Halfway Around the World in One Article
After BodyShop Business’ roving reporter Mike Lawrence returned from his two-day, 17-country whirlwind trip – in which he studied collision repair markets around the globe – he determined that while each country’s market is unique, it also sounds strangely familiar.
Operations Profile: Business Savvy
With all the issues facing today’s shop owners — increased insurer involvement, diminished value (DV) and aftermarket (A/M) crash parts to name a few — it’s tough to run a collision repair business. Making it even tougher is that a lot of shop owners used to be technicians. Today, however, they need to be business savvy to operate successful and profitable shops.
Complain to the Right People
If a CAPA part doesn’t work for whatever reason, sitting around the shop complaining about it won’t solve the problem. Take the time you’d spend griping and fill out a CAPA Part Complaint Form instead
Purchasing Profile
As a shop owner, you know where you’re spending your money (at least you’d better), but have you ever wondered how other shop owners are spending theirs? Do they spend about the same amount of money on equipment, parts and supplies as you? Are they buying fewer aftermarket (A/M) crash parts since the State Farm
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.
Build Relationships to Build Your Business
What are shops now doing to bring in customers?
Hey, Big Spender: Insurance Company CEO Salaries
Before you start believing that billion-dollar judgments against State Farm and other insurance companies will bleed them dry (fat chance) and necessitate premium hikes, check out the exorbitant CEO salaries these companies pay. With paychecks and stock options like these, insurers obviously have a money tree planted somewhere.
Diminished Coverage for Diminished Value
Recently, the Insurance Services Office concluded that diminished value (DV) isn’t covered in the language of Personal Auto Policies. This may soon lead to head-to-head battles between insurers and consumers, since both sides interpret DV differently. But what effect will the exclusion –– and the head butting –– have on the collision industry?
Industrializing Your Shop
My article in the November 1999 issue of BodyShop Business discussed the factors involved in the industrialization of our industry. It focused primarily on the evolution of the repair process, the human factors and the breakdown of repair tasks. Going a step further, this article focuses on the "plant" or shop requirements. Keep in mind that plant requirements include products and equipment, since they go hand-in-hand with maximum efficiency.
Come Back! Impressing New Technicians to Stay
While off to a promising start, an apprentice left collision repair behind. Why? For starters, shortcutting techs didn’t want to take the time to teach, and insurance “procedures” didn’t offer him hope for a secure future. If you’re lucky enough to snag a future tech, remember: The impressions he gets will be lasting ones, so make them good.