Collision Repair Industry Consultant Won’t Let Health Issues Stop Him by Ed Attanasio
What happens when your body starts to fail you, but your mind is as sharp as ever? Do you quit or do you re-invent yourself? This is a question many people in every industry—including collision repair—have to answer at some point in their careers, but it usually when approaching retirement. Chris Maimone has had to face these life-changing issues at the young age of 38 due to some serious health issues requiring more than 30 surgeries. Many people would have understandably thrown in the towel after experiencing a plethora of medical issues like the ones Maimone has encountered. But he apparently doesn’t know the word “quit,” and instead of stepping aside, he is embracing his new role as an industry consultant focusing primarily on auto body shops. Maimone comes from a body shop business family well-known throughout southern California. He earned a bachelor’s degree in busi-
ness administration from California Lutheran University, and entered the industry began by working at Marco’s Collision Centers, which has seven locations. He’s extremely proud of the fact he played an integral role in the company’s success with a mission
Chris Maimone has had health issues that might force many people to early retirement, but they only inspired him to work harder and do a better job. Now he works as a consultant for CARSTAR and is exceeding everyone’s expectations with his knowledge and experience
passion of improving the collision repair industry from the front office to the paint booth and everywhere in between. Maimone started his career in
collision repair from the bottom by washing vehicles, but was learning every facet of operating the shop since day one and progressed quickly, he said. “After a short time, they put me in charge of the San Gabriel shop, where I supervised 50 employees, produced an average daily output of $32,000, generating a 50% gross profit and earned a Customer Service Index (CSI) between 98% and 100%, while keeping all of our DRPs happy,” Maimone said. “I oversaw our production process, which required every department to achieve a successful daily output while keeping our quality standards. This required knowing every vehicle’s in-process and coordinating with each member who came in contact with the car.” The most challenging part of Maimone’s position was checking for quality during every repair, he said. “I am a perfectionist and everyone who works with me knows it,” he said. “If something was not 100%
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perfect, I sent it back. To be totally transparent, there were many times I wasn’t the most well-loved person at the shop because I often send vehicles back due to quality issues. It was my task to protect the company’s name and reputation, which meant making sure each customer’s car was repaired to absolute perfection. Our goal was to affirm that the vehicle was always repaired ‘Once, Right, the First Time.’” Maimone hasn’t let his health issues get in the way of performing his job at a high level. “I used to think that to be successful it required a perfect presentation of how I appeared and carried myself,” he said. “I went from being a typical 35-year-old to a man who now uses a walker, but this did not define my success. I knew that I was still damn good at what I do, and now there was an unexpected ingredient of inspiration. When people see the diligence and commitment I give them, it inspires them to go the extra mile and commit to change despite my hurdles. Within my field, this is
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