• Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Repair
  • Refinish
  • Estimating
  • Products
  • Original Video
  • Buyers Guide
  • Webinars
  • Resources
  • Events
  • Digital Edition
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
Body Shop Business Babcox
Body Shop Business Babcox
Integrating Paintless Dent Repair into Collision

by James Bishop

Holding Safety Meetings That Don’t Stink

by Kyle Holt

Sponsored Content
Inspiring the Next Generation of Leadership – a Two-Way Street

by CARSTAR

What Women Really Want from Your Auto Body Shop

by Micki Hazz

Phone Calls from Manhattan Island: “Can You Tell Me About the Auto Body Industry?”

by Body Shop Business Staff Writers

Mitchell Industry Trends Report: 10 Estimating Tips

by Body Shop Business Staff Writers

Collision Safety Consultants Opens 18th Location 

by Body Shop Business Staff Writers

FCA US Invests $30M in Autonomous Driving Testing Facility

by Body Shop Business Staff Writers

Why You Shouldn’t Cut Back on Digital Marketing

by Mark Claypool

Estimates: My DRP Partner Told Me to Leave Items Out

by Barrett Smith

Online Business Presence: Original One Parts Discusses Easy Tool for Shops

by Body Shop Business Staff Writers

Business
April 7, 2014 12:00 am

Reader’s Choice: Capping Paint and Materials

Share Tweet
Print Print Email Email
Barrett Smith

Barrett Smith,author

View bio

  • Bio
  • Recent Posts
  • Popular Posts

Barrett has authored numerous industry trade journal/magazine articles, including several cover stories for BodyShop Business. Having grown up in a family-owned collision repair business and owner/operator of two successful collision repair facilities; his ongoing efforts as industry speaker and repairer coach-consultant are geared toward educating professionals and consumers to achieve equally successful resolutions to automotive-related property damage issues. Such issues include proper and thorough repair, reasonable repair profitability for repairers as well as equitable claim settlements for both claimants and the responsible/paying parties. ADE offers numerous professional services nationwide.

What are the Roles of the Collision Repairer, Insurer and Customer?

Liability Coverage: Will It Be There When You Need It?

Why Can't We Get Paid Mechanical Rates for Mechanical Operations?

Scanning for Proper Collision Repair Planning

Employees: Is There a 'Staff Infection' in Your Auto Body Shop? - Part II

Liability Coverage: Will It Be There When You Need It?

What are the Roles of the Collision Repairer, Insurer and Customer?

e who are perfectly capable and willing to take advantage of the repairer’s lack of business acumen. Insurers are led by college-educated experts in various fields including finance, business of insurance, banking, etc., many with master’s degrees in business and other disciplines.

As an example, Edward B. Rust, Jr., the current chairman of the board and CEO of State Farm, holds both a juris doctor and master of business degree. I can assure you that those under his direct leadership are equally educated and trained, and it shows in the long-term success of the company, just as it does in others we deal with on a regular basis such as Allstate, GEICO, Farmers and others.

Furthermore, insurers can seek the expertise they may not possess in-house outside through the services of corporate consulting companies. Professional consultants enable the insurers to have a better understanding of their existing markets, proposed markets, underwriting practices, claims practices, the collision repair industry’s practices and the consumer. Insurers need to know what the near and distant future trends will be, how they will impact their business and how they can best capitalize from them. Insurers know more about repairers and consumers than we know about ourselves…it’s their business to know what people like and don’t like, what they fear and how to best capitalize on that fear.

Information is the insurer’s base business. The acquisition of viable and accurate information is what enables them to take the risks they take and allows them to be profitable and grow while remaining competitive. It also allows insurers to determine the strategies they’ll put into place from marketing their company and its image, and determine their risks and pricing of their product. The strategies for success are disseminated from the company’s leadership all the way down to the adjuster and appraiser in the field who interact with consumers and repairers to resolve their claims.

So again, it’s not really a legal issue until the repairers and their customers threaten to make it one to put a stop to the abuse…it’s merely one entity in a proposed position of power taking advantage of another’s weakness – simply because they’re continuously being allowed to.

For the truly independent repairer, the logical choices as I see them are:

● Continue to do as you have always done and expect it to get worse.
● Make a commitment to acquire the knowledge and business acumen needed for you and your business to thrive…not merely survive.
● Emulate other successful businesses and strive for optimization in all facets of operation.


Barrett Smith, AAM, is the founder and president of Auto Damage Experts, Inc., which has been providing automotive inspection and expert legal services nationwide since 1997. He can be reached at (813) 657-6705 or [email protected].

For your chance to win $50, click HERE.

Search for:
Show Full Article
Copyright © 2019 Babcox Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved
  • Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Repair
  • Refinish
  • Estimating
  • Products
  • Original Video
  • Buyers Guide
  • Webinars
  • Resources
  • Events
  • Digital Edition
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us