Strategies for Preparing – and Presenting – Your Estimate
The insurance industry’s reluctance to pay what I consider to be fair and proper damage appraisals concerns me greatly. It also concerns me greatly that many shops aren’t doing anything about it.
The Bottom Line: Many in This Industry Clearly Are Struggling to Run a Profitable Business
Before billing in dollars, I performed excellent work but was only paid for 60 to 70 percent of it,” says an Illinois shop owner. “The customers and insurance companies were happy, but I was poor.”
Pearl Tricoat: Refinishing Made Easy
The problem: You don’t know how many coats of pearl the OEM applied at the factory. The solution: Make a letdown panel.
Mentoring Works
This real-life success story shows how mentoring can help to bring talented youngsters into your shop — and into
an industry in need of recruits.
Spotting Trouble: Arbitrary Changing of Paint Times
Been asked by an adjuster to change the paint time on a panel? If insurers would pay for the prep and want a spot paint – and as long as the hours equal the full time – shops might embrace the procedure. Since that’s not happening, shops need to learn how to justify their estimates.
Shrewd Player, Poor Payer: Progressive’s “Concierge” Program
Despite Progressive’s hardball reputation, it’s had no trouble recruiting shops for its “concierge” program – which eliminates all shop/customer contact and makes Progressive liable for repairs.
Looney for Toon Cars
When my favorite childhood cartoon, Jem and the Holograms, was released on DVD, I realized that I’d forgotten one important thing about this classic – Jem’s cool convertible, the Rockin’ Roadster. But Jem isn’t the only ‘toon with a cool car. Take this quiz to see which cartoon car suits you best. 1. My dream
Roll With It Baby: Save Labor Time, Use Less Product and Get Build in Fewer Coats.
Sound good? Even if you use roll-on primer on only one car per day, you’ll still save roughly $3,000 a year.
Paint the Town Red: Aaron Clark
As a child, Aaron Clark wanted to paint everything in sight – and he did. That determination to fulfill his dreams has helped him to overcome adversity and to achieve his goals. Aaron Clark began his body shop career in his mother’s and step- father’s shop at the age of 8, literally growing up in
Itemizing Estimates: Where Do We STOP?
If you’ve been involved in this industry as long as (or longer than) I have, you may still remember the days when handwritten estimates were a way of life and computers and computerized estimating systems were still just Buck Rogers science fiction. Since estimates were handwritten back then, they were often as few lines as