity bonuses – has saved one shop owner $87,200 per year and increased his net profit by 10 percent. A worker produces at about 50 percent of
Gunning for You: HVLP Gravity-feed Spray
Becoming the industry’s “gun of choice,” HVLP gravity-feed spray guns save you money and do most of the work for you. I recently visited autobody paint shops in far corners of the country. Every single one was using gravity-feed spray guns, most of them high volume, low-pressure (HVLP). How did this style of spray gun
Stuck: Adhesion
I LOVE GLUE DEAR… I love glue, too… Sounds like a sticky situation to me. When I was assigned the task of reporting on the current state of adhesive use in the vehicle repair process, I had no idea where the story might lead. For the easy, logical side of the story, I talked to
Aluminum Is Coming
Conceptions and Misconceptions
What’s Diminished Value Mean To You
As contentious an issue as diminished value (DV) has become in the insurance and repair industries, there’s a quiet revolution taking place in the claims business. Once limited to the owners of exotic cars, DV is now a phrase on the lips of ordinary people with damaged grocery-go-getters. And this flood of inquiries to claims
Training Techs – A Guide for the Do-It-Yourselfer
Our workforce is incredibly knowledgeable, skilled and talented. But this didn’t just happen. Someone had to train them; someone had to be their instructor or mentor. The ways people learned the craft are probably as varied as the number of techs out there. Schools trained many, but probably not as many as you might think
He’s No Johnny Come Lately: Padula’s Body Shop
A shop owner since the age of 17, John Padula runs his shop on his terms Shop Name:Padula’s Body Shop , Inc. Location: Tallmadge, Ohio Established: 1947 Square Footage: Main shop 4,000 square feet; detailing building 2,500 square feet President: John Padula No. of Employees: 8 – 1 body tech, 1 body tech helper, 2
I Spot a Time Saver: Search of the Ultimate Resistance Spot Welder
How many times have you bought a major or even a minor tool, only to realize that you didn’t really know what you were getting? Sure, you were able to get by with your purchase, but how many times did you want to kick yourself – wishing you’d researched just a little more? At our
