36 minute read
an Option
Understanding and Performing Required Test Drive Procedures Isn’t an Option
In a recent column, I talked about why I believe shops need to separate out their charge for vehicle scanning from their diagnostic labor to address the results from those scans. Another key item I feel a lot of shops are overlooking is conducting, documenting and potentially invoicing for is the increasingly complex process of performing required test drives.
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Our “Who Pays for What?” survey last summer, for example, found that while almost one-third (31%) of shops that bill for necessary test drives they conduct post-repair say they are paid for that procedure “most” or “all the time,” about 2 in 5 shops (38%) say they have never sought to be paid such test drives. The statistics are even worse for test drives that are done diagnostically prior to repairs; 1 in 5 shops (19%) said they are paid regularly for such test drives, but two-thirds of shops have never billed for those.
I want to emphasize that my concern here is not whether shops are billing for test drives. My concern is that they are performing them as a required step to safe and proper repairs. “T est drives” aren’t what they used to be. In the past, you took a repaired vehicle out for a brief drive to check for wind noise, pulling conditions or vibrations. Now you’re doing that but also doing the drives to calibrate and confirm the function of advanced vehicle features and systems like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors lane departure warning systems, satellite navigation and traction control. That’s why a Collision Industry Committee has adopted a new definition for this type of test drive that they are calling a “dynamic systems verification road test.”
The automakers vary somewhat in what the terms they use for what we generally call “test drives.” Some use that term, but others talk about “road tests,” or “actions tests.” Some automakers reference it by saying vehicles must be “brought up to operating temperature.”
Despite terminology differences, it’s important to understand what specific requirements an automaker
has for the vehicle you are test driving. Does the OEM procedure, for example, specify:
▪ How far the vehicle needs to be driv
en; ▪ How much time the vehicle needs to be driven; ▪ At what speed(s) the vehicle needs to be driven; ▪ What driving pattern needs to be followed; and or ▪ What road conditions are necessary.
I recently was writing an estimate on a vehicle, and the OEM procedures said after I reinstalled the blind-spot monitors on the rear bumper assembly, I needed to test drive the vehicle in a straight line for two miles above 20 mph.
On another vehicle, after we disconnected and reconnected the battery, an initialization required us to drive the vehicle for at least 15 seconds above 20 mph on a road that had clear lane markings.
If you replace a windshield on a vehicle with a compass in the rearview mirror that may require that you drive the vehicle in a circle, or in a figure-eight, to recalibrate that compass.
I have seen a procedure for one automaker’s vehicle that requires six different test drives at six different speeds and stopping patterns to see if the seat belts are working properly. Unlike the relatively simple test drives we did for free in the old days, these can be exacting and time-consuming procedures. Depending on whether your shop is in an urban or rural area, you may need to drive
miles away in order to meet the road and speed conditions required. Getting paid for them requires good documentation. I recommend estimators or repair-planners have dual monitors so they can copy the test drive requirements from the OEM procedures and paste them into a line note on the estimate or invoice. Some shops are using a cell phone camera or GoPro to document the test drive. Even the owner’s manual for many vehicles talk about necessary test drives. The last thing you want is a vehicle owner asking about a required test drive in their manual and not being able to show them that you did it. It’s also important that you let the customer know in advance about the test drives you will need to perform as part of repairing their vehicle. One side note: When I owned my shops, once a year I would submit my employees’ driver’s license information to our company’s insurance company to ensure they could be allowed to drive vehicles on behalf of my company. You can’t risk having test drives conducted by someone with a suspended driver’s license.
As always, what you decide to charge for is a business decision; but, understanding, performing and documenting the required vehicle test drives isn’t an option for safe and proper repairs.
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Automotive Artwork Adds Class to Your Waiting Room
During my career as a journalist covering the automotive repair industry, I have probably been in more than 600 body shop’s waiting rooms, and unless it’s an MSO, they’re all different. Some shops go over the top, with fountains, beverage bars, contemporary furniture and big-screen TVs, etc. Others hire interior designers to create a customer-friendly environment. But, what’s on the walls? What I often find are pictures of Little League teams, I-CAR and OE certifications, rusty old traffic signs, plaques for the Employee of the Month or other forms of community or professional recognition. These types of things can reinforce your already stellar reputation, but are they really pleasing to the eyes? Putting all of these things on your walls is nice, but in the end, many waiting rooms look like mini-museums or large bulletin boards. Remember that when any individual enters your facility, he or she can potentially become a customer for life. Stand out and impress them and begin the process on the right foot. Of course, you’ll have to do a great job on their car, but that’s given. In a world whewith Gary Ledoux Truck Topics with Bruce Roistacher Auto Body Attorney with Stacey Phillips National Associations Alan Fearnley focuses on classic and racing cars that feature people, architecture and landscape to accent the images
re social media can help or hinder a business overnight, a good first impression is more important than ever. There are a handful of options for decorating your walls in an attractive and uncluttered manner. In some waiting rooms, I’ve seen a series of black and white photos of their town featuring different scenes throughout the years. They went to the local library, made high-res copies of the photos, and then had them nicely matted and framed. It’s a smart move because the message is that you’re connected to your community and hopefully vice versa.
Another cool way to give your waiting area that “wow” factor is with a mural. You can hire a local artist and come up with a concept that is unique and suited for your shop and your story. Many shops have murals on the exterior of their buildings, so why not one inside? The only thing is you better like the finished product, because changing it isn’t as easy as moving a couple paintings or posters around. I once wrote an article about Luscious Garage in San Francisco, that converted part of its shop into an art gallery featuring the works of local artists. They curaPaul Chenard is well-known for his racing images drawn by using pencils and pastels
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te it carefully, rotate the images every few months and the owners must have good taste, because the art is always A-List. If you want to do something that’s a little more conventional, hanging automotive art is always a winner, in my opinion. Whether it’s a giclee or a print, it won’t be cheap but you won’t need to apply for a small business loan either. A giclee looks more like the original and costs more, but digital prints are extremely affordable.
I have chosen four painters of automotive art whose works appear in body shop waiting rooms all over the world. I like their work and have chosen four with differing styles. When I was in Italy recently visiting shops, I saw images created by at least two of the artists that I’m featuring here. Alan Fearnley: The paintings of British artist Alan Fearnley focus on classic and racing cars that feature people, architecture and landscape to accent the images. He has created more than a 100 automotive paintings on this subject, and 70,000-plus copies of his works sold worldwide, as well as three books published of his work. Fearnley’s style has been described as impressionism, and I would bet that you’ve seen his images on prints, posters, albums, calendars, etc. Paul Chenard: Canadian artist Paul Chenard’s fine drawings using pencils and pastels have been popular for more than 25 years. His passion is for the history of automobile racing, which eventually led to collecting vintage toy racecars and then his illustrations. ‟Through my motorsports artwork, I’m trying to capture the feeling that the spectator has watching the race, their favorite driver in battle or the classic racecar at rest,” Chenard said in his artist’ s statement. “I’m also trying to feature the stories that give racing history depth and texture.”
Michael Irvine: Working primarily with watercolors, Irvine is known for creating clean and sharp images that are alive with “color and narration.” This approach to watercolor, together with his background in illustration and his love of classic cars, has turned Irvine into a major player within the world of automotive art. “My goal is to continually challenge myself. I want to give the viewer something they cannot see in ‘real life,’” Irvine said. “I always want to draw the viewer into a painting, giving them more, the longer they look.”
Irvine’ s work has appeared on the covers of the Mopar Collectors Guide and Muscle Car Enthusiast. David Snyder’s images have been described as alive with “color and narration.”
He offers reproductions of all of his paintings as limited edition prints, artist proofs and gallery edition canvases.
David Snyder: David Snyder started drawing cars, airplanes and trains at the age of six. His passion for transportation history continues today.
Snyder ’s art portrays memories of growing up with cars from the ‛50s through the American Muscle era. He takes you down memory lane inviting you to ‟step right in” to his paintings and visit the past. The period architecture, signage, oil cans in the garage bay - no detail is too small for Snyder. Known for his detailed images, he spends countless hours on research before beginning a painting.
Other popular automotive artists of note include Kelly Telfer (pastels), John Ketchell (semi-abstract), Tim Layzell (30s and 40s cars), James Hart Dyke (watercolors), Dan Gwinnett (large canvases), Bobbie Crews (murals), Bill Bravo (commissions for classic car owners), Dan Reed (realism) and Tony Sikorski (sculptor).
When Jeff Peevy was named chairman of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in 2019, he placed an empty chair on the stage at each meeting. The chair represented “the consumer ,” those who are in accidents and have their cars repaired. During the last CIC meeting of 2019 in Las Vegas, Peevy filled that empty chair with special guests Marcia and Matthew Seebachan. The Seebachans were the owners of the Honda Fit that was in
Jeff Peevy, chairman of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) and president of the Automotive Management Institute (AMi)
the accident resulting in a $42 million lawsuit. Peevy and his wife, Marie, interviewed the couple about their experience as well as the human impact of poor repair decisions.
Following the impactful interview, Dave Luehr , owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, invited Peevy to talk about the personal impact of the interview during an Elite Body Shop Academy webinar. Peevy’s presentation also included recommendations on how collision repair businesses can lead the ethical movement in the industry. “Listening to the discussions at CIC, I started to realize that more times than not, the consumer , the motoring public and their families are riding in vehicles our industry repaired and get very little consideration during our discussions,” said Peevy, who is also the president of the Automotive Management Institute (AMi). “I thought it would be important for us to keep the people riding in the vehicles that our industry repairs at the forefront of our decisions and discussions.”
Peevy realized how a cross-section of the industry began to refer to the chair. “I’m really proud of attendees at CIC for respecting what that chair represents,” he said.
Many have read industry publications and heard presentations about the Seebachans’ experience and Peevy said the young couple was often looked at as people out of a storybook. “My goal with the empty chair was to make the people who have impacted our industry real,” he explained. What Peevy didn’t realize when he set up the interview was how it would impact him personally. He soon learned that his daughter and son-in-law are the same age as Marcia and Matthew, and had purchased a preowned Honda Fit vehicle around the same time as the Seebachans. Also, Peevy’s daughter is going to school to become a licensed clinical social worker—the same job held by Marcia.
These parallels resulted in the experience becoming more personal to Peevy and he recognized that the accident could have happened to anyone. “I don’t think I was fully prepared for what it would do to me and I probably have become a little less compromising around doing the right thing and making sure we think about the vehicles we are repairing,” said Peevy.
Leading the Ethical Revolution During the Elite webinar, Peevy asked attendees to consider whether they place the value of human life at the top of everything. “We’ll typically say ‘yes,’ but then follow up with a ‘but’ and blame some other segment of the industry,” observed Peevy. “We always need to put the value of human life above all else. I believe it’s unethical if we do anything that jeopardizes anyone in the cars we repair.”
Peevy shared a quote from Marcia Seebachan that she said during the interview at CIC.
“One of the things drilled into us from day one in any social work course is our code of ethics and part of that is only using evidence-based practices with our clients…” she said. “We are trained to look into practices and theories and methods that are supported by evidence and there has been research and proof showing why this intervention is effective with this
specific diagnosis or need with a client and I just can’t fathom practicing any other way.” Peevy said the same is true in many professions. “Somehow , in our industry, we’ve taken liberties and not always used evidence-based practices and OEM procedures,” said Peevy. “I think OEM procedures are probably the closest thing to evidence-based procedures that we have. We can all agree there is a lot of research and design that goes into the design of vehicles.”
As a result, he recommended that collision repair businesses ready to help with the ethical revolution in the industry, start with OEM procedures.
An essential part of this is educating consumers.
“The law says consumers have the right to decide where to take their car … they often get help from family and friends,” said Peevy. However , he pointed out that the majority of those making the recommendations are unqualified and as a result, the consumer ’s life can be put in risk. “W e need to do what we can to educate consumers because they are put in the position to make a decision and more than likely will be uninformed,” said Peevy.
Then, after making that choice, consumers are asked if they are happy with the repair.
Although cycle times and Customer Satisfaction Indexing (CSI) are important, Peevy said just because consumers say they are happy with the repair and received the car on time, the carpet is vacuumed and the paint is shiny, those are not assurances the vehicle was repaired correctly and safely . “W e don’t really have any good measurements,” said Peevy.
He encourages collision repairers to think about how to best address this in the future. During the interview , Peevy said Marcia shared a vital observation.
“She said that getting hit by a car was an accident; the extent of the injuries were not but based on deciSee Ethical Revolution, Page 41
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Owning and operating a collision shop today is a daunting task. It’s not uncommon to hear some owners say that they would just as soon get out and close their shop… but then, what would they do? In last month’s edition of Autobody News we produced part one of this two-part series on alternatives to operating a body shop. Here are a few additional ideas on alternative but related options and the conclusion of this series.
W ork For an OE: Car makers have a lot of people on the payroll - a lot of people with many talents, levels of education, experience and expertise. OE’s, at the national level, specialize in establishing dealerships, distributing cars, administering sales programs, warranty administration and ensuring a steady flow of spare parts. To do this they spend the majority of their time concentrating on their dealership network. Up until fairly recently, they spent little to no time on the collision side of the business and thus have few people who are well versed in it. A former body shop manager could provide expertise in any number of areas including field work, training, producing training or service materials, or administering body shop certification programs, just to name a few.
Third Party/Consulting: Vehicle Collision Experts LLC, better known as VECO Experts, owned by industry icon and former shop owner, Mark Olson, offers a number of different consulting, training, coaching and auditing services to body shops. He also serves as an expert witness for court cases including collision and vehicle defects. In addition, he manages shop inspections for OE shop certifications programs for Subaru and several other OEs. To do this he employs over 20 associates…many of them former shop owners. Olson says, “I would like to have ten more former shop owners. Someone with 10 to 15 years in the business knows what they are doing… and do a good job at it.”
Independent Consultant: It is not uncommon for a former shop owner to lend their expertise to any number of different related companies who need a consultant on a part time basis, or to conduct a special project. Two that immediately come to mind, and are both former shop owners are Lou DiLisio of Automotive Industry Consulting, Inc. and the ever-popular Mike Anderson of Collision Advice.
Technical Instructor: Doug Irish is the Department Chair for Collision Repair and Refinish Technology for
be passionate about, and talk to the booth representative. If they are not looking for new people, they probably know someone who is. In either case, it’ s a great place to network.
Website Design, Social Media and Promotion: To be “alive” in the business world today requires a well-designed and constantly updated website and appropriate social media presence. Some people are good web designers but know nothing about the collision
the Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) in Fayetteville, NC. “People become instructors for colleges, tech schools or high schools for a number of different reasons and in a number of different ways” says Irish. “But it’s good to have someone with several years’ experience and someone who knows the industry.” Irish notes that an instructor’s position will not command the paycheck that a shop owner’s will, but in many ways the job is less demanding, but, like any job, not without its challenges. business or how to relate to people. As a former shop manager, you definitely know the business, and know what to say (and what not to say) to potential customers. If you know how to produce websites and manage social media, or know someone who does and you can manage their efforts, you have a ready-made and very lucrative business.
Engage in Emerging Technologies: Industry veteran and author of the new book, Auto Industry Disruption, Who and What is Being Disrupted and What to Do About It, Frank Terlep notes, “If someone is looking to get out of their body shop and do something else, they first must be engaged with what they are doing now and where the industry is headed in order to be valuable to someone else. The future in this industry is electronics and you must watch the trends.” This includes autonomous cars, artificial intelligence, and alternative motive power and fuels. “AirPro Diagnotics is a good example of this emerging technology” noted Terlep. “They are diagnosing vehicle electronics from a remote location.”
Industry veteran, former chairman for the Collision Industry Conference See He’s Had it! Part 2, Page 46
Magazine Reporter: Since the 1970’s, scores of shop owners have authored magazine articles, some even had their own monthly column. Some did it while they were still running their shop, some after retirement. They wrote about everything from spray painting technique, to how to buy the correct equipment to tips for running an efficient front office… and everything in between. One thing they all had in common as writers – credibility.
Representative for Other Industry Related Products: If you have never attended the ever -growing collision section of the SEMA show, take a few days next fall, book a room in Las Vegas and check it out. Just about every product you have ever used, or wanted to use in your shop is represented there. Find a product that you like, one that you believe in and can
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Few Collision Repairers Are Separating Out Scanning Time Versus Diagnostic Time
It’s been just over a year since I wrote about the inconsistency in how shops are billing for scanning, and it’s still an issue that concerns me. The results of our “Who Pays for What?” survey this last October related to scanning charges are similar to those from a year earlier. In 2019, among the more than 800 shops responding to the survey, about 1-in-4 of those who perform scans in-house charge a flat fee. Nearly 50 percent charge up to 1.0 labor hour at a mechanical labor rate; but, the remaining 25 percent of shops scanning in-house were all over the map. There was similar variety in how shops bill when they use a remote scanning service.
The real problem, I believe, is the inconsistency in what shops are including in that scanning charge. Shops need to separate scanning time from their diagnostic time.
Scanning involves performing
the output or functionality test on the vehicle to gather the diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs).
The diagnostic time begins once the scanning is complete. For example, say I scan a vehicle and it has seven DTCs. For each of those codes, I have to search for that code in the OEM repair procedures. I have to find out what it means. In some cases, it may be simple and clear, an indication that a certain part needs to be replaced.
Oftentimes, the diagnosis is more complicated. The OEM information may site four to six or eight potential causes for that DTC, and I must go back to the vehicle and go through that list, one-by-one, to see which is the cause on that vehicle. The OEMs sometimes offer a flowchart for this process and navigating that takes some time.
So, that vehicle with seven DTCs
will require ‘x’ amount of diagnostic time, far more than the vehicle where the scan finds no DTCs, but less than the vehicle where the scan finds 50 DTCs, each of which needs to be researched. It’s that variation in research or diagnostic time that I think many shops are missing.
Here are some tips that may help with the diagnostic step. First, be aware that across manufacturers, DTCs begin with a letter that helps point you to the origination of the code. A DTC that begins with a “P” is powertrain-related. One that starts with a “B” is body-related. A “C” at the start of a DTC indicates it is chassis related.
The one that’s a little less obvious is a DTC that begins with a “U,” which indicates it is network related. This refers to network communication, and collision repair work frequently causes such codes. It hap
pens, say, when we unplug a component when we remove a door mirror or handle, remove a headlight, or then drive the vehicle from the body shop to the paint department. The control module is looking for that component we’ve unhooked and can’t find it, so it stores a “U” code for lost communication.
These codes need to be cleared, much like a dirt nib needs to be taken out of the refinish. Such codes are sometimes referred to as a “cyber fingerprint,” because if you don’t scan the vehicle post-repair and clear those codes, someone down the road who scans the vehicle will be able to see what you’d removed without clearing the codes. The other tip I would offer is whether you are scanning vehicles inhouse or using a third-party provider, make sure you collect and save the See Scanning vs. Diagnostic, Page 48
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From being a highly-recruited collegiate track star to a convicted felon, Jabari Hayes’ s journey was a surprise to many people who knew him. He didn’t look like a gangster and everyone was impressed by his intelligence and engaging personality. But he got involved in a drug trafficking operation, which eventually led to a lengthy sentence in federal prison. And that’s where the story begins.
Upon his release from prison, Hayes landed a job at a body shop and learned an industry he knew nothing about before acquiring a shop himself. Today, he is the co-owner of Bavarian Collision in Atlanta, GA, a shop that repairs 30-40 cars every month out of a 10,000 sq. ft. facility with 11 employees.
Hayes’ s life story is featured in Miles in the Life: The Story of a BMF Drug Trafficker, a documentary that can be seen on Amazon Prime and has received excellent reviews. In 1994, Hayes was on top of the world as an All-American track athlete, a graduate of Morehouse College, and an up-and-coming entrepreneur with a highly successful valet service. Things were going well especially for a kid who was raised by a crack-addicted mother in the infamous Gowanus Projects in Brooklyn, NY.
Jabari Hayes’s life story is featured in Miles in the Life
Five years later, his life took a sudden and dangerous turn when he got involved in a drug trafficking operation. It was run by the infamous Black Mafia Family (BMF), known then as the largest African American drug organization in the Southeast. Driving a limousine and posing as a legitimate limo company, Hayes was moving huge amounts of cocaine. With so many quick money opportunities lying at his feet, he gradually found himself slipping more and more into the drug-running lifestyle of high-end vehicles, pricey real estate and more money than he could possibly spend.
His bosses liked him because he was punctual and reliable and soon Hayes was taking bigger and bigger risks. This caught the attention of BMF’s kingpin, Duke, who then persuaded Hayes to transport one thousand kilos of cocaine in a luxury RV across the country. With a fiancé and their first son on the way, Hayes wants to make this his final run and exit the game once and for all.
But every tragic hero has a tragic flaw. Without spoiling the story, Hayes got caught and that’ s when things began moving in the wrong direction. When he was sentenced to 87 months, it rocked his world, but he decided to turn it into a positive experience, he said. “God has been watching me the whole time, even when things looked really bad. I got a good lawyer and the judge could see that I was non-violent and a firsttime offender. Otherwise, I might still be sitting there. I look back at it and I’m blessed, happy and grateful.” While serving his time in a minimum-security facility, Hayes wrote a book, took 22 classes and actually taught two himself.
Upon release, Hayes landed a job as an estimator for a body shop, and immediately hated it. “Working for that shop was more stressful than living in a crack house in Brooklyn in the 1980s—there was no comparison. The owner just threw me in there and figured I would just deal with it because I was fresh out of prison. People treat ex-offenders like infants because they figure we have no ability to discern right from wrong. They for get that before you were incarcerated, you owned successful businesses, so you have to start all over again in many cases.”
But, amidst the chaos, Hayes began learning as much as he could
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about the collision repair industry before his entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. “Like they say, if you fail to plan you plan to fail. After two years, I was tired of all the sleepless nights, but I thought I could do this myself and the right way.”
Hayes (left) and his partner Mike Lembcke opened the doors at Bavarian Collision in Atlanta, GA in 2012
That’s when Hayes met Mike Lembcke who owned a mechanical repair shop right across the street from where he was working as an estimator. “I was telling him about my ideas and how to approach the body shop business and he said let’s do it here. So Bavarian Collision opened in 2012 and we haven’t looked back since.” Without guardian angels helping him every step of the way, Jabari wouldn’ t be where he is with a flourishing body shop and a great future. “People stepped up and literally saved me,” he said. “My dad came and pulled me out of Brooklyn when I was a kid, because it was a crazy environment there,” Hayes said. “My mother was addicted to crack, so he brought me to live with him in St. Louis to get me away from it all. Then years later I met Mike, my business partner and we’ve worked hard to build a great business.”
Hayes is also embarking on a whole new career as an inspirational speaker with a positive message. “I want to talk to inmates and show them what I’ve done,” Hayes said. “I want to show them that they’re not destined to fall in the same traps as other inmates. They don’t have to be a stat. I made it in this industry, but it wasn’t easy. I made a commitment to myself and was willing to work harder than everyone else and I want to share that with others.”
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sions made by others,” said Peevy. As a result, Peevy said the lives of this young couple will be changed forever and they won’t have the quality of life they should because of these decisions.
Marcia also made another statement that resonated with Peevy. “W e were fortunate that we got the answers that we have because I think it would be intentionally naïve to pretend that there aren’t people who have been injured or had fatal accidents that weren’ t impacted by something like this,” said Marcia.
The bottom-line, according to Peevy, is to recognize that it’s all about choices and the decisions made by those who repair vehicles. Rather than beginning to work on a car as soon as it arrives at the shop, repairing it as best and as fast as possible, moving it through the shop and trusting it was done correctly, Peevy stressed the importance of following OEM procedures and doing everything possible to repair the vehicle safely and correctly . This extends beyond liability and the economics of running a business. Peevy said that in some countries, there are bad accidents and vehicle owners still drive around because they are just trying to survive. If the cars are repaired, they are often patched up rather than repaired properly. However, in the United States, he said shops can afford to do it right without compromise.
He recommended that anyone involved in the collision repair industry watch the video and digest what the young couple shared. “We need to stop some of the stuff we’re doing and really be sincere in reviewing everything we do to ensure human life is placed above all else,” he said. T o watch the free replay of this webinar, visit https://daveluehr. mykajabi.com/products/dave-luehr -s-elite-webinar-series/categories /1931663/posts/6467462.
The entire Elite webinar series is available by signing up for free using the following link: www.elite bodyshopsolutions.com/academy.
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