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Houston Auto Show Showcases New Technology by Ed Mayberry, Houston Public Media
The Houston Auto Show at NRG Center displayed more than 800 vehicles from nearly 40 manufacturers. That includes electric cars, although dealer Carroll Smith said sales of those re-
main sluggish. “It almost appears as if it is a revolution, but the reality is that today, the average dealer in the United States is only selling one electric vehicle a month,” Smith said. Smith also said
regular gasoline engines are becoming so efficient, it raises questions about taxes. “Our roads are funded by a gasoline tax. As we change more and more, even to fuel-efficient internal combustion, if you see a huge shift to that, where are we going to fund our roads?” Smith said. What is selling? Cars with collision avoidance systems, said Steve McDowell with Infonation, a firm that mines auto sales data.“People coming into this show don’t realize how many autonomous features there are. Collision prevention, which is one very important feature—these are the best vehicles that have ever been built,” he said. We thank Houston Public Media for reprint permission.
Campus Auto Repair Shop Gives TSTC Students Real-World Experience
See Campus Auto Repair, Page 33
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
Texas State Technical College students studying automotive technology put their skills to the test most Fridays, working on cars with real-world problems in a simulated auto repair shop. TSTC faculty, staff and students can take their cars to the on-campus Kultgen Automotive Center, supplying the needed parts themselves. About 250 students are in the class this semester, said Ben Matus, an instructor for the course. “They work on cars with actual problems instead of just school cars,”
Matus said. “They come in here and look up procedures to prepare them. Of course they diagnose the problems first, locate the problem, replace parts if necessary, and then check to make sure it’s operable and correct.” The program, launched about three years ago, has students work on cars with problems that can be solved within a few hours. The real-world experience of the shop includes interacting with customers and filling out paperwork. Luis Reyes, 19, of McGregor, TX, said a desk job just isn’t for him. “Once I got into hgh school, I al-
Change Service Requested
by Phillip Ericksen, Waco Tribune-Herald
VOL. 36 ISSUE 3 MARCH 2018
A Career Painter’s Personal Experience is Cautionary Tale for Others by Ed Attanasio
Back in 1985, the actor Yul Brynner was dying from cancer when he told a television audience on “Good Morning America” that what he really wanted to do was film a commercial that said, “Now that I’m gone, I’ll tell you this: Don’t smoke. Whatever you do, just don’t smoke.” When he died several months later, his wish came true when a public service announcement was produced telling the world to quit smoking. Today, it is one of the most memorable anti-smoking statements ever made and is often re-broadcasted all over the world. In life, we learn from others’ mistakes so that we don’t repeat them. In this story, a career painter has sage advice for painters and techs who don’t wear proper gear when painting cars.
Alex Alonso and his wife, Andrea, on the beach in Florida. A former painter/tech, Alex has stage 4 kidney cancer and wants other collision professionals to be aware of the hazards associated with not wearing the proper gear on the job
Alex Alonso is 52 years old and originally from Bronx, NY. His father, Jesus, was born in Uruguay and came to the U.S. to eventually open a twoSee Cautionary Tale, Page 12
CIC Industry Meetings Discuss CCC’s Changes to ‘Secure Share’, Retains Interest in EMS Format
file rather than requiring the use of the newer “BMS” data export file, reducing development costs or forced Changes that CCC Information Services recently announced related to its timelines for third-party providers to “Secure Share” data-exchange program gear up to receive BMS files. were a frequent focus of discussion at CIC Chairman Guy Bargnes said the CIC task force that dethe Collision Industry Conferveloped early last year to adence (CIC) and other meetdress concerns related to ings held recently in Palm Springs, CA. Secure Share successfully CCC in December anfulfilled CIC’s mission to nounced that it was dropping bring industry stakeholders plans for a 50-cent-per-estitogether to “discuss issues, mate fee for third-party enhance understanding, find Dan Risley providers (such as rental car common ground and comcompanies, shop management system municate possible solutions.” providers, CSI services, etc.) wishing “This is a really great example of to receive estimate data from CCC the difference that CIC can make ONE users. It also eliminated regis- when everybody is working together tration fees for those third-parties, for a common goal,” agreed ASA Exand said it would continue to allow ecutive Director Dan Risley, one of such data transfers to be done via the three co-chairs of the CIC task force. See CCC’s Changes, Page 32 commonly used “EMS” data export by John Yoswick
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit #2244
2 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
ABAT Hosts Regional Educational
Meetings Throughout Texas . . . . . . . . . . 8
ASA-CO 2018 Summit Attracts More
Than 350 Attendees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Auto Body Shop Fights Insurance
Hopeful That Judgment Against
Insurer Would Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
NATIONAL
1,000+ Students Registered for CREF
Spring Career Fairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Company Over Used Parts in LA . . . . . . 6
1Collision Announces New Call Center,
Jump-Start on College, Career . . . . . . . 16
42 Apprentices Join Service King’s
Students Real-World Experience. . . . . . . 1
A Career Painter’s Personal Experience
in Rio Rancho, NM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Allstate and Nationwide Among Insurers
Auto Program Gives CO Students a
Campus Auto Repair Shop Gives TSTC
Family-Run Body Shop Opens Location Fire Sparks Explosion at Keys
Auto Body Garage in OK . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Greeley, CO, Students Enter SkillsUSA Auto Collision Repair Technology
Phone App. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Training Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 is a Cautionary Tale for Others . . . . . . . . 1 Using Public Data Sources In Fraud
Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Anti-Safety Inspection Legislation
Introduced in WV, NH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Bill Garoutte to Take Helm at National
Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Body Shop Owner, Son Bond Over
Auto Body and Painting in Salida, CO . . 11
CARSTAR North America Launches U.S.,
at Auto Tech Competition . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chuck Sulkala Scholarship Fund to
ISD’s Career, Tech Ed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
CIC Industry Meetings Discuss CCC’s
Houston Auto Show Showcases New
Mahnke Auto Body Purchases Clyde’s Paris, TX, Students Win Scholarships Rotarians Learn About Humble, TX,
The HABA Meeting You Don’t Want To Miss . 3 Vocational Program Funding May be
Coming for Kingman, AZ, High School
Freshmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Auto Body Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Racing in Lebanon, TN. . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Canada 1st Brand Campaign . . . . . . . . 33
Honor NABC Founder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Changes to ‘Secure Share’, Retains
Interest in EMS Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Ford Launches its 1st Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle
for Police, Government Customers. . . . 10
Weather-Related Wrecks Cost Drivers
Hundreds of Automotive Scholarships
YANG’s Phoenix, AZ, Meet-Up Focuses
Hyundai Showcases World’s 1st
in Fayetteville, AR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 on Career Trajectory in Your 30s . . . . . . 6
COLUMNISTS
To Be Awarded: Apply by March 31 . . . 58
Self-Driven Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle. . . 58
Industry Invited To Sponsor Uniforms for
Collision Education Students . . . . . . . . 64
Attanasio - Too Many Shops are Advertising
Leading Painter Olivia Cook Advocates
Hey Toby - Kool Tools from SEMA 2017. . 28
Mike Anderson to Host Free Webinars
When They Should Be Marketing . . . . . 40
Ledoux - Audi’s Mark Allen Interviewed
PPG’s ENVIROBASE, SATA Spray Guns . 60
on Locating OEM Procedures. . . . . . . . 64
on Shop Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Missouri House Considers Anti-Vehicle
The “Dragon Slayer” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
NY Auto Body Shop Releases Humorous
Ledoux - In Reverse: John Loftus,
Phillips - How to Build Customer Loyalty,
Prepare for the New Customer Mindset . 42
Safety Inspection Legislation . . . . . . . . 10
Video to Ease the Stress of Collision
Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Phillips - How To Train, Prepare for
Pittston, PA, Man Faces Fraud Charges
Phillips - Mitchell’s ‘Program Freedom
PPG Funds Refinish Student Scholarships
Negotiations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Experience’ Features Newest Products,
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Sisk - Management Success Shares
Shop Resolutions That Stick . . . . . . . . 38
Yoswick - 5 Years Ago, CT Shops Still
Over Auto Insurance Claim. . . . . . . . . . 51
Through CREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
SCRS Releases Video of ‘Kool Tools From
2017 SEMA Show & More’ . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Service King Opens 43rd CA Shop in
Sacramento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Ware Wendell, Executive Director of Texas Watch, a consumer advocacy group, has embarked on a journey to get HABA’s message out to the public and educate customers on choosing the right shop. Ware has served as the Legislative Aide to a senior member of the Texas House and Chief of Staff in the Texas Senate, enabling him to work on legislation of statewide importance and giving him insights into the workings of the Texas Capitol. He has testified before legislative committees and state agencies more times than he can count. He has twice been named a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star and is listed among the Best Attorneys of America. Texas Watch has listened intently to HABA’s struggles and has the power to get information about these injustices to the Texas Department of Insurance and the Attorney General. The seminar will close with a Q&A session and panel discussion for you to get answers to your questions from these strong players. To register go to www.HABAonline.org
Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas Online and Web Content Editor: Rochelle Beckel Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Editorial/Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes
Ancira Volkswagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Audi South Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 61 AutoNation Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . 54 AutoNation Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam NRH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 AutoNation Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam of North Phoenix. . . . . . . . . 14 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . 7 BASF Automotive Refinish Coatings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Berge Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Bill Luke Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 59 Bob Howard PDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Chapman Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 ChemSpec USA, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Chevyland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Classic BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Dallas Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Diamond Standard Parts, LLC . . . . 49 Dominion Sure Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Don Carlton Auto Group . . . . . . . . . 48 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . 24 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 36 EMS Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Finnegan Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . 2 Flatirons Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 57 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 65 Greeley Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 GYS Welding USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23
Serving Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, Utah and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2018 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.com
Southwest
REGIONAL
Speakers from across the state are coming to HABA to deliver firsthand information on the BIG moves being made in Texas. Included will be a dynamic presentation from ABAT President Burl Richards as he delivers his firsthand account of the aftermarket crash tests HABA conducted in California. His experience there, coupled with the medical and scientific data received from Todd Tracy of Tracy Law Firm, will explain the tests in great detail. Robert McDorman of Auto Claim Specialists will bring you facts of the industry and tried and true ways to fix more cars. Burl and Robert will show you how to Repair More Vehicles, Stop Job Loss by the Insurance Carriers, and Super Charge Your Closing Ratio on Repair Orders! They will point out how to navigate around the insurance claim procedures, share their successes and techniques to help each collision repair facility repair more vehicles, increase your bottom line and capture your customer for life.
Index of Advertisers
Contents
The HABA Meeting You Don’t Want To Miss
Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 62 Insta Finish Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Island Clean Air, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Ken Garff Mopar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Killer Tools and Equipment Corp.. . 33 Launch Tech USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Matrix Automotive Finishes. . . . . . . 15 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 63 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35 Mirka USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 39 North Freeway Hyundai . . . . . . . . . 44 O’Reilly Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Original One Parts™ . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Premier Collision Equipment . . . . . 10 Ray Huffines Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . 43 Reliable Automotive Equipment . . . 37 Robaina Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . 45 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . 25 South Pointe Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. 32 Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Subaru of Little Rock . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 55 Symach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Toyota of Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 64 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Young Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
udelv Makes Public Road Test Delivery From Autonomous Last-Mile Delivery Vehicle udelv, a Burlingame, CA, company, pulled the wraps off its autonomous, last-mile delivery vehicle Jan. 30 and made the world’s first public road test deliveries from Draeger’s Market in San Mateo to two nearby customers. The 2.5-mile loop, with traffic lights, lane changes, un-signalized left turns and two delivery stops, was accomplished flawlessly. In compliance with existing California
The distinctive orange udelv customized vehicle is built on a fully electric powertrain and features 18 secure cargo compartments with automatic doors using a cloud-based proprietary technology that is shared between the vehicle, customers and merchants. The vehicle can drive for up to 60 miles per cycle and can load up to 700 pounds of cargo
regulations, the vehicle was supervised by a safety driver and in test mode. The distinctive orange customized vehicle is built on a fully electric powertrain and features 18 secure cargo compartments with automatic doors using a cloud-based proprietary technology that is shared between the vehicle, customers and merchants. In its current configuration, the vehicle can drive for up to 60 miles per cycle and can load up to 700 pounds of cargo. A dedicated application is available on iOS to track and potentially reschedule deliveries, with an Android version to be released soon. To complement its autonomous driving technology and ensure reliability of the service, udelv also created an ultra-low latency teleoperations system to monitor and control the vehicles remotely and allow for overrides and human-assisted guidance in unique situations. udelv anticipates that its new vehicle will bring forth a dramatic drop in the cost of local deliveries, add delivery window flexibility and significantly reduce carbon footprint. Clean See Last Mile Delivery, Page 12
CA Self-Driving Report May Validate Consumer Concerns by Chanell Turner, CBT Automotive Network
Would you allow your car to take control of your commute? This is the question many car buyers are still wrestling with. While companies like Tesla, Waymo and even Ford are looking ahead to pushing the boundaries of fully autonomous features in vehicles, the public at large still seems to be on the fence. A study by Carinsurance.com, an online insurance comparison and rate quote company, revealed that 80 percent of its 2,000 respondents would not purchase an autonomous car if given the opportunity. A similar sentiment took place during an MIT survey in 2017. Out of 3,000 respondents, 48 percent said they would never buy a self-driving car because they were not comfortable with the lack of control, and felt the vehicles were not safe. Do consumers have something to worry about? Are their feelings valid?
The Annual Autonomous Vehicle Disengagement Report California implemented a program where manufacturers have the opportunity to test self-driving cars on public roads. The Department of Motor
Vehicles in the state recently released its Annual Autonomous Disengagement Report to reveal how many disengagements the various vehicles experienced during test runs. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, a disengagement is defined as when a failure of the autonomous technology occurred or if the test driver felt the need to disengage the autonomous mode and manually take over for the safe operation of the car.
GM, Mercedes, and Nissan Reveal Progress This year, 19 manufacturers were included in the report. Recognizable brands such as BMW, Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen did not test any vehicles in 2017 on California’s public roads. General Motor’s Chevy Cruise drove more than 130,000 miles on the public streets of San Francisco with 105 disengagements. GM recorded that most disengagements were attributed to precautionary takeovers to address planning or controls. Mercedes-Benz tested three autonomous vehicles on California roads last year, and in total all three drove more than 1,000 miles. There were 240 manual and 602 automatic disengagements. Nissan tested five cars, including
4 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Tesla On ‘Auto-Pilot’ Crashes Into Culver City, CA, Fire Truck
by Emily Holland, Culver City Patch
Culver City Fire Department’s Engine 42 was struck by a Tesla sedan while working a freeway incident Jan. 23, according to CCFD.
Credit: Culver City Fire Department Twitter
The Tesla was traveling at 65 miles per hour—the driver reportedly told firefighters that the vehicle was on auto-pilot. This is the second accident involving a Tesla on auto-pilot in the last two weeks, according to ABC7. Tesla’s auto pilot feature is an advanced driver assistance system that uses cameras, sensors and various vehicle systems to maintain the speed of the car, prevent them from
three versions of the Leaf. The manufacturer reported the vehicles rode a combined 5,007 miles with 24 disengagements in the year. Two of the most common issues cited for the separations were a software crash or GPS signal issue.
Small Autonomous Automakers Show Promise Waymo, formerly the Google self-driving car project, drove more than 350,000 miles last year and experienced only 63 disengagements. The top two reasons cited were unwanted maneuvering of the vehicle and perception discrepancy. Artificial intelligence company, NVIDIA, had two vehicles drive a combined 505 miles with 109 disengagements. Tesla, a company that has almost become the face of autonomous cars, did not test any vehicles under California law. Instead, the company cited how it gathers autonomous vehicle data from customer-owned cars in shadow mode during normal operation.
There is Still Cause for Concern This report is groundbreaking in that it allows the public a detailed glimpse into real performance data of autonomous vehicles. Even though they
running into slower-moving cars ahead, keep the vehicle in the lane and even change lanes for the driver, according to Auto Trader. Very few other cars have all of these systems, and Tesla gives control of all of them to the car’s electronic capabilities, requiring much less input from the driver, according to Auto Trader. The National Transportation Safety Board will be coming to California to examine the crash, according to ABC7. No one was injured. The first Tesla autopilot crash occurred Jan. 13 on the Bay Bridge. The suspected drunk driver had passed out behind the wheel, ABC7 reported. CCFD warns drivers to stay alert while behind the wheel. We thank Culver City Patch for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com were not included in some reports, many manufacturers did detail the reason for each disengagement. Most automakers seemed to have more successes than failures, but is the public comfortable with seeing a “software crash” or “precautionary takeover” as reasons for manual takeovers? A 2017 AutoTrader Car Tech Impact Study gave some additional insight into how drivers feel about autonomous vehicle technologies. Niche autonomous features were cited as having low awareness and appeared polarizing to respondents. Forty-eight percent of respondents were uninterested in fully autonomous technology. Unfortunately, car companies have a bit of a perception problem when it comes to selfdriving cars. While it is normal to experience failures and hiccups during experiments, consumers seem to be on edge with the safety factor of autonomous vehicles. Will the natural experimentation phase of these automobiles throw car buyers off? Only time will tell as manufacturers push forward on their quest to produce a fully autonomous vehicle.
We thank CBT Automotive Network for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
YANG’s Phoenix, AZ, Meet-Up Focuses on Career Trajectory in Your 30s
On Jan. 30, the Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG) held a meet-up at Top Golf in Scottsdale, AZ, hosted by Heri Automotive and BBB Industries. The theme of conversation was Career Trajectory in Your 30s.
Adams said, “Overall, I believe the group enjoyed the atmosphere of getting to talk work while playing golf. We had a 50/50 balance of golfers and non-golfers, and it was enjoyable to watch the two groups blend into one by the end of the evening. “We work in a large industry, and many of us are unaware of just how
Auto Body Shop Fights Insurance Company Over Used Parts in LA
YANG’s Phoenix Meet-Up attracted more young automotive professionals than anticipated
YANG’s Regional Meet-Ups provide a key opportunity for members to network with peers in their age group
There’s an insurance fight brewing in Baton Rouge, LA, and it’s got an auto body shop owner fighting for the customer. Miles Paint and Body owner Chip Elkins said he’s been in the car business for years. Quite often, he said, he’s stuck fighting an insurance company’s decision to cut corners and use used parts instead of new ones. “I fight it every day,” Elkins said. On Feb. 8, he called 2 On Your Side after a customer rolled into his shop needing repairs. The customer had been in an accident, which was ruled to be the other driver’s fault. They’ve been working with State Farm to sign off on repairs, but the news has not sat well. “State Farm wants to put two salvaged doors on this car,” said Elkins. The customer said the 2015 Chevy Impala was bought new. The driver’s side door and the rear door need to be replaced. Elkins said the car should leave his shop the way it was in preaccident condition. “And pre-accident condition does not include junkyard parts,” he said. Elkins said there are a lot of unknowns when used parts like doors come into play. He never knows the backstory of where the parts come
by Chasidy Rae Sisk
Event host Thurston Adams, Managing Director of Global Sales for Heri Automotive, stressed, “It’s important to acknowledge that networking is a flex ingredient to having a successful career.” The meeting attracted more YANG members than anticipated, with attendees coming from as far as Texas to network with peers.
large and diverse it truly is. Events like YANG’s Regional Meet-Ups allow us to get out of our bubbles and meet our peer group. The aftermarket is a dynamic industry, and there are a lot of opportunities ahead for young professionals looking to kick-start their careers. Regarding our expectations, we set the bar low this year. Next year, we’ll have to double it.”
6 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
by Brittany Weiss, WBRZ Channel 2 News
from or what type of environment they’ve been in. It can sometimes cause problems down the road. “It can short the wiring harness out if these vehicles have been out in the weather forever with the doors open,” he said. “There’s no telling what’s wrong with these doors.” With recent floods and weather events in Louisiana, Texas and Florida, he fears a used part could be water-damaged. According to documents provided by State Farm and a supplement provided by Elkins, the cost difference to use new doors is about $175 more than the estimate given by the insurance company. “It’s just not cost-effective to use them,” he said. Elkins said he works for the customer and he does not appreciate a company telling him how to make repairs. “It’s wrong,” he said. “They need to look out for the customer. They don’t need to look out for their pocketbook.” State Farm told 2 On Your Side it cannot discuss claims with third parties and that if a customer has questions or concerns about their claim, they should continue to work through their claim contact. We thank WBRZ Channel 2 News for permission.
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
ABAT Hosts Regional Educational Meetings Throughout Texas by Chasidy Rae Sisk
In late January, the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT) hosted three identical regional educational meetings, bringing valuable information to its members across the state. According to ABAT Executive Director Jill Tuggle, “These events went very well with three portions to each educational meeting. We hosted our first meeting in the Austin region, and it was standing room only! We anticipated having about 40 in attendance, but our head count was over 65. Dallas was no different—85 in attendance and we filled every seat in the room, and even ran out of BBQ! We were approached by owners from the west Texas area who asked us to help them plan a meeting in their region as well.” The first meeting was held at Pappasito’s Cantina in Austin on Jan. 23 with dinner provided by Finishmaster and Axalta. On Jan. 24, J & J Paint Supply sponsored lunch at the East Texas meeting, held at the Henderson Civic Center in Henderson, TX, and the Central Texas meeting was held on Jan. 25 at Park Place Bodywerks in Dallas. Each meeting began with a “2017 Recap and 2018 First Look” delivered by ABAT President Burl Richards.
Tuggle recounted, “Burl discussed the aftermarket crash tests at length— his firsthand account of what he experienced at the crash-testing site as well as the presentation that Todd Tracy gives on the results. These results are very scientific—speaking in terms of
physics, the amount of force and medical effects the crashes would have on a person’s body if they were in each of those vehicles.” Richards also expressed gratitude to the Hawaii Auto Body Association (ABPAH) and AASP/NJ, noting “Both of these associations donated money towards the crash tests that were performed on the Honda Fits in December, and their support for the industry should serve as an inspiration for all of us.” After Richards spoke, ABAT Board Member Chad Kiffe unveiled
Weather-Related Wrecks Cost Drivers in Fayetteville, AR by Deni Kamper, KNWA News and NWA Homepage.com
Icy roads are being blamed for more than 40 car crashes taking place the weekend of Feb. 10–11. While getting into a wreck can be a scary and potentially life-threatening experience, it can also have serious consequences for one’s wallet. Many drivers in Northwest Arkansas are finding out just how costly weather-related wrecks can be. “Anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000—just depends on the severity of the hit,” said Dustin Lovell, an estimator with Quality Collision Repair in Fayetteville. “If you cause the accident—you slide into them because you couldn’t stop, it’s still an accident and can still be counted as an at-fault accident on your record,” said insurance agent Brant Barnes. Barnes said it’s important to know what exactly your policy covers before driving in bad weather. “If you don’t have full coverage or what we consider collision or comprehensive, you could be looking at replacing a car because you don’t have the coverage on your vehicle itself,” Barnes explained.
“Definitely more accidents during any kind of weather—whether it be rain, especially during ice and snow,” Lovell said. Lovell said his shop sees all types of damage from weather-related accidents. “They can spin out, run off the road, damage the suspension, just about anywhere on the vehicle,” Lovell explained. But the upfront cost of a repair isn’t the only thing drivers have to worry about. Barnes said one’s insurance rates could go up significantly. “You could see an increase—15, 20 percent, it could be even more,” Barnes explained. When roads are icy, drivers may have to shell out cash even if they aren’t in a collision. “If it ends up in a ravine or down in a ditch, you might end up with a $400 or $500 tow bill, so there are some costs like that that can get really expensive,” Barnes said. Barnes said one of the most important things drivers should do if they are involved in an accident this winter is call the police and get an accident report for the insurance company. We thank KNWA News and NWA Homepage.com for reprint permission.
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the association’s new data library. He explained, “The point of the data library is to give our members easy access to documents and position statements and the ‘needle in a haystack’ type of documentation that you need to repair a vehicle safely. Often times, we don’t even know that certain operations must be performed while repairing a vehicle. We are using this platform to share knowledge.” The final speaker at ABAT’s meetings was Chris Ollila of Verifacts, who presented “How to Differentiate Your Shop Through Sales and Proper Repairs.” Tuggle shared, “Chris presented to our attendees on repair procedures, but brought an emotional element into it. He started out by making everyone think about the customers we serve and why we do what we do. He spent time personifying our clients and why doing the right thing is so very important. It was based on the how and the why. “As an association, we are constantly out to prove to new attendees that we are not like associations of the past. It is not a happy hour to congregate and complain about business or insurance companies. We actually understand that the insurance companies are a valuable partner in our busi-
nesses, and instead of complaining, we focus on education and solutions. We had over 50 new member shops attend our meetings, and they were impressed with ABAT and its core values. If we can get people to the meetings, they rarely leave disappointed or burdened by the content or direction in which we are heading. ABAT gained new members immediately following each meeting. “[The meetings were held in order] to educate ourselves and others, introduce ABAT to potential members, and give a first look at what ABAT is working towards for 2018. These types of events are important because it gives us an opportunity to put our heads together, learn ways to keep the consumer safe, enhance our business models and share ideas. It is important to the industry, now more than ever, for shops to stick together and continue to educate themselves in order for them to survive the changing landscape of collision repair.” ABAT will hold its Second Annual Skeet Shoot on May 19 and is planning the 2018 Texas Auto Body Trade Show for September 13–16.
For more information, visit www.abat .us.
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 9
Missouri House Considers Anti-Vehicle Safety Inspection Legislation
On Feb. 7, the Missouri House Transportation Committee held a hearing to address House Bill (HB) 1444. HB 1444 would repeal Missouri’s vehicle safety inspection program. During the hearing, proponents of HB 1444 cited consumer expense and overall inconvenience as justification for the legislation. They also claimed a lack of evidence as to the program preventing accidents, injuries and deaths. Ben Steinman, ASA-Midwest member and owner of Ben’s Auto Body in Mexico, MO, gave testimony supporting the program, along with representatives from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, AAA and other organizations. Following the hearing, Steinman said, “I see vehicles in my shop daily that are unsafe to operate on the highways. If this bill passes, I would be very concerned about the safety of my family and, for that matter, all motorists on our roadways.” ASA continues to oppose HB 1444 and encourages all interested parties in Missouri to visit TakingTheHill.com and click “Alerts” to contact their state representatives in opposition.
Ford Launches its 1st Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle for Police, Government Customers Earlier this year, Ford revealed the world’s first-ever pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicle. Now, the company is giving law enforcement an even more efficient option with the reveal of a plug-in hybrid vehicle capable of driving up to 21 miles without a drop of gas. The Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan, the first plug-in hybrid police vehicle from Ford, is designed for police and fire chiefs, detectives and other government personnel whose jobs don’t require a pursuit-rated vehicle. “This is the first Ford police vehicle that can potentially get through an entire shift using no gasoline whatsoever,” said Stephen Tyler, Ford police brand marketing manager. “Anyone can plug this in to any wall outlet to run gas-and emissionsfree on battery-only operation.” The vehicle’s 3.3-kilowatt onboard charger allows agencies to fully charge the 7.6-kilowatt-hour battery in just 2.5 hours on a 240volt, level-two charger. But Ford is confident most agencies won’t need anything more than a regular 120volt wall outlet to recharge. The lithium-ion battery can move the ve-
10 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
hicle up to 21 miles on a single charge and up to 85 mph on battery power alone. Once the battery runs down, the vehicle is powered by its gasoline-electric hybrid power
7.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery propels new police Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan up to 21 miles on a charge and up to 85 mph on battery power alone; new offering brings the added flexibility of a full hybrid-electric powertrain with a range surpassing 500 miles
plant—with a range surpassing 500 miles—eliminating any concerns of range anxiety typically associated with battery-only electrics. The custom interior features heavy-duty cloth front seats with reduced bolsters for officer comfort, and rear anti-stab plates, plus vinyl rear seating and flooring. Other highlights include a reinforced top tray for mounting equipment, metal console mounting plate, red and
white task lighting in the overhead console, police engine-idle feature, unique alloy wheels and an auxiliary power distribution box in the trunk. Several unique options are available for the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan, including a driver spot lamp, a trunk storage vault, trunk ventilation system and a rear door control-disabling feature. A special dark-car feature turns off interior lighting and allows the dash cluster to be dimmed 100 percent for surveillance, and several emergency lighting packages like those found on other Ford police vehicles are also available. The new Special Service PlugIn Hybrid Sedan joins two other Ford police vehicles revealed this year—Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan and F-150 Police Responder. Recently, both successfully completed rigorous testing conducted by Michigan State Police at Grattan Raceway in Belding, Michigan, and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Customers will be able to order the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan in December, with sales starting next summer.
Mahnke Auto Body Purchases Clyde’s Auto Body and Painting in Salida, CO by April Obholz Bergeler, The Mountain Mail
Mahnke Auto Body of Arvada, CO, purchased Clyde’s Auto Body and Painting Inc., 716 Park Ave. in Salida, CO, from former owner Rick Shovald in January. Megara Pullen, Mahnke Auto Body marketing director, said, “We will continue the work that Rick has done in the community over the years. We are going to step into his place with his support.” Pullen said Mahnke was looking to expand and Shovald was looking for a change. “We chose Salida because it fits our company culture. We are familyowned and started the business in 1975 in Arvada. (We) began with one shop, which was founded by Gary and Judy Mahnke. They have four children. At different times, all four children have worked for the company,” Pullen said. She said the Mahnke family has been in Colorado for several generations, and they are pioneer people who love the mountains and outdoor sports. “Although we follow the numbers, we have retained a family atmosphere. We care about people. We want
to serve generations of customers. We want our customers to have total confidence in us when they walk in that door,” she said. “It’s a great fit. Rick is genuine as the day is long.” Shovald built Clyde’s Auto Body from the ground up, Pullen said. She said when he was in high school, he got a job painting vans for rafting companies. He made a great deal of money and was able to use space at the high school to complete the painting jobs. Shovald said after high school, he increased his painting knowledge at a big auto body shop in Denver. “In November 1985, I returned to Salida. The economy was a little bit bad and my father was out of work. At that time, I leased a body shop from Danny and Katherine Granzella, who owned Salida Motors at the time,” Shovald said. He said in 1992, the shop moved to its current location on Park Avenue. In his role as owner of Clyde’s, he said the biggest joy was his customers. “We got to the point where we were serving fourth generations,” he said. Shovald is still a part of the
shop. He said he intends on working with Mahnke as a technician. “With the advancements they can offer, I actually have the opportunity to work on cars,” Shovald said. He said when he owned the business, he was not able to work on cars as much as he wanted. “Mahnke Auto Body offered me the opportunity to take Clyde’s Auto Body to the next level in the collision repair industry and remain a part of the operation. My true love is the actual hands-on repairs of my customers’ vehicles,” Shovald said. “The recent advancements in the business, training for certified Original Equipment Manufacturer repairs and the technical advancements in the trade, are what Sam Mahnke and his operation bring to Salida. We are so fortunate to have their knowledge and experience here in Salida. “I am so grateful that Mahnke was able to employ the same production staff to serve our customers that we have been serving, in some cases for four generations. I can’t thank my customers and employees enough who made Clyde’s what it is.” Mahnke’s main services are collision repair, auto body paint, auto frame repair, hail damage repair and
dent repair. Sam Mahnke is the current CEO and comes to Salida every week, Pullen said. She said Mahnke owns a total of six shops in Colorado, with seven people employed at the shop in Salida. “We want to increase the ability for the shop to produce work. There’s a great need in Salida and it is under capacity. (We) want to increase the amount of work that runs through it, and we are adding technology. Rick created a great structure and functionality and a well-designed shop. It is set up for growth—we just have to find the people,” Pullen said.
We thank The Mountain Mail for reprint permission.
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www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 11
Continued from Cover
Cautionary Tale
man restoration shop where Alex started working at age 12. After high school, Alex took a six-month course on automotive repair, learning a lot of things he already knew, he said. “In the Bronx, people fix their cars right out in the street, and I started working on my friends’ vehicles while I was in high school,” he said. “Back then, we learned by doing, so when I went to auto tech school, I knew a little more than just the basics.” Father and son worked side-byside restoring primarily classic American cars, and pretty soon, the quality of their work brought them more and more customers. After a while, they moved the business out of the city and continued flourishing. “We moved upstate to Prattsville, NY, where we opened J. Alonso Body Shop in a small facility,” Alex said. “I learned how to do it all—disassembly, sandblasting, painting—you name it. We would turn around our restorations in 4–6 weeks on average, which meant that we were working all the time, but the shop was literally 3 feet from our house, so it was convenient. I would take multiple photos at every stage and put together an album for every customer with 200–300 pictures of their restoration, and they loved it! We built a reputation for quality and [fast work].” In 1989, Alex and his father moved to Montevideo, Uruguay to run a restoration and body shop, where the Continued from Page 4
Last Mile Delivery
and affordable deliveries, combined with returns made easy, will meaningfully improve people’s daily lives. “Deliveries are the perfect first application for autonomous vehicles,” said Daniel Laury, CEO of udelv. “Customers simply open the locker with a press of a button on their mobile device, and the vehicle heads on its way to the next delivery or back to the store. “This is a historic revolution in transportation. We are reinventing deliveries. McKinsey estimates that 80 percent of all package deliveries will be autonomous in the next decade. I am very proud that udelv is first and leads this revolution.” “Our customers are very tech-
business took off despite issues along the way. “We worked on cars for the Israeli, Russian and Spanish embassies on mostly high-end European cars,” Alex said. “Armed guards would come and inspect the vehicles after the repairs and stick mirrors underneath them to make sure everything was safe. They called us the gringos and used to tell us, ‘You gringos do good work.’” Uruguay doesn’t make it easy for collision repairers to do their job, Alex said. “There are a lot of DRPs available to shops in the U.S., but in Uruguay, there is just one insurance company and it is owned and operated by the government,” he said. “The insurance adjustors had all the power and they were a nightmare to deal with. They had a monopoly, so they were rude and nasty all the time and we had to fight with them on every supplement—It was awful.” In 2000, Alex moved to Florida, where he had to go back to square one upon his return. “By the time I got back, it was a different ball game and I couldn’t get a job without a work permit,” he said. “So, I had to take a course and prove what I could do, and then the only job that was available paid $8 an hour. I was working in the hot sun outside painting cars for a shop that charged $300 for a paint job. Luckily, I became friends with a couple of the paint reps there and they helped me get a better job. After a couple years, I was making $1,200 a week working flat rate for a savvy,” said Richard Draeger, owner, Draeger’s Market. “We look forward to adding the udelv autonomous vehicle and its cost reduction factor to our delivery fleet.” The company, with several technology patents pending, is planning to test dozens of udelv vehicles on the roads in a few states within a short timeframe. udelv is planning to use a subscription business model to roll out its vehicle fleet. Led by Laury and CTO Akshat Patel, former Tesla and Apple special projects engineer manager, udelv is listed on the California DMV Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program under the name of CarOne LLC. The company is funded by a group of investors that includes prominent U.S. and international venture capital funds as well as private investors.
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top shop.” In 2012, Alex experienced back pain, so he went to a chiropractor— but it didn’t solve the problem. Finally, he got an MRI. When he went to the orthopedist to find out the results, they met him at the door. “They told me that I had a tumor in one of my kidneys and that I needed to go to the doctor right away,” Alex said. “They removed it and I thought I was out of the woods, but I was wrong.” Today, Alex has stage 4 kidney cancer and the doctors give him 1–2 years to live. The last doctor he saw told him that he wasn’t willing to do any more surgery at this point, because it would possibly make his condition even worse. He is battling for his life and taking chemo pills every day, keeping his hopes up and proceeding as best he can. “I can’t prove it and I’m not blaming anyone, but I know that the risks I took over all the years finally caught up with me,” he said. “I was a mechanic when I was younger and always elbow-deep in all kinds of transmission fluids, brake fluids, motor oil and carburetor cleaner—you name it. I never wore gloves or any protective gear, because when you’re young, you
think you’re a superhero. But all of that stuff gets into your blood, and where do you think it ends up? Your kidneys—that’s right.” After 25 years in the paint booth, Alex also realizes maybe a little too late that wearing a breathing respirator and a full suit is a must, he said. “In Florida, it gets really hot and humid, so sometimes I would either wear a half-suit or take it off and not wear gloves at all,” he said. “I tell painters now to put that mask on; don’t be stupid the way I was. In the early years, some of the equipment wasn’t all that great, but now with all of these oxygen-supplied air respirators, a painter can be safe all the time. Some shops stay on top of it and make safety a priority, but when things get busy and there are a lot of cars in the shop, it can be discarded very easily.” Staying hopeful and positive, Alex wants painters out there to know that their safety and health should be more important than any paycheck. “I am hoping that painters will read this and learn from my mistakes,” he said. “Don’t take shortcuts and compromise your health, because life is precious and no one is indestructible.”
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 13
Rotarians Learn About Humble, TX, ISD’s Career, Tech Ed by Tom Broad, The Tribune
Humble Rotary Club members had no idea they’d be getting a workout—a verbal workout—from their guest speaker. Dr. Marley Morris was animated and enthusiastic as he outlined why Humble ISD’s Career and Technical Education Department is vital to Lake Houston’s economy. “We want you to hire our kids when they’re finished with our programs,” Morris passionately told Rotary Club members at the Jan. 31 meeting at the Humble Civic Center. “They are so qualified; you’ll want to hire them.” Career and Technical Education, also known as CTE, exposes students from seventh grade and up to careers in which they’ve got an interest. “Our goal is to prepare our Humble ISD students so they’ll succeed in a world that is increasingly oriented toward highly skilled jobs,” Morris said. Currently, some 14,000 Humble ISD students—up from just 8,600 a few years ago—are participating in 165 different courses, including automotive repair, cosmetology, sports medicine, food service, welding and dentistry, to name just a few. “Our kids get training at the local hospitals or they can learn to be chefs. If
you go to any area pharmacy, chances are the employees there were trained through our program,” Morris said. “We have students learning the criminal justice system, health science, air conditioning and heating, for example.” It’s a myth, Morris told the Rotarians, that career and technical education is only for students who don’t plan to go to college or who perhaps aren’t academically inclined.
“Our kids learn skills that will carry them throughout their lives, regardless of what they eventually decide to do or where they go,” he said. Students learn life skills, too. Morris spoke about a group of youngsters training in a nursing home where one of the residents had recently died. “I was concerned when I saw them in the hallway, and asked them how they were doing,” Morris said. “The patient death was a heartbreaking time for them, of course, but they still
14 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
were happy about the course they chose. They all were enthusiastic about going into health care. That was the career route they had decided to choose.” Morris was enthusiastic about getting Lake Houston residents involved in the CTE program. “If you’ve got a business, we’ve got students who would like to learn from you and contribute,” he said. “Plus, we need cars and trucks to repair and refinish, and we always need hair to cut.” The CTE cosmetology program, Morris said, especially needs male models. “They need to practice cutting hair, and they do a great job,” Morris said, pointing to his own crisply trimmed and styled hair. His students will train at the new Process Technology Center that Lone Star College will soon open at Generation Park near Summer Creek High School. His students also are taking emergency medical technology training through the Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department. And the CTE program is partnering with Lone Star’s fire science program to train Humble ISD students to be firemen. “Because many of our students are under 18 when they finish our programs, they can’t yet qualify for certi-
fication, but we work with them so they can earn their certifications when they’re old enough,” Morris said. Morris’ CTE program also has a place for Lake Houston residents who are way past their high school years. “We have a community education program open to the public,” Morris told the Rotarians. “You can learn automotive maintenance or air conditioning repair, for example. And it’s free!” Morris also introduced the presidents of Humble ISD’s five FFA clubs, who talked up the upcoming annual Humble ISD Livestock Show and Rodeo. They announced that this year’s show is dedicated to longtime Rotarian and civic icon Jess Fields, owner of Rosewood Funeral Home. The FFA presidents relayed the importance of the leadership training they receive as FFA members. “FFA creates our future leaders, and that really gives me an incredible, unfair advantage as I go out into the workforce,” one of the student presidents told the Rotarians. The Rotary Club of Humble meets Wednesdays at 11:45 a.m. at the Humble Civic Center. To learn more or to participate, visit humblerotary.com. We thank The Tribune for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 15
Auto Program Gives CO Students a Jump-Start on College, Career by Chris Graham, The Daily Record
A program at Cañon City High School in Cañon City, CO, gives students a chance to build a career in the automotive industry. Whether it’s through earning college credits from Pueblo Community College or getting certified in the many different ways that the program offers, students are getting prepared for a career. The automotive program at CCHS is taught by PCC instructor John Duston. Students between 10th and 12th grades can participate in the classes while also earning college credits. Students in the program for all three years can earn up to 38 college credits. PCC’s auto program requires 72 credits to earn an associate’s degree. This program started back in the fall of 2008. Students enrolled in the program started with introduction to shop operations and moved through courses ranging from electrical, brakes, steering and suspension. A successful student will earn three mini-certificates if they complete all classes. “I’m not teaching them to be mechanics. I want them to be technicians,” Duston said. What started this past fall semester was the chance for students to be certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, or ASE for short. There are 10 tests, but to become certified, a student only has to pass one of the tests. “Student ASE certification will be one of the capstone’s achievements available to students in the near future,” Duston said. The 10 tests are suspension and steering, brakes, electrical, engine per-
formance, engine repair, automatic transmission, manual drive train and axles, heating and air conditioning, maintenance and light repair, and automobile service technology. This certification is voluntary, so not all students had to take the test, but of the 11 who signed up, seven are currently ASE-certified. Of those seven,
Cañon City High School students receive instruction from Automotive Technology instructor John Duston during the auto course at CCHS. Credit: Lisa Rix, Daily Record
three passed all 10 tests, one passed seven, one passed six, one passed five and another passed four. “It is not a requirement to pass the auto class, but it is recommended for the student who will be choosing the automotive career path,” Duston said. The certifications are not quite the same as the ASE certification that an experienced professional might earn. “The student certification exams are specifically designed and calibrated for inexperienced individuals who are preparing to enter the field after formal studies,” Duston said. Another difference is that the full ASE certification requires two years of on-the-job training, or one year of on-the-job training and a two-year de-
Allstate and Nationwide Among Insurers Using Public Data Sources In Fraud Detection
The insurance industry is looking to digital technology to help lower claims costs in several ways, and that includes new approaches to fraud fighting. Policyholder fraud continues to be a leading cause of incurred underwriting losses annually in the U.S. And carriers are now ramping up detection efforts to fight back. The Insurance Information Institute finds nearly 10% of annual property & casualty losses result from fraudulent claims data. A 2017 Verisk Analytics study also found that premium leakage—defined as missing or erroneous
underwriting information—amounts to nearly $29 billion a year in losses for personal auto insurers. Allstate is now a few months into its announced fraud detection partnership with insurtech Carpe Data in November. The deal gives the carrier’s claims adjusters license to request on-demand background checks on policyholders using publicly available information. Carpe Data then utilizes AI algorithms to scour social media sites, public databases and news media outlets for proof of limited physical prowess or recent criminal activity.
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gree in automotive repair. According to ASE’s website, “We test and certify automotive professionals so that shop owners and service customers can better gauge a technician’s level of expertise before contracting the technician’s services. We certify the automotive technician professional so they can offer tangible proof of their technical knowledge.” Another program offering this is Subaru - University. Subaru - U “was developed as a response to the everincreasing need for new technicians to enter the retailer service centers. By mentoring a student, the retailer has the opportunity to teach them the soft skills required to succeed in the workforce,” according to Subaru - U’s website. There are five total levels in Subaru - U, but schools are only allowed to handle the first two levels. In the 2017 fall semester, 20 students were enrolled in the Subaru - U program. By the beginning of November, all 20 students were Subaru level 1 technicians. Topics in level 1 range from basic knowledge to more technical training.
“To summarize the student’s achievement, there were 420 individual certificates issued in the fall semester to the PCC/CCHS auto students,” Duston said. “This represents 188.3 hours of additional training received by our students. “It’s a commitment on their part. They’re doing a good job.” Students in the Auto 1 classes, who are usually juniors, are expected to complete level 1 before they move to the Auto II class. While in the Auto II class, students, who are usually seniors, are required to complete level 2 before the end of their senior year. As part of the student participation and success during the last year, Subaru donated five vehicles and a Subaru scan tool to the program to help the students learn. “We are pretty fortunate to have a sponsor like that,” Duston said. This semester, there will be another certification students will have the option of taking. This one will be the Tire Industry Association certification test. We thank The Daily Record for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 17
Greeley, CO, Students Enter SkillsUSA Auto Collision Repair Technology Competition by Tommy Wood, Greeley Tribune
Someday, if you’re in a car crash and your car needs a damage estimate, repair or repainting, one of the 29 Aims Community College students who competed in the SkillsUSA Auto Collision Repair Technology competition might help you.
On Feb. 15, they had one focus: getting through the competition that tested them on every aspect of auto collision repair on a strict time limit with industry professionals judging them. The winners will advance to the SkillsUSA state competition, and nationals if they win that. The prizes are scholarships, tools and equipment. “It gives them an opportunity to see what’s expected in the industry,” said Aims auto collision instructor
Kyle Cadarette. The students, some college and some concurrent-enrollment high school students, started the competi-
Sparks fly around Alfonso Martinez as he welds during the Aims Auto Collision Repair Technology competition Feb. 15 at the Aims Automotive and Technology Center, 1120 Southgate Drive in Windsor, CO. Credit: Joshua Polson, The Greeley Tribune
Sheryl Hass carefully tapes off sections of a car during the Aims Auto Collision Repair Technology competition Feb. 15 at the Aims Automotive and Technology Center, 1120 Southgate Drive in Windsor. Credit: Joshua Polson, The Greeley Tribune
18 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
tion at 8 a.m. with a written Automotive Services Excellence test, which
Miguel Ibarra dons a mask as he blends paint during the Aims Auto Collision Repair Technology competition Feb. 15 at the Aims Automotive and Technology Center, 1120 Southgate Drive in Windsor. Credit: Joshua Polson, The Greeley Tribune
is a standard industry accreditation exam. Then they darted around the spacious repair bay at Aims’ Windsor campus, trying to complete each task in the hour they were allotted. There’s the estimate test, in which students estimate damage to a car just by looking at pictures, then consult a parts book to get a price based on parts needed and time of work. There’s the structural repair test, in which students used a 3-D laser modeler to assess the damage
to a totaled car and determined the energy and velocity of the crash that destroyed it. There were tests for repairing metal and plastic dents and welding. There was paint masking, blending and color-matching, using an intentionally difficult bright shade of gold. At one point during the day, each student also had a mock 15-minute job interview. They got their times at the start of the day, but were never reminded of them. They had to remember them and manage their repair time around them. “Just like real life,” Cadarette said. We thank Greeley Tribune for reprint permission.
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Body Shop Owner, Son Bond Over Racing in Lebanon, TN by Larry Woody, Lebanon Democrat
Scott Fetcho of Lebanon, TN, retired as a race driver several years ago, but remains active in the sport as he assists his son, Dylan, with his high-speed aspirations. “The sport is time-consuming, expensive and often frustrating, and I probably wouldn’t still be in it if it wasn’t for Dylan,” Scott said. “He enjoys it, he’s good at it, and I remember how I felt about racing when I was his age. It’s something we can do together, so we’ll keep going as long as he’s interested.” That could be awhile. In addition to running another full season at Nashville’s Fairgrounds Speedway, Dylan plans some races this year in Montgomery, AL, and will enter the prestigious Snowball Derby this winter in Pensacola, FL. “I’ve loved to race [for] as long as I can remember, and that hasn’t changed,” said Dylan, who began driving go-karts at age 4. “We’ve spent all winter working on our car and getting ready for a new season,” added the Wilson Central High senior. “I can’t wait to get started.” Dylan is considered one of the area’s top young talents. He finished
an impressive fifth among 44 drivers in last season’s championship standings in the premier Pro Late Model division. That was just one position behind two-time Daytona 500 winner
years and captured a Legend Series title at Highland Rim Speedway two years ago, said he intends to be more of a hard-charger this season. “At times last season, I wasn’t aggressive enough,” he said. “That’s one of the lessons I learned.” Knowing first-hand that one crash can destroy a race car and wipe out a season, Dylan acknowledges that he has to walk—or drive—a fine line between aggressiveness and caution. “That’s something every race driver has to do,” he said. “You can’t win races if you’re not aggressive, but at the same time you have to Lebanon’s Scott Fetcho and his son, Dylan, are a keep yourself out of trouble. successful team on the racetrack Sometimes it’s not easy to and four-time track champion Sterling do. That’s part of the learning process Marlin. that comes with experience.” Another young Wilson County Scott is the owner of Fetcho’s Preracer, William Hale, finished seventh cision Auto Body Repair in Lebanon and won Rookie of the Year. and, as he quips, that’s a good business Reflecting on the past season, in to be in for a racer. Crumpled sheet which his best finish was second place, metal goes with the territory, and one Dylan said, “It wasn’t bad. It was al- bad crash can demolish a $40,000 race right, but I expect more this year.” car, for which there is no insurance. Dylan, who has won more than “Racing has always been expen150 races in various divisions over the sive, and gets more so every year,”
Scott said. “It requires a considerable investment.” A sponsorship by Big Machine Records is helping pay the bills, founded by Scott Borchetta, a longtime friend of Scott Fetcho and a fellow racer. Boasting some of the music industry’s top stars, such as Taylor Swift and Tim McGraw, Big Machine Records attracts attention to the team. “Scott (Borchetta) is a former racer who knows the sport first-hand,” Fetcho said. “His support means a lot.” Dylan said he is aware—and appreciative—of the support from his parents, and agrees with his father that racing forms a strong bond. “My dad and I work on the cars together and he coaches me when I’m on the track,” he said. “He makes a lot of sacrifices to support my racing, and without him I couldn’t do it. He knows how much I appreciate it.” We thank Lebanon Democrat for reprint permission.
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Family-Run Body Shop Opens Location in Rio Rancho, NM by Stephen Montoya, Rio Rancho Observer
The sound of mildly muffled machines can be heard filtering through freshly painted sheet rock in the waiting area at the newly opened Quanz Auto Care in Rio Rancho, NM. This is the third location for the family-run business, which seems to be expanding at the rate of each local accident—which, according to the New Mexico Department of Transportation, happens every 13 minutes. Quanz Auto Care is in the old Honda dealership on the frontage road that runs beside NM 528. But after several months of remodeling, the ghost of the old building is almost unrecognizable. “This location specifically specializes in collision repair,” said Adam Quanz, the oldest of three brothers who followed in their father Rick Quanz’s footsteps. The story of how this family business started was part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, during which owner Rick Quanz told the crowd about his business’ humble beginning. “I was working at Ken Shields Buick and in 1980, the market fell out of the automobile industry and they started laying off their managers,” Rick said. “So I went ahead and started working out of my two-car garage, just doing oil changes, tune-ups, fixing fenders and doing paint jobs.” He said his home business grew so much that he had to hire help and look for a commercial building. “I was busy enough [that] I had to hire one employee, and then two, and then the Fina gas station on Alameda
became available, so I rented it with an option to buy,” Rick said. “After moving there, we expanded that location seven times. After the Alameda Road expansion, we moved to Eagle Ranch Road, and the rest is history.”
cility was gutted to make way for new equipment and modern amenities that give the operation a professional, customer-friendly feel, he said. “Everything inside this building is new, but the structure was the only thing that we kept,” Adam said. The newness includes two 32-foot paint booths, a frame machine for structural pulls and a measuring system that allows specialist accuracy in diagnosing a vehicle’s damage. Quanz Auto Care also provides alignments and any collision-related mechanical work in suspension or air bags a client may need, he said. (l to r) Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Jerry Schalow, Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, Quanz “We don’t specialize in founder Rick Quanz, his sons Adam Quanz and Daniel restoration work or complete reQuanz, and Deputy Mayor Dawnn Robinson prepare paints—just collision repair,” for the snip at Quanz Auto Care’s ribbon-cutting. Credit: Adam said. “It doesn’t have to Stephen Montoya be an insurance claim; it can be He said he learned his trade and a paint scratch or a door ding from a work ethic from his dad and passed them shopping cart… We can fix it.” on to his sons, who all work at Quanz He said the business has a nonverAuto Care. bal marking system that each employee Semi-retired since 1994 and workis trained on in order to cut down on ing on other projects, Rick has left the wait time for clients and rental costs for bulk of the business to Adam, who insurance companies. oversees day-to-day operations. “I wasn’t as involved with the business when I was a kid because we moved away, but I came back 12 years ago [and] I’ve been in the business full-time ever since,” Adam said. Watching his dad work hard left an impression that he said is the basis for his work ethic today. NEOPULSE 300-T2 “You got to work hard because Double pulse MIG/MAG nothing is given to you,” Adam said. 270A welding machine for unrivalled welding quality Part of that payoff, he said, is the reality of the new location. The 20,000-plus-square-foot fa-
ASA-CO hosted its 2018 Summit, “Training to New Heights,” on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Lincoln College of Technology in Denver, CO. According to ASA-CO Executive Director Julie Massaro, “The Summit is our annual training event and expo designed to bring high quality training to the Colorado auto shop community. The expo provides attendees with exposure to the top vendors in the field and their product offerings. “The event was a great success—bigger than last year— with over 350 attendees. We had over 25 classes going simultaneously. Both technical skills and management top-
We thank Rio Rancho Observer for reprint permission.
Faster & Easier Steel & Aluminum Repair
ASA-CO 2018 Summit Attracts More Than 350 Attendees by Chasidy Rae Sisk
“We try to get a vehicle back to a client in a couple days if possible,” he said. “We use your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) to populate your vehicle, and it will show all the parts for it from there.” According to Adam, depending on what needs to be replaced, each item has a certain amount of hours estimated for it to come in and be replaced. “Based on those labor hours, you can tell the customer, ‘Hey, it’s going to be three days or five days,’” he said. However modern the technology and efficient the job, Adam said his business owes its success to faith and having great employees. Between the three locations, Quanz employs close to 100 workers and has plans to expand that number in Rio Rancho. “We believe that if we treat our employees well, they will in turn treat our customers the same way,” Adam said. “This is really the key to our success; it rests on treating others fairly.”
ics were covered. Attendees enjoyed the Summit, and the reviews of the training sessions were very positive.” Massaro felt the event exceeded all of the association’s goals and projections, and that it’s important to offer these types of training events to members. ASA-CO also honored Don Seyfer and Jim Tapp with Lifetime Service Awards during the Summit. Massaro noted, “They are two of the industry’s pioneers in Colorado.” ASA-CO will continue to host regular training opportunities to ensure its members are kept up-to-date on the most recent industry information available. A full schedule can be found at www.asa colorado.org.
20 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
H OND A TEX AS
Bankston Honda L e w is v i ll e
800-344-8611 972-219-0021 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 www.bankstonhonda.com
Fiesta Honda S a n A n t on io
800-727-8705 210-340-0831 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-5 hondaparts@safiestahonda.com
Cleo Bay Honda K i ll e en
877-253-6229 254-699-2478 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 parts@cleobay.com
Honda Cars of McKinney M c K in n ey
972-569-4276 972-569-4222 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 Gene.chenault@hendrickauto.com
Honda of Frisco F ri s c o
866-442-2711 972-731-3176 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5:30 cedgar@mcdavid.com
AC U RA TEX AS
Autonation Acura Leag u e Cit y
800-749-6227 713-371-4700 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 hoehns@autonation.com
David McDavid Acura Aus t in
800-575-3553 512-401-5976 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 jraygo@mcdavid.com
David McDavid Acura Plan o
972-964-6044 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 dgrajczyk@mcdavid.com
22 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. T E X AS
TE XAS
LOU IS IA NA
C OL ORA DO
McDavid Honda Irving
Rusty Wallis Honda
Superior Honda
Ir vin g
D a ll a s
Harvey
Boulder
800-492-4464 972-790-6003
877-466-3272 214-328-3891
800-943-4227 504-368-5687
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 srichardson@mcdavid.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 darryldotsy@rustywallis.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30 parts@superiorhonda.net
800-274-0985 303-415-1528 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 parts@fisherauto.com
Honda of San Marcos
Wholesale Parts Direct
Walker Honda
Honda of Greeley
Au s t i n
A l exa nd r i a
G re el e y
800-234-4441 512-458-2910
318-448-8255 318-445-6677
888-903-1101 970-506-2795
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 sales@wholesalepartsdirect.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 hondaparts@walkerautomotive.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-4:30 parts@hondaofgreeley.com
San Ma rco s
866-392-1313 512-392-1313 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 9-5 csmith@hondasanmarcos.com
Howdy Honda
O K LAHOM A
Mile High Honda
N EW MEX IC O
A u stin
Don Carlton Honda
Garcia Honda
877-941-6513 512-443-4300
Tu l s a
A l bu qu erque
800-722-2379 918-622-9670
800-677-6632 505-260-5002
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-3 partsmgr@howdyhonda.com
Kelly Grimsley Honda Od ess a
844-453-5594 432-334-6632 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-12 april@kellygrimsley.com
Russell & Smith Honda
Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-6 hondaparts@doncarlton.com
Fowler Honda No r m a n
866-369-5376 405-573-5719 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-9; Sat 8-4 parts@fowlerhonda.com
Hou st on
Fenton Honda of Ardmore
800-833-0180 713-663-4266
Ard m o re
580-226-1000
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 7-4 ggregory@russellsmith.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-2 travis.pierce@fentonmotors.com
T E X AS
LO UIS IANA
Fisher Honda
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8:30-5 Jscott@garciacars.com
D en v er
800-548-4730 303-369-7800 Dept. Hours: M-S 7-6 lhoover@autotree.net
AR IZON A
Chapman Honda Tu cs o n
800-461-6744 520-202-5770 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 carlkeefe@chapmantucson.com
Earnhardt Honda Av on da l e
800-350-6537 623-463-4380 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-9; Sat 7-6 gluna@earnhardt.com
C OL OR AD O
U TAH
Mac Churchill Acura
Acura of Baton Rouge
Pikes Peak Acura
Fo r t Wo r t h
B a to n R o u ge
C ol o ra do S pr in gs
Salt Lake City
888-824-9634 817-806-0571
866-733-2861 225-756-6166
800-456-9568 719-955-1715
800-234-0875 801-323-0492
Dept. Hours: M-F 6-7; Sat 8-5 jguin@macchurchill.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 dlavigne@acurabr.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 joe_benson@pikespeakacura.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 rick@jodywilkinson.com
Sterling McCall Acura
Walker Acura
Ho u st on
M e ta i r i e
713-596-2337 713-596-2338
800-359-8555 504-465-8555
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-4 rkahl@sterlingmccallacura.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 parts@walkeracura.com
OK LAHO MA
Don Carlton Acura of Tulsa Tu lsa
888-550-7278 918-664-2300 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-6 acuraparts@doncarlton.com
CO LO RADO
Jody Wilkinson Acura
Mike Hale Acura
AR IZON A
Acura of Peoria Pe o r i a
866-347-4507 623-792-2559 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 dcavanaugh@vtaig.com
Murray
800-292-4595 801-263-0202 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 pgoold@mikehale.com
Mile High Acura D e nv e r
800-548-4730 303-369-7800 Dept. Hours: M-S 7-6 lhoover@autotree.net www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 23
Vocational Program Funding May be Coming for Kingman, AZ, High School Freshmen by Hubble Ray Smith, Daily Miner
Arizona legislators have introduced a bill to restore partial funding for high school freshmen taking classes through Joint Technical Education District vocational education programs. The Senate Education Committee on Feb. 1 passed SB1269, which would restore about $6 million statewide in funding for ninth-grade students who take JTED courses.
ping up and testifying on why this is really important.”
Good Start Erin Hart, chief operating officer of Expect More Arizona, said SB1269 is a “good start” to restoring funding for Career and Technical Education courses that was cut during the 2010 Legislature. Full restoration would amount to about $15 million, Hart said. “That means that students miss out on a year of building real-life work skills that lead to industry certifications, wellpaying jobs and postsecondary credentials after high school,” she said. “As this moves forward, we still need to focus on the restoration of full funding so that all ninth graders who want to participate in CTE programs have the opportunity.” Citizens of Mohave County and La Paz counties voted in 2008 to form a Joint Technical Education District in partnership with six high schools, Lee Williams High School students work on a car in their including Kingman and Lee automotive class. A bill before the Arizona Legislature Williams. would restore partial funding for freshmen taking Career and Technical Education courses through the Joint JTED functions as an indeTechnical Education District, or JTED. Daily Miner file pendent school district, providphoto ing vocational and technical The current law states that JTED education that’s needed to keep students only include students in grades 10 in school and prepare them for the through 12 in calculating average daily workforce. attendance if the students are enrolled The governing board, composed in courses approved by JTED and parof one member from each participatticipating school districts. ing school district, works closely with The new bill would fund ninth- local employers to identify and define graders who are enrolled in agriscience, work skills needed in the area. automotive technologies, construction The bill has the support of the trades, engineering and manufacturing Kingman and Mohave Manufacturing classes. Association (KAMMA), which sent a Freshmen at Lee Williams and letter to the governor in support of Kingman high schools have been tak- restoring the funding. ing Career and Technical Education “It’s just a very positive educaclasses all along, but the school dis- tional program,” West said. “When trict hasn’t received funding for them, you look at the things we do, we prosaid Amy West, executive director of mote student leadership for students Western Arizona Vocational Educa- from rural areas going to competition tion JTED. at regional and state levels.” SB1269 is one of four legislative pieces that JTED administrators have Career Launcher been following and weighing in with America’s workforce is aging rapidly, lawmakers, West said. and West said she heard a statistic that “Sometimes they listen, somestudents today will have 15 to 17 jobs times they don’t,” she said. “You’d in their lifetime—probably in the same think they would want to know what career “arena,” but they need to move JTED thinks about it. This is something up in that arena. that business and industry has been car“I tell students the neat thing rying on for us. They’re the ones stepwith JTED is we’re a stepping point
24 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
and launching pad with multiple exit points,” West said. For example, a student in the nursing program can pick up a Certified Nursing Assistant degree while in high school, and advance to a two-year Registered Nurse program at Mohave Community College. “It allows us to start students in programs sooner,” West said of fourthyear JTED funding. “Once we get them in, they can move further along. Maybe there are programs we haven’t been able to build up enough.” Education metrics show that only 42 percent of Arizona’s workforce ages 25 to 64 have a two- or four-year degree or some type of industry certification, when that number needs to be 68 percent, said Donna Davis, community engagement manager for Expect More Arizona. Allowing students to take career classes in ninth grade sets them up for success, giving them a chance to try something they might like. “If they love it, they can focus future classes around that career path. And if they hate it, it means they haven’t wasted a lot of time or dollars
going into a postsecondary option after high school only to find out that they don’t really want to do this,” Davis said. “All of this is so important for Kingman. I’ve talked to the mayor before about students getting some kind of postsecondary training after high school, but they need to come back to Kingman.” Carol Gunnerson, CTE director for Kingman Unified School District, said restoration of ninth grade funding helps pay for projects and certificates students use in those classes. “Technology in today’s world includes various equipment run by computerization and other technologies like clean power options and new processes,” she said. “To receive certifications and licenses, students need the know-how for these on industry items, which are usually expensive.” We thank Daily Miner for reprint permission.
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www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 25
Tips for Busy Body Shops How To Train, Prepare for Negotiations with Stacey Phillips
Keith Manich of the Automotive is good negotiation. Training Institute (ATI) said collision During the 2017 SEMA show in repairers tell him on a regular basis Las Vegas, Nevada, Manich explained that they often hear the word “no” how to set up a standard operating when asking to be paid for required procedure (SOP) for negotiations durprocedures associated with ing his presentation, “Preparthe repair plan, and that they ing for and Conducting “feel intimidated.” Negotiations for Collision As the director of colliRepairers,” as part of the sion services for ATI, Manich SCRS Repairer Driven Edusaid shops might be told, “You cation Series. can’t charge for that,” “I don’t Manich stressed the imporcare what the OEM says!” or tance of shops being prepared “No one else charges for that.” for negotiations with vendors “Threats and intimidaand insurers in order to be Keith Manich, tion are nothing more than a director of collision successful. bully tactic or strategy,” said “Negotiation successes result services for the Automotive Manich, who trains compafrom preparation using conTraining Institute nies on the “executive” side sistent and repeatable of the business, including processes and the discipline to how to deal with financials, managing use them effectively,” he explained. operations and negotiations. Over the Effective communication is also years, he has found that few shops instrumental. His advice is to focus on have really good relationships with in- the goal, use language targeted to the surers. He said the key to achieve this opponent and a positive approach in
26 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
tone so he or she doesn’t feel belittled, and anticipate questions that may be asked. “Both sides are looking at the same vehicle in two different ways,” he said. “One is looking at it as a profit center while the other one is looking at it as cost containment. It’s conflicting objectives from two sides.” To reduce that tension, Manich said information and supportive documentation are imperative. “The more information you can provide to whomever that party is that you are discussing this with—That is what will win the day for you,” he said. “We have to make sure that we’re providing the documentation that reinforces the fact that you made a decision for a good cause.” According to Manich, doing this consistently, helps build rapport with insurance companies. Manich outlined a long-term disciplined negotiation strategy for shops.
The last five steps can be used in the short term and typically lead to a positive result. 1) Opportunity First, determine what the negotiation is about.
2) Identification Next, identify the goal the shop wishes to achieve as a result of the negotiation. Manich said developing (SOPs)will help direct the negotiation.
3) Frequency Think through how often your shop will have to deal with the particular vendor/insurer.
4) Research Find all supporting OEM information that could be used during discussions, as well as additional information that will help build a case for negotiation. 5)
Preparation
Review all documentation in its entirety. Manich said that the opponent in the negotiation will most likely take a financial position. “They will typically be preparing the same way you do, but looking specifically at the cost of repair,” he said. An opponent may also take an irrational position, according to Manich. “Always remember that they have the checkbook, so they may make determinations based on that fact alone, not the repair requirements,” he said. The bottom line is to be prepared to provide as much information as possible to make a rational argument. 6) Execution When countering data mining arguments, Manich said to keep in mind that insurers have the scope and scale to gather significant amounts of DRP data. “This puts the repairer at a disadvantage,” he explained. In order to build the execution plan, Manich said to remember that repairers provide this information through their estimates. “When things are removed from the repair plan for whatever reason, there is an ability to control that data,” he said. “It is then used against the repairer ‘showing’ that the repairer in fact doesn’t need it.”
An execution plan should include the following: Looking at the pros and cons of • the position and determining if there is value in its pursuit • Completing the negotiation planning worksheet • Getting to know the opponent and finding out what makes him/her tick • Looking at past experiences with that person or the company • Asking others within the shop about their experiences • Identifying supporting documentation • Prioritizing the information • Creating a folder containing the relevant documentation and providing it to the opponent • Making an appointment to complete the negotiation activities • Keeping the invitation formal because it’s a business activity
7) Packing of documents/materials Manich said the powers of persuasion can improve the chances of convincing an opponent. These include having the facts on hand, as well as being credible, authentic and sincere during negotiations. The goal is to be com-
pensated adequately for the vehicle. “The best interests of the customer are what we are responsible to communicate. Make the best choice for the car and customer, and back it up with documentation,” said Manich. “This will make sure you win the negotiation.”
8) Post-negotiation validation When is a win a win? According to Manich, it is when both parties come to a mutually beneficial agreement. If a conclusion cannot be reached, it may have been caused by one of the other parties becoming inflexible or defiant. Manich said the next step is to get the customer involved. A successful conclusion is when both parties have come to an agreement that may have set a precedent for future negotiations. In addition, a financial gain is usually achieved as a result of the negotiation exercise. Not only does this approach help in dealing with insurance companies, but Manich said it can also be used for any business activity that involves negotiating. Manich also offered the following tips: Soft skills to use during negotiations:
1) Eye contact: Manich said to look at the triangle area on the other person’s face going from the forehead to the chin, and to spend at least 20 percent of the time making eye-to-eye contact. 2)
Pay attention to enunciation
4)
Facial expression
3)
5)
6)
7)
Body language
Presentation preparation Position and posture Personal space
Do…: • Practice in the mirror and with others in your shop (no matter how foolish you think it is!) • Keep composure no matter what is said • Be confident while presenting and stick with the negotiation plan • Meticulously prepare—This is critical…Have all documentation ready to deliver • Be ready if the opponent tries to See How to Train, Page 44
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 27
Hey Toby!
Kool Tools: SEMA 2017 with Toby Chess
It’s that time of the year again for Kool Tools of SEMA 2017 & more. Kye Yueng and I walked the floor of SEMA last November looking for unique and helpful tools that will benefit the collision industry. We purchased all the tools (except for the Prospot welder and Dent Fix Maxi) to give them a try. I will tell you that some of the tools that we purchased did not meet our criteria for ease of use or did not work as advertised. Let’s start with the Mason Battery-powered rivet gun. I have purchased a number of pneumatic rivet guns (criteria: Take a ¼” rivet and pull over 4,000 lbs). Some worked great (Taurus 4 from Reliable Automotive Equipment is the Ferrari of rivet guns) and one jammed after two rivets. Some would not pull 4,000 lb structural rivets, and the ones from Mason and Dent Fix worked well (if the Taurus 4 is a 10, the Mason and DentFix are 8+). I came across a battery-operated pull rivet gun from Mason.
Fig 1
The specs on this gun are as follows: 1.181 in. (30.00mm) Stroke, 4,600 lb. (20.46kN) Pull Force, approximately 30 min Recharge Time,
20V / Li-ion / 2.0 Ah Battery Pack, Fastener Type: 3/16 Inch to 1/4 Inch Open End Blind Rivets. This rivet gun worked as advertised. It had no
Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Training specialist, and former salvage yard operator. Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his work with first responders and advocacy for body shops and consumers. He can be reached at tcspeedster@gmail.com
problems pulling a 4,000 lb. structural rivet (I rate this battery powered unit as a 10). It is not on any manufacturers’ certified programs, but it should be. Here it is in action. (Fig 2-5) Call 800-826-2884 for a quote and tell them that you were sent by Toby and Kye for a special SEMA price. The next Kool Tool is from NES.
Alpha Tools has a flush-cutting blade. See Fig 9
Fig 9
I used this with a 4 ½ grinder to remove structural blind rivets. It will cut the rivet head off and mandrel can be punched out. It does score the aluminum. See Fig 10
Fig 6
This is the complete kit from NES Tools (www.nes.co.il/products/). We listened to the sales pitch from one of the salesmen at SEMA. He stated, “These hand tools automatically adjust to any threads diameter and pitch, can be used on left and right hand threads, both inch and metric, and need no prior measurement of the thread. Often the thread of component is damaged at the end of the thread, preventing the use of taps or dies for carrying out the repair. Nes external and Nes internal thread restorers have the capability to enter BELOW the damaged area and work outwards to complete the repair.” Kye purchased the complete kit and used it the next week in the shop. He has a rivet gun (cost over $450) and if the jaws are not screwed down
tightly, the threads are severely damaged and not repairable. In other words, a new rivet gun would have to be ordered. Kye used the internal thread restorer and was able to fix the gun. The kit was paid for with just one repair. See Figs 7-8 NES Tools contact number is 905-812-9090. Moving on to the next tool from Alpha Professional Tools.
28 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Code=1850. Moving on to our next item from 3M. 3M came out with a 360 degree wand kit for its cavity wax. See Fig 12
If you tilt the cutter at an angle, it will grid the head right off. Here is the web site - www.alpha-tools.com/ Pages/ProductDetails.aspx - Page-
The Kit has three lengths for various applications. See Fig 13. When you are finished, hang the wand back into the plastic container and the material in the wand will drain to the bottom. The next product we want to look at is from Q Bond. There are a number of these “super” glues on the market and they are all very good, but Q bond is a step above them all. See Fig 14. Q Bond can be used just as an adhesive or with See Kool Tools, Page 30
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 29
Continued from Page 28
Kool Tools
reinforcing powders that will allow you to repair almost anything. Uses :
Fig 14
Black powder to repair bumper, grilles, radiators, motorcycle fairings, electrical switches, door handles, dis-
tributor caps and so much more. You sprinkle a little of the reinforcing power on the area that you want to bond and then add the glue for an unbelievable adhesive joint. Kye repaired a trim panel fastener that has broken. See Fig 15 & 16 I checked it out after it had been repaired, and it was just like new (strength-wise). Available on Amazon. The next item was not at SEMA 2017 (could not make the deadline for obtaining a booth at SEMA), but both Kye and I want to show it—a car dolly from Ajon. See Fig 17
What makes this system different is that it bolts to any frame rails (front or rear) and the double wheels articulate for moving a vehicle over uneven surfaces. See Fig 18 with a vehicle being loaded onto a flat bed truck. Contact John at 714-981-760. The next tool from SEMA 2017 are the “Spring Tools” Here are the specifics:
• Double-ended prick punch utilizes small cylinder for controlled slight indentation for spot marking: center punch utilizes large cylinder for maximum impact that creates deep indentation for drilling • Hammerless action ensures accuracy and precision control for superior results • 3,500 lb. of impact-striking force • Outstanding precision and control while being safe and easy to use Available from Amazon or company website (springtools.shptron.com).
Next item is from GRYPMAT These material trays hold tools up to a 70 degree angle with no magnets. The high-friction material protects surfaces and tools alike. Works great when disassembling or reassembling a vehicle. Fig 23 is the Tape Caddy
Fig 23
from Collision Edge (https://www.collisionedge.com) The Tape Thing is an exciting, patented MAGNETIC tool that sticks tape to booth walls, prep carts, tool boxes, or any other metal surfaces. Tape spools off easily from your hand too! Use this in conjunction with Collision Edge’s other product, The Tape Caddy, and keep everything a paint tech uses directly on the hip. They can be reached at 770-328-5666. The next kool tool is from Aria Tools.
Fig 24
These are stainless steel and can be rebuilt. They work on both industrial and automotive air fittings. They also have high flow for HVLP air guns. Aria Tools can be reached at 510-730-2584. See Fig 24. As I was walking through the
30 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
aisle, the demo on the next item caught my eye. It is a rubber sleeve
gether, whereas with the body pins, you can only use one at a time to pull. The body pins heat up the metal on the backside to over 1,600 degrees
Fig 28
Fig 25
that fits on anything that has a handle. It is called Re-Grip. See Fig 25 Re-grip comes in three sizes and installs in less than a minute. It adds comfort and efficiency to any handled tool.
Fig 26
Fahrenheit and will destroy any corrosion protection on the backside of the panel being repaired. DentFix manufactures a dent-pulling system called the “Maxi” that has been on the market for a number of years. See Fig 28 It has the pulling pins, wiggle wire and single pulling rod. A very
Fig 27
Here, I installed on one of my hammers. Available from Amazon. A couple of years ago, I reviewed this dent pulling system from Prospot International. It uses low voltage to secure the pulling keys (very little burn-through on the back side). You are able to place the keys close to-
Fig 29
nice compact system, but has older technology and is not as efficient as See Kool Tools, Page 36
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ingness to step away from the revenue the Secure Share fees would have generated, which some have estimated as hundreds of millions of dollars. CCC’s Mark Fincher said the “This has never been about the changes were a result of ongoing dis- revenue for us,” Fincher said. “I think cussions throughout last year with the some of the estimates around the revtask force, industry associations and enue opportunity were a bit overincustomers. He said it became clear flated. This was never a revenue play that the announced fees were going to for us. This was truly about securing be a barrier to entry for companies the data. The fee structure was put in adopting Secure Share, and place for us to be able to rethat those costs were going coup, with some level of to be passed on to CCC cusprofit as we stated, the costs tomers. that we put into Secure Share. “Both of those things It was a significant investwere not intended outcomes ment to put the infrastructure that we expected or wanted in place to process thousands from Secure Share,” Fincher of transactions a minute, and Mark Fincher said. “So we made the deciprocess those in sub-second sion to eliminate those fees.” response times. We decided it was best He said it also became clear as to just take on those costs ourselves, 2017 was drawing to a close that with not pass that along to our customers or the announced April implementation the [third-party] app providers. We of Secure Share, “it was inevitable think it’s the best thing for the industhat there was going to be a potential try.” disruption to our customers,” someRisley told Fincher that some may thing CCC “absolutely did not want to view this as CCC backing off for now be the outcome of Secure Share.” on fees after facing a year of public criticism, but that in a year or so it may re-implement some of the changes it is What about the money? Fincher was asked about CCC’s will- halting for now. Continued from Cover
CCC’s Changes
32 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
“We don’t have that kind of fortisaid most repairers in the industry tude,” Fincher said, drawing laughter “didn’t and still don’t understand the from CIC attendees. “We’re not going implications” that CCC’s plans for Sethrough this again. We made it very cure Share could have had on their public that there will not be a charge businesses nor “how significant CCC’s for Secure Share, now or in the fu- decision to reverse their approach is on ture.” the future of [shops’] businesses as He said the reversal is not entirely well.” altruistic on CCC’s part. The platform CCC’s announced changes, he benefits from expanding the number said, “are exactly why every collision of industry trading partners it con- repairer should be part of a national nects, he said, and eliminating the fees association.” He said whether that’s and other changes will likely SCRS or another group, the increase participation in Sechanges by CCC are a case cure Share. study for why every shop He also said CCC has should be part of some “orga“absolutely no plans” to disnization that can be your continue users’ ability to transvoice, when you’re busy getfer estimate data in the EMS ting your customer’s car out format. at 5 p.m. on a Friday, an orJake Rodenroth “We think obviously at ganization that has your back some point in the very distant future and understands the concerns and unthat our customers will decide there’s derstands who to communicate with not a need for EMS,” he said. “But and how to communicate in a way that we’re not going to make that decision can be effective.” to sunset EMS.” Risley also said that although the CIC task force was originally formed to address issues raised by CCC’s anMore observations Speaking at a Society of Collision Renounced plans for Secure Share, the pair Specialists (SCRS) board meeting topic of “data security” doesn’t go in Palm Springs, Aaron Schulenburg, away now that CCC made changes to the association’s executive director, its plans.
“It’s not about somebody hacking into a shop’s data and grabbing it,” Risley said. “That’s a concern, but the bigger concern is something that happened a few months ago: The John Eagle Collision lawsuit. That shook the dust off the rafters for a lot of folks.” He said that lawsuit over how decisions were made and how repairs were documented is now at the forefront of discussion within the industry, and will be the topic of a presentation at CIC in Atlanta in April. “There’s a tremendous amount of exposure for this industry, and you need to be aware of it,” Risley said. “We as an industry need to figure out a way to address it.”
Example of consequences Also at CIC last month, Jake Rodenroth of asTech (which offers a remote vehicle scanning system) shared an example of potential consequences when a shop “deviates from the [OEM] repair procedures, ignores the [OEM] position statements and [doesn’t] do the scans.” Rodenroth said he recently rented a 2017 Nissan Maxima with 3,000 miles on it, and though there wasn’t a
clearly recognizable dash warning light for someone not familiar with Nissan’s systems, he said he realized the blind spot detection system was not warning him about traffic on the freeway. He did some research and found that if the blind spot system on the vehicle is working, the indicators’ lights on both doors are supposed to come on with a key cycle. On the rental vehicle, he said, only one of those lights came on. He then found “questionable” color match, peeling paint and “reassembly issues” on the rear of the vehicle that clearly indicated the vehicle had gone through previous damage and repairs. He scanned the vehicle and found multiple fault codes indicating the blind spot and cross-traffic alerts were not active. “If I had changed lanes, expecting the blind spot system to warn me, what would have happened?” Rodenroth said. “This stuff is happening today, and as an industry, we have to act upon it.”
www.autobodynews.com
Continued from Cover
Campus Auto Repair
ready knew what I wanted to do as a sophomore,” Reyes said. “I like to be able to fix my own stuff and work on my own cars and be able to help people out. Every once in a while, I’ve been driving down the road and seen somebody broken down, and I’ve helped them out. It’s something I love to do.” There are more than 22 million registered vehicles in Texas, and Matus said he gets calls from local auto repair shops and dealers looking to hire students. “We tell them they’re not graduated just yet, you’ll have to come back in May,” he said. “The students do work part-time sometimes if it’s local. The businesses are very gracious to work with our students and allow them to go to school and work sometimes. We’ve got students who are right out of high school or we’ve got students who are 30, 40, 50 years old who wanted to work on cars. They wanted to do that all their life.” We thank Waco Tribune-Herald for reprint permission.
CARSTAR North America Launches U.S., Canada 1st Brand Campaign
This year, CARSTAR North America will launch a new brand campaign across the U.S. and Canada —its first-ever integrated campaign for North America. A new television spot titled “It’s Your Car” will be unveiled in February, airing for the inaugural time during the Winter Olympics across all of Canada. CARSTAR stores in the U.S. will air the spot in local markets. The commercial shares the story that at CARSTAR, “We care, we are efficient and we are accountable. It’s not just a car. It’s YOUR car.” “Our key findings reinforced our understanding that we know no two accidents are the same,” said Michael Macaluso, President, CARSTAR North America. “Every car is different, and each deserves to be treated with care. That’s why we are committed to making every job count. Because when it’s your car, it matters most. At CARSTAR, we work with you to find a solution that best fits your needs, and make sure that when your car is returned, it’s exactly what you expected.”
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 33
34 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 35
MIG/MAG method with double pulse is faster than traditional MIG welding
Continued from Page 30
Kool Tools
the newer pulling systems, like the ProSpot unit. The other advantage is the cost, which is lot less than the key pulling system. Well Dent Fix came out with some upgrades for its MAXI at the SEMA 2017 Show. They developed a hand-held puller, a key attachment bracket and a pulling bar to augment the MAXI. These are great additions to the current MAXI dent pulling equipment. Available from DentFix (https://www.dentfix.com). The next item that premiered was its latest MIG welder. See Fig 30 and 31
Fig 30
This welder is a dual pulse MIG Welder. Why dual or double-pulse welding? Welding with the use of MIG/MAG method with double pulse allows us to achieve a high level of weld bead (scale effect). See Fig 32 Benefits of double-pulsed welding: 1. Welding with the use of the
Fig 31
2. Welding with the use of the MIG/MAG method with double pulse achieves aesthetic standards as high as the TIG method (same look achieved with TIG welding)
Pulsed MIG
Fig 32
3. Welding with the use of the MIG/MAG method with double pulse causes smaller deformations than the traditional MIG welding
36 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
The welder has a hot-start function and a crater fill function---same as the Foroius welder, Chief double pulse welder and Car-O-Liner’s double pulse welder. You say, “What is the big deal?” Well, all these welders along with ProSpots SP 5.3, are 220 volt 3 phase machines and this welder works on single phase. I have used this welder, and found that it is extremely easy to learn and produces a great-looking weld. Another great tool I found was portable short wave infrared heat lamp from Global Refinishing Solutions (520-808-9118). See Fig 33 This heat lamp is all that is advertised and more. This powerful, lightweight tool is ideal for fast spot repairs, but can also be used for a variety of other applications. With the REVO Handheld, you can soften glass seals, heat up a damaged bumper, cure plastic filler in three minutes or less, heat up aluminum to repair aluminumbody vehicles, push out a dent, or remove emblems, vinyl graphics and adhesives. The REVO Handheld allows the technician to get more repairs done faster. I sprayed on high build primer from Kent Automotive on two panels. The first panel allowed it to air
dry and the second panel I cured with my Revo light. The second panel was cured in less than two minutes. I sanded the panel with 220 grit sand-
Fig 33
paper, and there was no primer transfer on the sandpaper. The first panel was still flashing off when the second panel was cured and sanded. Think about this ladies and gentlemen—A small repair can be primed and sanded in the repair stall and is ready for paint with virtually no down time (for drying) in the paint department. You can also roll-on the primer (needs an additional 5 percent reduction) and the primer is not special product, but your same brand that you use on a daily surface. See Fig 34.
They also have a single head unit and a two head unit. Call the number I
our technicians have trouble with their vision. To compensate for this problem, I carry in my truck welding masks with magnifiers. See Fig 35 The problem is the majority of the welding masks being used do not have magnifier holders built into the mask. So here is a simple solution from Kent Automotive. Magnified safety glasses See Fig 36. Fig 35
Fig 34
have added for additional information. The last item is from Kent Automotive (800-YES KENT). Fig 35
Fig 36
I have conducted the I-CAR welding certification test for over 14 years. The biggest problem I have is
These glasses are scratch resistant safety glasses that have a 2 times magnifier built into the lense. Ideal for MIG welding when the welding mask can not be fitted with a Doppler magnifier. Less than $20.00 So this ends another Kool Tools from SEMA 2017. Kye and I hope that you will find these items beneficial to your shop and we are always on the hunt for new and exciting products.
Paris, TX, Students Win Scholarships at Auto Tech Competition by Staff, eParisExtra.com
Paris, TX, ISD Automotive Technology students recently competed for the first time in the Top Tech Challenge at the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) – Dallas/Ft. Worth campus. All 52 two-person teams came from schools across Texas to compete in hands-on and written automotive testing on vehicle parts, brakes, diagnostics and electrical systems. The team of Mason Ragsdale from Paris High School and Wesley Wilson, a contract student from Chisum, placed 8th in the competition. Each earned $1,000 in scholarships toward tuition at UTI. Michael Rhodes is their instructor. UTI has campuses around the US. Based on data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2016-2026), the projected number of annual job openings for automotive service technicians and mechanics is 75,900, or 759,000 by 2026. We thank eParisExtra.com for reprint permission.
Fire Sparks Explosion at Keys Auto Body in OK by Staff, KOTV/NewsOn6.com
An auto body repair garage caught fire in Keys, OK, around 8:15 a.m. Feb. 9, according to Keys Fire Chief Yogi Cole. The business is located just west of Highway 82 on 830 Road. There was a secondary explosion caused by the fire, Cole said. Cole said they don’t know what caused the explosion. No one was at the garage, and no firefighters were injured. Firefighters said the garage had been converted into a man cave. They found a smoldering area near the couch, and the owner confirmed there was a space heater there. Investigators said the fire put itself out from a lack of oxygen. However, they said there was so much heat that it melted several plastic fixtures and the garage door opener. The explosion also sparked a grass fire, Cole said. It’s the second explosion in the Cherokee County town in a short time. A house located near the Green Leaf Nursery exploded the Friday, Feb. 2. We thank KOTV/NewsOn6.com for reprint permission.
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National News
Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.
Management Success Shares Shop Resolutions That Stick with Chasidy Rae Sisk
On Wednesday, Jan.10, Management Success Senior Consultant Jim Saeli presented a webinar on “Secrets to Success: Shop Resolutions that Stick.” He began by noting, “You probably set goals at the beginning of your business and have achieved them, improving your business and acquiring better control of it. But as time passes, we all tend to lose focus and fall back into old habits and may ask ourselves, ‘What am I missing?’” While it’s easy to think it’s all “fine,” Saeli considers this a bad fourletter word. “If you’re not expanding, you’re contracting,” he said. “If things are just fine, they will catch up with you.” It’s easy to lose focus, so he suggested looking at the shop's basics, some of which are so basic that they’re easy to overlook until it’s too late. It is important to monitor all aspects of one’s business because it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day actions of shop production and to stop seeing everything, until someone else points out the change. “When you first opened your shop, you set a goal and worked to achieve it, but it’s important to set new goals once you reach your first goal,” Saeli encouraged. “Or maybe you set a goal and had a hard time focusing on the new goal because things changed. There will always be these types of situations in a business, such as changing employees, but you have to figure out how to keep your eye on the ball, and with the start of the New Year, this is a great time to sit down and establish goals for 2018!” Saeli suggested getting in the habit of looking back at goals to determine if they were achieved. He stressed the importance of writing down goals and also encouraged attendees to write down their vision and look at it occasionally. “Your business will always be a work in progress, and your vision will change as your business grows,” he said. “Your job as the owner is to set goals for your business so that you’re the one directing the shop, and you do this by planning. “The owner’s responsibility is to improve the existing situation and
move it toward the idea or vision you have for your business.” He polled attendees to determine how often they plan, suggesting it’s important to decide what each person wants to accomplish this year and emphasizing the importance of writing down plans.
Asking how shop owners track their progress, Saeli informed them that they should be tracking their KPIs and using these numbers to determine whether they’re heading in the right direction. Keep your KPIs up-to-date, look at them weekly, and then make corrections based on that information. According to Saeli, “Your KPIs are a roadmap that allows you to see the past and plan for the future. It’s helpful to put them into graph form to evaluate them quickly. Not having them is like trying to diagnose a check engine light on a car just by listening to the vehicle—and none of you would ever do that! Call this your scan tool; it’ll help you figure out what’s going on with your business.” Figure out your goals by starting with a sales target, broken down into sales for a month and a week, and then figure out the billed hours needed to achieve this goal. Saeli believes that working out weekly targets is a great start, but next, shop owners must share this information with their employees and remind them of it on a regular basis. “This is one of the reasons to have weekly meetings,” he said. “It allows you to go over your targets and reinforce your expectations, plus it helps get everyone behind you, working towards those goals.” When an employee is not producing the way they used to, Saeli advised the shop owners to sit down with them to find out why, suggesting that the employee may need help establishing goals, they may simply need to be pointed in the right direc-
38 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
tion or they may require additional training to improve their competency. “Talking to your employees is a win/win/win situation,” Saeli noted. “They are better able to help the customer, the shop and make more money themselves. It’s important that we do not become so engrossed in the day-today that we forget about training. “Have you reached your goals? Have you lost your passion for the business? You must see when you reach your goals and set new ones to have something to reach towards, to look forward to. Goals are key, and having them written down helps visualization.” Some ideal targets Saeli suggested for both the individual and their businesses are sales targets, turning over responsibilities to associates and spending a certain number of days away from the shop to do enjoyable things. “Money helps you get things, but time is very valuable,” he pointed out. Noting that all professionals have
coaches to point them in the right direction, Saeli asked attendees about who helps them keep their eyes on their business goals, point them in the right direction and keep them focused and successful. He then shared information on Management Success’ Shop Business Analysis product, which is designed to help in this aspect. As the webinar concluded, Saeli observed, “The more training you receive, the better equipped you are to handle situations, and you become more competent at running your business by setting up a training plan. It’s important to identify the key actions that must occur in order to achieve your goals.” Due to the positive feedback received from this webinar and an overflow of attendees, Management Success will be presenting a live webinar on the same topic with a different presenter and a guest shop owner on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
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Media and Publicity for Shops
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
Too Many Shops are Advertising When They Should Be Marketing with Ed Attanasio
Ryan Taylor is a former body shop owner who invented Bodyshop Booster in 2009, an app that streamlines the estimating process for both customers and shops. He advises collision repairers all over the world on marketing, the customer experience and how to generate more business by using his tools.
Why do many body shops Q: stumble when it comes to marketing and advertising, while others
Why is it dangerous for shops Q: to rely heavily on their DRPs for the majority of their revenue?
Back in 2011, one of our major A: DRPs (28 percent of our total volume) contacted us with a “courtesy
call” that was far from being courteous. They told us that they were going to give all of their work to a consolidator
seem to push all of the right buttons all the time?
Experts claim that word-ofQ: mouth is the best way to get new customers, but how can you man-
A:
When I owned my own shop and business started to lag, I thought I could offset it by marketing my business aggressively, so I spent $100,000 on things like radio advertising, and it didn’t even move the needle. I was shocked, so I brought in a lot of experts, and we tore the collision repair industry apart. We found out that when people get in an accident, it’s an on-demand purchase, which is different from an impulse purchase, where people are motivated and engaged. An on-demand purchase is like finding out your house is flooded or you have diabetes—it’s not an acquisition that you wake up in the morning anticipating. I’ve never heard anyone say, “Wow, I hope I get in a wreck today!” Most marketing firms provide services to companies that sell products or services that fall into the impulse decision category, such as new cars, vacations, electronics—things that get people excited. So, if you’re working with a conventional marketing company, they probably don’t know enough about the collision repair industry to be effective. Their experience is buying media (such as print, radio and TV broadcast advertising) because that caters to the entire market. But, as a body shop, your customers are limited, so why are you wasting money to advertise to everyone? In summary, remember that your customer does not want to be your customer, and secondly, there is a very small marketing footprint to get to that customer when they need you—all things I learned the hard way.
emerge. In North America, 44 percent of all repairs are what we call Type 1 repairs, which require 11.9 hours or less to complete the job. With all of the new collision avoidance systems, we are seeing more and more of these types of repairs. So, many of these are now customer pay. If the consumer has a $1,000 deductible, for example, and the job is going to cost them $1,500, that’s now within their threshold, so they’re going to pay it rather than call their insurer.
age this and reap the benefits?
Ryan Taylor, the creator of Bodyshop Booster, advises collision repairers all over the world on marketing and advertising
with 300-plus locations, so we lost nearly one-third of our business with one phone call. Every shop knows that this is an exposure spot for us, but we usually think that it will happen gradually or taper off over a 5–10 year period, rather than in 30 seconds. So, after losing that big DRP, we started looking for ways to diversify our business, and one of them was fleet work. We charted it out and found out that customer pay has been growing. In 2008, it was 5 percent and today it’s 20 percent—and there are a lot of reasons for that. Our analysts are telling us that it will be around 30–38 percent by 2020 and eventually, the DRP system will go away altogether. There are a lot of reasons why the insurance companies can profit by eliminating their DRP programs, and they’re starting to figure it out. So, we see a major shift in DRPs and a lot of this new technology (Allstate’s new photo app, for example) is aiding them in this shift. In Canada, shops are very DRP-dependent, so we haven’t seen this change there yet, but we believe it will happen there too within the next 3–5 years. Another change we’ve seen is that now with deductibles going up ($500– $1,000 on average), the market will split and more cash-pay customers will
40 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
The latest studies show that A: every happy customer has the potential to affect 4.1 other people
around them. The challenge is how to get them to refer you. Extensive research shows that your average cus-
tomer will only drive 15 minutes to get an estimate, but they will travel up to 35 minutes for a repair. By harnessing the power of technology, you can get customers who are outside the 15-minute window to commit to a repair appointment and thereby expand your market reach. Studies show that 74 percent of customers make their decision based on convenience. All over the world, deductibles are on the rise, causing customer pay to be more and more common, so capture more work by making the estimate process easier, because ease of doing business is why 83 percent of people will go online to check out repair shops. Supply them with what they are looking for, and you will capture new business. Customers are afraid to make an insurance claim because they fear drastic premium increases. Capitalize on that by making the estimate process smooth and educational.
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www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 41
Shop Strategies
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
How to Build Customer Loyalty, Prepare for the New Customer Mindset with Stacey Phillips
According to surveys conducted by Phoenix Solutions Group (PSG), close to 80 percent of body shop customers choose a collision repair facility that they feel has their best interests at heart. Nick Schoolcraft, president of the Illinois-based company, said shop owners and employees need to stop worrying about what their insurance partners and competitors are doing and how they are marketing. Instead, he stressed the importance of understanding how to best interact with customers and connect with them emotionally. “A collision is an extremely emotional event. We really need to focus on building a strong relationship with customers as soon as they walk in the door,” said Nick during a presentation he gave this past November at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV, as part of the SCRS Repairer Driven Education Series. He told conference attendees that taking the time to build this type of relationship will help shops
gain repeat customers, referrals, inNick. “Truly understanding your cuscrease sales and ultimately, run a more tomers is the only way to build loysuccessful business. alty.” Nick’s father, Steve, founded PSG During his SEMA presentation, in 1988 following a car accident. “The Time Has Arrived for Change,” “The experience was so horrible, Nick discussed the new consumer he set out to change the industry,” said mindset. Nick. “Customers are expecting Since then, the company different types of experiences has concentrated 100 percent than they used to,” he said. of its efforts on developing “They are no longer delineatmarketing strategies for repair ing between a retail store and facilities. Part of that focus ina body shop.” cludes surveying collision Instead, they are expecting clients, which gives the com- Nick Schoolcraft, the same type of experience president of pany tremendous insight on they receive from forwardcurrent industry trends and Phoenix Solutions thinking companies, regardGroup ensures shops have a multiless of the industry. dimensional understanding of the voice “Eighty-seven percent of conof the customer. sumers measure all brands against Based on PSG’s research, the comApple, Amazon and Netflix, so having pany found that most shops focus on a deeper understanding of the voice of quality. the customer is critical for businesses “Quality isn’t a differentiator or operating today,” explained Nick. motivator—it’s an expectation,” said PSG surveys specifically focus
42 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
on gathering this type of information for the collision repair industry. “Gone are the days where quality and efficiency led the charge for how people chose a body shop,” he said. “Those reasons are actually 1 percent of the total decision that we see in our data.” Nick said customers are now choosing where to take their vehicles based on past experiences, reputation, honesty and additional factors that lead to a really great customer experience. “What’s even more interesting is that in the past 10 years, we’ve seen a 750 percent increase in the number of decision factors that people go through when deciding on a body shop,” said Nick. “More people want the opportunity to make a decision on their own. They don’t want to be told what to do or where to bring their cars.” He pointed out that this movement toward consumer choice is be-
coming apparent with insurance companies too, which has been demonstrated by the recent closing of estimating facilities and the implementation of mobile estimating applications. With an extensive background in marketing, Nick joined Accenture six years ago as a subject matter expert focusing predominantly on customer and employee experience strategies for Fortune 100 brands. “The best type of marketing today is word-of-mouth—interactions with human beings,” he explained. “The ability to connect with a human being is the best way to sell anything. You typically want to buy from those you care about.” Typically, after individuals have been in an accident, they go through a series of processes such as calling the insurance company, the police and the rental car company. When it comes to making a final decision on which shop they ultimately go to, they reach out to those they are closest to, such as friends and family, as well as do online research. “By understanding what your customers want, how they are feeling and what they are looking for, you have the
opportunity to differentiate yourself through empathy,” said Nick. “This ensures a shop has a leg up when selling its services.” He also recommended offering customers an experience that is unmatched. “The problem is that a lot of body shops believe it’s all about getting the vehicle in and out,” said Nick.
process all contribute to connecting with them emotionally. Nick said that a mutually beneficial relationship with customers in which they feel part of the repair process has been shown to drive best-in-class experiences. Over the last year, a large part of what PSG has set out to do is understand the areas of the business where
PSG surveys have consistently shown that customers expect that the car will look the same as it did before the accident. “The differentiator is the shop’s ability to connect one-on-one with the customer,” Nick said. By taking the time to really understand customers and learn exactly what they want, Nick said shops can drive a better marketing strategy and enhance customer interactions. Being courteous, shaking hands, looking a customer in the eye and keeping customers informed about the repair
it could enhance interactions with customers. This has led to three top priorities for 2018: social media, employee engagement and dynamic marketing. “We are keeping my dad’s legacy as close to heart as we can and finetuning it to be more adaptive to today’s industry’s needs,” said Nick.
“The ability to connect with a human being is the best way to sell anything. You typically want to buy from those you care about.” — Nick Schoolcraft
1) Social media “I believe a lot of people in the industry today don’t necessarily understand how to use social media effectively,” said Nick. “The misnomer is that many believe that social media should
be used as a conversion tool, but the real goal of social media is to create awareness and have a social conversation with those who are following you.” As more people become interested in what you have to say, Nick said, a better social media following will result. Deep customer insight is also critical for businesses, according to Nick. PSG uses the insights gathered from its unique survey to build a robust social media marketing strategy for customers. This involves creating captivating, unique content to drive engagement. “Social media is only beneficial when the content is relevant to its followers—not through generic, recycled content about cars. If you are posting the same thing that your neighbor is posting or other shops in the country are, your relevancy isn’t really shown,” he explained. “Google and the other search engines pick up on that and it hurts you in the long run.” In addition, he recommended having a consistent look, tone and feel with all social media posts. “This requires a lot of work and insight, but the benefits are far greater when done the correct way,” he said.
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2) Employee engagement Another key focus this year for PSG is offering dynamic online learning and training for shops. The company recently invested in a learning management system that will assist collision repair facilities in choosing the training courses that best meet their needs. “The training will be individually tailored to each shop and be directly related to the metrics PSG gathers,” said Nick. He said this will help customers better understand the information the company supplies and provide employees with tactics on how to improve performance metrics. “We want to ensure our customers’ employees feel as though they have the tools they need to become better educated, and we also want to put in measures for the ownership team to better understand how their employees are doing and the competencies that are occurring within their shops,” he explained. The courses will be focused on management skills and what Nick referred to as the “soft skills” of the industry. “PSG has always been focused Continued from Page 27
How to Train
use “scare” tactics and prepared to get the customer involved if necessary. Documentation is imperative. • Prepare for the opponent to use “scope creep,” which will take the focus off the facts.
Don’t…: • Take anything personally. • Be disrespectful no matter how or where the opponent tries to lead the conversation. • Underprepare—it will be evident during the presentation. • Forget you are the repair expert. • Use intimidating body language and watch the opponent’s. It will show where the most significant resistance to the argument is focused. • Move away from the facts—stick to them because those are what will repair the car properly. For more information about training programs offered by AMI for the collision repair industry, contact Keith Manich at 301-575-9191.
on the front of the house instead of the back of the house, and our focus will continue to remain there,” he said. These include courses on topics such as how to set proper expectations up front for customers, how to communicate effectively throughout the repair experience and how to follow up with customers after delivering their vehicles. The courses will be based on the metrics PSG gathers from shop customers and are expected to be available within the second quarter of 2018. “One of the things that my father always wanted to do is be everything for everybody at every point of the day,” said Nick. “This is our way of extending that to the industry.” Many of the trainings will resemble what Steve created, while being updated to industry standards and expectations.
3) Dynamic marketing PSG also plans to offer shops the ability to market to their individual customers dynamically by personalizing post-repair follow-up letters. Currently, PSG assists shops by sending out hand-signed letters that are focused on particular parameters.
Service King Opens 43rd CA Shop in Sacramento
Service King Collision Repair Centers recently announced the company has officially opened its 43rd California location. The announcement came as the organization finalized a deal to partner with Izzie’s Body and Frame in West Sacramento, CA. The repair center is located at 1120 Shore St. and, as part of the deal, will transition operations to Service King immediately. “We are proud to continue our steady growth across the state of California, and particularly the addition of this new location to the Service King family,” said Wesley McAlester, Service King Market Vice President. “Since opening our first location in the Sacramento area in 2014, it has been our mission to grow Service King into the collision repair operator of choice for our customers and business partners. We are excited about this new location and look forward to providing the Sacramento community with an enhanced network of high-quality collision repair service.” The company has grown quickly across the greater Sacramento area, opening three new locations in the market in 2017 alone. All Service King locations back all work with a written lifetime warranty.
44 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
“The future letters we send out to customers will change based on the feedback we gather,” said Nick. “They are going to be highly personalized to the individual while incorporating elements the shop wants to market, which will garner a much better response and build trust.” Nick said that this will help address the needs of customers more directly as well as allow more freedom in choosing the types of messages sent. “Ultimately, it enables a more personalized experience for shops and their customers,” he said. “Our mission for 2018 is transformation—solidifying the core that my dad created over the past 30 years, which is ensuring we are 100 percent focused on the collision facilities and delivering best-in-class types of products for them. Not only do we want to stay true to the industry and their needs, but we are trying to find ways to incorporate that ever-changing customer mindset.”
For more information about Phoenix Solutions Group, contact Nick Schoolcraft at 847-764-8079 or visit www .phoenixsolutionsgroup.net
Chuck Sulkala Scholarship Fund to Honor NABC Founder
The Chuck Sulkala NABC Appreciation Scholarship Fund has been established to honor the 50-year career and legacy of the retiring Founder and Executive Director of the National Auto Body Council (NABC).
NABC Chairman Darren Huggins presents Chuck Sulkala, with commemorative plaque honoring his years of service
“We know of no better way to thank and immortalize Chuck’s significant contributions and impact than to help ensure that a future generation of collision repair professionals will benefit from the many opportunities created during Chuck’s labor of love to transition the image of body shops into today’s respected collision repair industry,” said Darren Huggins, NABC Chairman. The Sulkala scholarship fund, which will be administered by the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), was announced at the National Auto Body Council’s Annual Member Reception in Palm Springs.
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Historical Snapshot
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
5 Years Ago, CT Shops Still Hopeful That Judgment Against Insurer Would Hold with John Yoswick
20 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (March 1998) A credible study of the true costs and savings of using non-OEM crash parts could be a solution to the ongoing parts debate. That was one point of apparent agreement among panelists discussing parts-related issues during the Automotive Service Association’s annual meeting in Florida in March. “Cycle time is probably the key buzzword that we’re going to hear in the next two or three years,” said Joe Sanders, the former director of ASA’s Collision Division. “That’s really going to drive everything that changes in our industry in the future. Aftermarket parts are probably the worst villain to cycle time you can imagine. So when we get sophisticated
In 1998, former shop owner Joe Sanders said the industry needed a study into the true costs—including reduced cycle time—of using non-OEM parts
enough to measure the economic impact that aftermarket parts have on cycle time, I think we can finally settle in and put those parts in the right place.” Insurers don’t deny that non-OEM parts can result in costly delays, Sanders said. “But the insurers don’t know whether the cost-saving of streamlining your production will eventually equate to lower costs to repair the cars,” he said. “So sooner or later, it’s going to take some entity to do a good, strong study to figure out how to measure what it cost us in production delays, and what it costs the insurers in rental cars. Then I think we can sit down and revisit this issue.” – As reported in The Golden Eagle. Twenty years later, the debate over the true costs and savings of using non-OEM parts continues.
15 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (March 2003) Two years ago, Caliber Collision Centers’ CEO Matthew Ohrstein was quoted as saying that many in the collision repair industry seemed to have an incorrect assumption about the speed with which consolidation of the industry would take place. “Three or four years ago when we started, back in 1997, I think there was this expectation in this industry that consolidation would be this huge wave that would take over the industry,” he said. “But look at other industries. It can take 20, 30 or 40 years to consolidate just 30 percent of an industry.” Ohrnstein’s words may have provided some comfort to independent shops convinced the torrential pace of consolidator acquisitions in the late 1990s was set to continue. And he certainly set the tone for the two years that have followed in which consolidators for the most part have appeared to focus much more on integration, implementation and dramatic growth. – As reported in Autobody News. Ohrstein later left Caliber (the company added 68 shops during his seven years there) and formed Symphony Advisors consulting firm; he died in 2013 at age 57. But his comments about the likely speed of consolidation of the industry have been proven out. Twenty years after he pioneered the entry of large investors into the industry, the Big 4 consolidators still have less than 25 percent of the market, a share one analyst predicts they won’t reach until 2021.
10 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (March 2008) Eileen Sottile of the Quality Parts Coalition predicted that without changes to U.S. patent law, the increasing number of OEM patents on crash parts could lead to the “extinction” of the non-OEM parts industry and independent repairers (because higher OEM parts prices would total more cars). But Brad Mewes of Craftsmen Auto Body in Cerritos, CA, pointed to a 2005 European study that found that pricing for replacement parts was on average 7.3 percent higher in countries without such design protections. In a letter to Mewes last week, Sot-
46 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
tile says the European study is flawed because it looked at list prices for OEM parts, not the “typically much lower” “market prices.” The study, she said, also mischaracterized the level of patent protection in two European countries.
In 2003, Matt Ohrnstein was the CEO of Caliber Collision and accurately predicted that consolidation of the industry would take decades
Given this, Sottile said the study should have shown that OEM parts prices are actually 3.6 percent lower in countries without design protection.
– As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), March 17, 2008. Ten years later, the non-OEM parts industry continues to fight for federal legislation that would slash design patent protection automakers’ hold on crash parts, though the nonOEM parts industry is still thriving and the percentage of vehicles being declared a total loss has remained fairly steady—between 14 percent and 17 percent throughout the last decade. The prospects of the federal legislation moving forward took a hit in January when Sen. Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah), the bill’s chief sponsor in the Senate, announced he is retiring at the end of this year, and Rep. Darrell Issa (R.-Calif.), the bill’s chief sponsor in the House, announced his retirement as well.
5 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (March 2013) At last weekend’s East Coast Resolution Forum and Leadership Meeting,
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the president of the Auto Body Association of Connecticut said that more than three years after an associationled class action lawsuit resulted in a jury award of $15 million against The Hartford, no money has been received. A jury essentially found in 2009 that unfair trade practices by the insurer
In 2008, Eileen Sottile of the Quality Parts Coalition predicted dire outcomes for the industry if federal patent protection on OEM crash parts wasn’t amended
led to suppressed shop labor rates. Tony Ferraiolo was unsure why there has been such a long delay in the judge’s issuing of a final judgment on the verdict in the case, but said that he expects that to happen soon, which would also bolster a similar lawsuit pending against Progressive Insurance. He said attorneys continue to pursue the
Progressive lawsuit despite not having received payment in either case. “That’s telling you these class action lawsuits might have some merit for all of us when they pan out, but you’re talking 10 years before they are done,” Ferraiolo said. “That’s a long time. One of the named plaintiffs in the case has sold his shop in the meantime. So these class action lawsuits are important, but not our total answer. We’re committed to keeping them going.” – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), March 18, 2013. In 2015, the Connecticut Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s judgment against The Hartford. The jury in the case found that The Hartford violated the state’s unfair trade practices act by requiring its appraisers to enforce an artificially low labor rate determined by the insurer rather than approaching the appraisal “without prejudice against, or favoritism toward, any party involved to make fair and impartial appraisals.” But The Hartford argued in its successful appeal that the “parties involved” were the insurer and insured, because an appraiser “could not possibly owe a duty of impartiality or reasonableness to the very shops with whom he is negotiating on behalf of an employer.” The state
Supreme Court agreed that the unfair trade practices act does not “regulate the conduct at issue” in the case. “It would be patently unreasonable…for us to conclude that the [insurer] is lawfully permitted to determine the hourly labor rate that it is willing to pay for auto body repair [but] that [its] apprais-
In 2013, Tony Ferraiolo of the Auto Body Association of Connecticut was still hopeful that a $15 million judgment against The Hartford would hold (but it was later overturned by the state’s Supreme Court)
ers are ethically required to disregard that determination when negotiating on the [insurer’s] behalf,” the Court wrote in its unanimous decision. Shops, the Court said, are capable of representing their own interests and “certainly are under no obligation to accept insurance-related work that is not sufficiently remunerative.”
1,000+ Students Registered for CREF Spring Career Fairs
The Collision Repair Education Foundation announced that more than 1,000 students have registered for its first three spring career fairs being held in Tampa and Miami, FL, and San Antonio, TX, during February and early March. The current Spring 2018 schedule includes: • Feb. 14 – Tampa/Orlando, FL – Hillsborough Community College • Feb. 16 – Miami, FL – Robert Morgan Education Center & Technical College • March 1 – San Antonio, TX – Judson High School • March 16 – Los Angeles, CA – SEMA Headquarters Office • April 6 – Chicago, IL – Tech-Cor • April 7– Phoenix, AZ – LKQ • April 13 – Denver, CO – Manheim • April 18 – 19– Greensboro, NC – North Carolina SkillsUSA State Competition • April 24 – Atlanta, GA – Maxwell Technical High School • April 26 – Boston, MA – Assabet Valley Technical High School • May 16 – Nashville, TN - TBD • Dates & Locations TBD: Dallas, TX; Houston, TX
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 47
Tips for Busy Body Shops
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
Enterprise Shares Company’s Successful Recruitment Strategies with Stacey Phillips
Just over 60 years ago, Jack Taylor Ranging in age from 16–38 (dependfounded Enterprise Rent-A-Car in St. ing on the source), the millennial genLouis, Missouri. eration wants to make a contribution He opened the small business in to the company they work for and unthe basement of a Cadillac dealership derstand why they are doing what they with just seven vehicles. A decorated are doing and how it has an impact. At naval pilot, Taylor named the company the same time, learning new things is after the WWII aircraft carrier on which a priority as well as having access to he had served—the USS Enterprise. additional development and training. Since then, the company has grown to According to a study conducted by include 100,000 employees and nearly LinkedIn and Snagajob, an online em10,000 locations in more than ployment website specializing 90 countries worldwide. The in the hourly marketplace, 71 Taylor family acquired Napercent of the hourly worktional Car Rental and Alamo force is under the age of 30. Rent A Car in 2007 and fully The majority of those who integrated all three car rental were part of the study said brands two years later under they value scheduled flexibilthe corporate parent name En- Pam Webster, AVP ity in a job; 59 percent felt that terprise Holdings, which is flexibility would result in talent acquisition for Enterprise still privately held. higher job productivity. Over Holdings Taylor’s philosophy was half said that learning new to take care of employees and cus- things or having access to professional tomers first, and profits and growth development opportunities would enwould follow. Pam Webster, AVP tal- courage them to stay at their job. ent acquisition for Enterprise HoldClose to 90 percent of millennials ings, said Taylor’s philosophy still said that a reward system during their holds true today. training would boost their engagement, “He never intended for Enterprise and half said that having friends in the to be the largest; he wanted us to be the workplace would motivate them and inbest,” said Webster. “Jack always said crease productivity. They also value regwe’re in the people business—not the ular feedback from their employer about car business.” how they are performing, and 33 percent Webster said an important aspect prefer recognition over higher pay. of the company’s success has always What are some of the issues been a focus on building a talent stratcompanies are facing in terms of egy. With an extensive background in recruiting? recruiting, Webster shared Enterprise’s successful approach during an AkRecruiting is not easy, and can be zoNobel Acoat Selected performance challenging in the collision regroup meeting held in San Diego, CA. pair industry due to a shortage of skilled This included the recruitment process, labor and an aging workforce. New veemployee engagement, training and hicle technologies are driving significant development. changes in vehicle repairs, which ultiThe following information is based mately requires more extensive training on Webster’s presentation, “Building a for technicians. Currently, more people Talent Strategy — Enterprise’s Apare leaving the workforce than entering proach to Solving Our HR Opportuniit. Whether you are a large or small ties,” which was part of AkzoNobel’s company, not having the talent you need early bird training sessions held prior to to grow and support the business you are the performance group meeting. running can make a big impact. How would you define today’s Job seekers today want to work typical job seeker? where they want, when they want and how they want. This is often referred to The largest workforce we have as the “free agent” mentality. It’s a chaltoday—estimated to be about lenge, especially for brick-and-mortar 77.2 million—is Gen-Y, millennials. types of businesses, such as collision re-
Q: A:
Q: A:
48 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
pair shops that don’t offer that flexibility. For many job seekers, it is now socially acceptable to change jobs. According to a study by Monster, 70 percent of the workforce is willing to do this. Typically, a 20-year-old will have seven different jobs during their twenties. That makes it tough for employers because turnover is expensive. It costs you money and time, and it impacts your ability to deliver on the services you provide—namely, getting cars repaired and back to their owners. Work/life balance has been found to be more important to today’s job seekers than how much they earn. Employers are finding that workers prefer more flexibility, fewer hours and to make less money. That can be a big challenge.
have to step back and put the candidate hat on. Think about how job seekers who want to work in the collision industry search for jobs. The largest job board today is Google. It’s where most people start their job search. Google is based on keyword relevancy. This determines how information about your company shows up in the search results. Therefore, when you’re posting a job on a job board or aggregator, take time to think about what keywords job seekers will search for. Glassdoor and Indeed are two of the top online sources for potential hires. The majority of job seekers go to these sites to do their research. Glassdoor started as a job review site and expanded to become a job aggregator, while Indeed started as an aggregator and is now a job review site.
are job seekers looking Q: forWhere employment? You mentioned that Enterprise is As a business owner trying to Q: in the “people” business. How A: find a new hire, sometimes you See Enterprise Shares, Page 52
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In Reverse
John Loftus – The “Dragon Slayer” with Gary Ledoux
Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 48 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News. He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com
“In the early 1980s, body shops had it a lot of travel. tough,” said industry veteran John Loftus continued, “I certainly Loftus in a January 2018 interview. stayed in plenty of hotels. But I often “They needed someone or some- stayed in the homes of shop owners thing to pull them together and repre- and industry colleagues—a great sent them on a national scale. They respite from a hotel room. They knew needed some cohesion. Every shop I was working hard for them, and they owner was fighting their own individ- treated me like family. I always tried ual battles with insurance companies.” to return the favor. One of the shop At that time, auto body associaowners even flew me around the Midtions operated at the state level. One rewest in his private plane. gional association, IASA, represented “The organization back then never both the collision and mechanical sides had a lot of money. But we got by. And of the business in 13 states. In fact, if I was asked to speak somewhere, Loftus spent about three years somehow we found a way to as the Collision Industry Dipay for it. In fact, the first time rector for IASA after spendI was asked to speak in Euing 13 years as the owner and rope, I almost turned it down because I didn’t know how we operator of Hawthorne Auto would pay for it. But someBody in Hawthorne, CA, and several years serving in varihow it got done. ous volunteer roles for the “When I first started, John Loftus California Autobody Associsometimes it was hard to get ation. Loftus was a key player in the through to some shop owners. They formation of the CAA for southern Caljust didn’t get it. I told them they had ifornia and spent a year as the director. to start looking at their own costs, like ASA was around at that time as a nathe insurance companies look at theirs. tional organization. They were wasting so much money. At Loftus knew change was coming, one of my first speaking engagements, but it needed help. Other industry I talked for an entire hour and got zero leaders realized it too. So they formed reaction. At another place, I wasn’t a new industry organization, and gave getting through, so we pulled the table Loftus the reins. On Sept. 25, 1982, cloth off one of the tables where we the Society of Collision Repair Spe- had just had dinner, and I stood up on cialists (SCRS) was formed with goals the table and spoke! Some shop ownof providing body shops with techni- ers had to hear me say the same thing cal training and management educa- a couple of times before it sunk in.” tion, improving the quality standards When asked about how many of collision repair services, raising the places he had visited and where he professional standing of those en- spoke, Loftus noted that he had been gaged in the collision repair industry to 44 states and 20 different countries. and securing the financial position of “I stood in front of an industry individuals within the industry. It was group in England [on my first trip to Euthe first national organization dedi- rope] and told them how things worked cated solely to the collision industry. in the U.S. and the battles we had with When asked what SCRS was like insurance companies and adjusters,” he in its early days, Loftus responded, “The said. “They all sat there nodding, beSCRS office was wherever I said it was! cause it was no different an entire ocean I had a home in Texas, a home in Caliaway. Then we went to France, and then fornia, and some friends in Missouri— Germany and then Canada… everywhere we went, the industry problems Bill Wicklund of Wicklund’s Auto Body, where I stayed occasionally,” Loftus were the same. We went to Russia— noted. “I was there so often, I became an that was almost comical. They were still ‘honorary Wicklund.’ If I had access to a repairing cars there like it was 1950.” phone and a fax machine, that’s where Laughing, Loftus said, “I don’t my office was. We made it work!” think they wanted me to speak—I think Back then, as it does today, the they wanted me to teach them modern position of SCRS Director called for repair methods!”
50 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
In the 1980s, the OEs generally were not as attuned to the collision industry as they are today. But Loftus was quick to point out that SCRS had a good relationship with Toyota back then, as they were some of the first to produce and widely distribute collision repair manuals. He noted that GM was also part of the collision landscape at the time. If there is anything John Loftus is famous for, it’s his self-proclaimed mantra, “Working together is the most important work we do”—and he lived that every day. Loftus is a very one-onone guy and liked to work with individuals. If shops called to tell him that they were having issues with a particular insurance company or a particular adjuster, he would visit them or get the parties on the phone and work things out. “We never threatened to sue them,” said Loftus. “We were never condescending to any party. I always treated
the shop and the insurance company with dignity and respect, and we always came to a resolution because I listened to all parties, and we kept the customer in mind. The consumers spent a lot of money in insurance premiums—now it’s time for the insurance company and the shop to make things right for them because that’s what they paid for.” Loftus remembered one particular instance where an insurance company wanted a shop to clip the rear end of a car. The shop knew it was an unsafe repair, refused to do it, and the shop was removed from that carrier’s DRP program. The shop called Loftus to see what could be done. In a short time, Loftus had talked the insurers into totaling the car, the shop was reinstated in the insurer’s DRP program and the adjuster was exposed for having some ulterior motives for wanting the car clipped. When asked about his “finest moment” as SCRS Director, Loftus pointed
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to a brochure called “Insured Motorists’ Rights.” One of the things that insurance companies had customers do was get three estimates from three different body shops, then make them choose the lowest estimate. Customers found that irritating. Legitimate shops found it counterproductive and less-then-ethical shops used it to low-ball customers to get the work. SCRS worked hard to eliminate that practice. Loftus explained, “For the first time, we had a ‘tool’ that shops could use to fight the ‘three estimate’ practice.” Loftus then went state-by-state, working with the local state-level affiliated associations, getting them to speak with their respective state insurance commissioner to make sure they could distribute their “Motorists’ Rights” brochures. In Illinois, the state insurance commissioner was very difficult to meet with. Finally, the commissioner was due to be at the Chicago airport for a morning flight and told Loftus he would meet him at the airport at a designated time if he wanted to talk then. Loftus hopped on a redeye flight and made his appointment with the commissioner. The “Motorists’ Rights” brochure was approved 10 days later.
When asked if there was any work he had left undone at SCRS—anything he wanted to do but never had the time or resources to accomplish—Loftus replied, “We did as much as we could every chance we got. We never worried about the resources—We would find some way to get things done. It was a rewarding time for me, and people appreciated what we did. I have no regrets or work left undone.” Loftus was the SCRS Director for 19 years, retiring in 2000, when the reins were turned over to industry icon Dan Risley. In 2003, Loftus and his friend, Larry Martin, began Loftus and Martin Long Range deep-sea fishing excursions out of San Diego, each trip escorting 23 anglers on a two-week cruise. And that thing about the “Dragon Slayer”… when Loftus retired he was presented with a huge sword in a wood and glass case by the Kansas City and Topeka Chapter of SCRS, where he was deemed to be the “Dragon Slayer Extraordinaire”… the “dragon” being all the issues and problems Loftus tried to address and resolve during his time as SCRS Director. John Loftus was truly a champion of the industry—a Dragon Slayer Extraordinaire.
Pittston, PA, Man Faces Fraud Charges Over Auto Insurance Claim by James Halpin, The Citizens' Voice
A Pittston, PA, man is facing felony fraud charges alleging he lied about the timing of an accident so that his auto insurance would pick up the tab. Bruce Joshua Carey, 30, was charged Feb. 12 with trying to claim more than $4,500 in damages that his 2015 Jeep Compass sustained in a collision with a deer—a crash that prosecutors say took place after his Progressive Advanced Insurance Co. coverage lapsed. According to the charges, Carey’s insurance policy lapsed on Dec. 24, 2015, and he reinstated coverage with a reduced deductible on Jan. 14, 2016. The next day, Carey called Progressive to report he had hit a deer along state Route 309 in Drums, according to charges filed by the state Attorney General’s Office. Carey claimed he called his mother minutes after the crash, and sent Progressive photos of the damage, the charges allege. But a Progressive investigator checked the phone records and found that Carey had not called his mother around the time he claimed the accident oc-
curred, and the photos Carey provided had metadata showing they had actually been taken on Jan. 1 in Northumberland County, according to the complaint. Carey subsequently admitted he did not call his mother at the time he claimed he did, and that he had taken the pictures on Jan. 1 at his girlfriend’s house in Northumberland County, the charges say. Carey told investigators he had the lapse in coverage because of a banking issue and that when he got a letter about the lapse he went online to renew the policy, prosecutors said. His girlfriend told investigators a deer had hit the passenger side of the Jeep on Jan. 1, 2016, as she and Carey were coming from a New Year’s Day party, according to the charges.Authorities charged Carey with felony counts of filing a false insurance claim, criminal use of a communication facility and attempted theft. Magisterial District Judge Rick Cronauer arraigned him on the charges and released Carey on $10,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing was set for Feb. 27. We thank The Citizens' Voice for reprint permission.
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Bill Garoutte to Take Helm at National Auto Body Council
The National Auto Body Council (NABC) is pleased to announce that Bill Garoutte, a veteran business development, marketing and collision industry executive, has been selected to take the helm at the organization. “We are thrilled to have Bill take the lead to continue Bill Garoutte the tremendous legacy and positive impact that Chuck Sulkala and many of our colleagues have made in our collision industry through the National Auto Body Council,” said Darren Huggins, NABC Board Chairman. Through its signature Recycled Rides™ program, NABC members teamed up to repair and donate a record 300 vehicles in 2017, adding to a total of nearly 2,000 over the past 10 years, to individuals and service organizations in need of reliable transportation.
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Continued from Page 48
Enterprise Shares
do you ensure your company hires the right individual for the job?
Everything we do starts with A: hiring the right people and making sure we are committed to the long-
term when we make a selection. Sometimes, it’s hard to think this way when you have an immediate need in your business, but we’ve always focused on the long-term. We don’t want to just hire somebody and fill a seat on the bus. Instead, we want to ensure we are hiring the right people because it really does impact the culture if you have constant turnover. We’ve found that it will impact morale and engagement of the other employees. When our business started to grow in the 1980s, we built a formal talent strategy that focused on the entire lifecycle of an employee: selection, onboarding, training and development, performance management and career progression. We knew that if we dropped the ball on any one of these stages, it would impact the business and the bottom line. Because our phi-
NY Auto Body Shop Releases Humorous Video to Ease the Stress of Collision Repair
Barry’s Auto Body announced the release of the third video in its “I Gotta Guy” series, created to make car repair less intimidating. “The Stain” is a satirical script in which Vito, played by George Passiarello, is being chastised by his father, played by Barry Crupi Sr., for being careless and allowing the white interior of his luxury car to become stained with an unidentifiable red substance. Vito’s father takes one look at the stain and smacks Vito in the head declaring, “...that will never come out!” Vito seems unfazed by his father’s anger as he assures him, “I gotta guy...” to get the stain out. As in the other videos, the camera cuts away to Barry Crupi Jr. standing in the showroom of Barry’s Auto Body as he describes how the shop will use environmentally friendly products to remove the stain and return the vehicle to goodas-new condition.
Later in the video, Donna, played by local comedian Jen Remauro, calls out to Vito and his father, revealing what the red substance is. Previous videos in the “I Gotta Guy” series included education about auto collision repair and how to file an insurance claim. Barry Crupi Jr. said, “We created the ‘I Gotta Guy’ series to relieve the stress that people feel about visiting an auto body shop. Life is stressful enough---We want people to know that automotive and collision repair doesn’t have to be scary.” The videos can be seen on Barry’s Auto Body website and YouTube channel. In addition to the “I Gotta Guy” series, Barry’s Auto Body provides more than a dozen “How to...” videos, covering everything from how to wash a car to how to remove surface scratches from the car’s finish.
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losophy is to promote from within, we have a commitment to grow our talent. We asked employees about why they work here, what they like/don’t like, what they are looking for in a company that we don’t offer, as well as what our competitors are offering. Then we defined our employee value proposition. That is what makes us unique as an employer. We built that into our brand and incorporated it into all of our communication, including recruitment marketing and messaging. Once somebody is hired, we focus on their learning path, regardless of the job position. We look at their skills and how we measure them, ensure there is a clear understanding of expectations and what they should deliver each day, build in mentoring and coaching, and have a rewards/recognition program in place. The bottom line is employee performance. If we hire the right people, engage them, and offer training and development, we’ll have better sales, service and growth. 10 best practices for hiring and retaining employees based on the Enterprise model: • Build consistent interview guide-
lines and questions • Set clear expectations and be transparent about your company • Know what your competitors are doing and what they are offering to their employees • Create a recognition program for workers where they can be recognized by leadership • Foster a team-building culture, whether that’s internally with work-related contests or a friendly competition outside of the workplace, such as forming a sports team • Empower employees, regardless of their role, and give them autonomy to make decisions • Look at the core competencies for all jobs, such as empathy, resilience, good communication, work ethic and flexibility • Devise a consistent process across the company • Set up a mentoring program and teach managers how to manage and motivate employees • Continually measure the effectiveness of your hiring process, as well as training and development programs For more information, message Pam Webster at www.linkedin.com /in/pamwebsterrecruit4eh.
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www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 53
Shop Strategies
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
Mitchell’s ‘Program Freedom Experience’ Features Newest Products, Services with Stacey Phillips
Mitchell executives recently presented the company’s newest products and services during a special event in Palm Springs, California, held in January.
calculations and automate workflows to enhance efficiency for users. Over the next decade, under the leadership of Debbie Day, Mitchell’s auto physical damage business unit will focus on two key themes: proper and safe repairs and partnering with others in the industry to allow more seamless connectivity for the ultimate benefit of the customer. Day joined the company 18 months ago. During the presentation, she outlined the company’s goals and how they relate to the recently announced Freedom initiative.
Alex Sun, Mitchell’s CEO
Titled “The Mitchell Program Freedom Experience,” the afternoon presentation showcased the work the company has been doing over the last few years to ensure it will continue to be a valuable solution provider for repair facilities. These include Mitchell WorkCenter, Mitchell RepairCenter, Mitchell Cloud Estimating and Mitchell Parts. “For me, Program Freedom exemplifies the dynamism we are experiencing in our industry today and the increasing level of sophistication and complexity that is being introduced into the environment,” said Alex Sun, Mitchell’s CEO. “You can’t look at that and not be thinking about how we all
Debbie Day leads Mitchell’s auto physical damage business unit
need to refine or redefine what we do in our business models, so we can ensure we have successful enterprises and we are vital to the ecosystem at large.” Sun explained Mitchell’s plans to continue to invest heavily in technology solutions that are used to make
minded partners who together are creating a seamless experience and interoperability, taking the collision repair and claims industry to the next level.
product management, spoke to attendees about first notice of loss (FNOL). “To Mitchell, that really means embracing consumer self-service products,” said Bainer. “We have built a suite of smart mobile products that give insurers the ability to give their customers the products they want, when and where they want.” Bainer outlined the current (l to r) Kevin Machell-Cox, Dune Pagaduan, Mike Lawlor Mitchell products offered in and John Eck regard to FNOL. Mobile First During the event, Mitchell exec- Notice of Loss allows consumers to reutives outlined the six stages of the re- port the facts of loss, identify the vepair process, from the initial claim hicle damages, determine the best (first notice of loss) to the final deliv- inspection channel available and ery of a properly and safely repaired schedule an appointment. Photo-Based vehicle. Following their presentations, Estimating with Guided Photo Capture demonstrations of Mitchell products gives consumers the capability to take were offered to the more than 200 at- pictures of damaged vehicles and gettendees. ting them back to the insurer so they can be reviewed and ready for an estimate. The tool was built to expedite 1) First Notice of Loss (FNOL) Chris Bainer, Mitchell’s director of claims processing and settlements,
(l to r) Hans Littooy and Chris Bainer
“Freedom is not one thing, and it’s not a product,” explained Day. “It’s a concept where the industry works together to solve its challenges.” Day outlined the four pillars of Freedom: • Single Open Cloud Solution: The Mitchell product is 100 percent cloudbased and offers both EMS and BMS support, as well as transactional capabilities. • Claims Automation: This touchless claims processing method offers artificial intelligence capabilities as well as big data and predictive analysis. • Proper & Safe Repairs: Using advanced analytics, Mitchell’s focus is on comprehensive proprietary information that is contextually and intelligently accessible. This includes enhanced editorial content, diagnostics, OEM-specific estimating and certified network management. • Partner Well: Mitchell’s partners encompass carriers, MSO/repair facilities, OEMs, and additional strategic partners and industry leaders. Day said that Mitchell is working toward a strong collaboration with like-
54 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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which is expected to lower loss adjustment expenses. Through Mitchell’s partnership with Guidewire, Mitchell also built two accelerators available today. These include FNOL with guided photo capture application and a standalone guided photo capture application.
2) Network Certification & Assignment Dune Pagaduan, Mitchell and John Eck, General Motors Dune Pagaduan, senior manager, product management for Mitchell, talked about triage and Mitchell’s intelligent assignment for dispatching vehicles to certified repair facilities. “Today’s vehicle complexity is driving the need for certified network management and an intelligent assignment system,” said Pagaduan. “It’s very challenging to take a look at the damaged vehicle and match that with an appropriate repair facility that has the tools and knowledge to handle that repair. It’s important to get consumers back to pre-accident condition as quickly and safely as possible.” Some of the decision-making factors that help facilitate this intelligent assignment include the proximity to the consumer, whether or not the re-
pairers are qualified to handle the job, if they own the necessary equipment and if loaner vehicles are available. “As a consumer, we would like to know all of this information, and collectively as an industry, we have a duty
(l to r) Steve Hansen and Trent Tinsley
and a responsibility to provide this information,” said Pagaduan. “Based on expertise, qualifications, certification, capacity, skills and expertise of the shop, we find the best match,” said Pagaduan. “Then we present that information to the consumer, who ultimately makes the decision on where to go.” John Eck from General Motors offered insight on the partnership with Mitchell and how information is facilitated to efficiently improve the repair process and ultimately, the experience for customers.
3) Repair Connectivity & Rental Workflow Steve Hansen, Mitchell and Trent Tinsley, Enterprise
Steve Hansen, Mitchell’s director, product management, explained how Mitchell is offering repair facilities the opportunity to receive an estimate in real time using Mitchell Connect. This allows shops to document damage and communicate with their partners in a seamless manner to fulfill their assignment and repair the vehicle safely. In 2017, Mitchell added 19 carriers, 13,000 shops and uploaded 2 million estimates plus 40 million attachments into its Mitchell Connect solution. “It’s so simple that the repair facilities are able to focus on what matters-—and that’s performing a safe and proper repair,” said Hansen. In addition, a message capabilities system has been incorporated into Mitchell Connect so repair facilities and their partners can share information and keep up-to-date on the status of the repair. “Mitchell Connect is the single source of all work that the shop has and allows the ability to simply idenARIZONA
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tify the assignment that was given to the proper repair facility,” explained Hansen. From within Mitchell Connect, a shop receives all of the information from all parties. Trent Tinsley from
(l to r) Michael Simon and Jack Rozint
Enterprise then talked about the partnership with Mitchell and Enterprise, which now gives shops the capability to incorporate the rental process into Mitchell Connect.
4) Diagnostic Scanning, Pre-Scan Jack Rozint, Mitchell and Michael Simon, Bosch
Jack Rozint, Mitchell’s vice president, sales & service, repair, discussed vehicle complexity and the high level of instrumentation in cars today. “We’re actually repairing a comARKANSAS
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puter network on wheels,” he said. As a result, he said nearly all OEM position statements make it clear that scanning is a necessary part of the repair process. “Just 10 years ago when a new model vehicle came out, if your technician was I-CAR-trained and had the right welders and was a good tech, he could take the next model car and repair it using the same tools, equipment and procedures, and everything was fine,” said Rozint. “That is no longer the case.” He said research has shown that 80 percent of the shops that have installed OEM repair procedure databases don’t use them. “The reasons you hear are ‘I’m too busy,’ and ‘I don’t have time, and it takes a long time to go and search
(l to r) Eric Mendoza, Palak Samel and Eric Valenzuela
through the OEM repair procedures,’” Rozint said. He said there are four keys to success to ensure a proper and safe repair. These include researching the vehicle equipment and accessing the OEM repair procedures; doing a diagnosis of the car with a pre-scan and teardown; the repair/recalibration of the vehicle; and then performing sys-
tems tests and a post-scan to validate and conduct quality assurance. Rozint discussed the company’s partnership with Bosch on diagnostics and then demonstrated Mitchell diagnosis tools on two vehicles: a 2016 GMC Arcadia and a 2017 Toyota Forerunner.
5) Cloud Estimating and the integration of repair procedures Palak Samel, Mitchell, and Eric Mendoza, Toyota
Palak Samel, senior manager, product management for Mitchell, discussed Mitchell Cloud Estimating, which was introduced in March 2017, and the integration of repair procedures. She said Mitchell Cloud Estimating allows users the freedom to write estimates anywhere, any time and on any device. “For repair facilities, Mitchell Cloud Estimating provides a solution that enables shops to focus on proper and safe repairs, shop performance and customer satisfaction,” said Samel. “For insurance carriers and independent appraisers, it provides more accurate estimating and better customer satisfaction.” The flexible cloud-based app integrates Mitchell Diagnostics, Mitchell Parts and TechAdvisor for OEM Repair Procedures. In addition, Samel explained that the adaptable solution will enable Mitchell to evolve the technology as more complex vehicles are introduced. The goal was to design a product that could be used by a novice estimator as well as an experienced one. Other features include an intuitive
PPG Funds Refinish Student Scholarships Through CREF
The PPG Foundation has provided $20,000 in funding for the Collision Repair Education Foundation, which will be awarded to students who have demonstrated a career interest in automotive collision repair and refinish. The scholarships, $5,000 each, are awarded annually to full-time students attending a post-secondary school with a focus on degree programs in collision repair. The funds may be used to assist the students with educational expenses such as tuition, books, tools and equipment. Scholarship award winners will be announced later this spring. Domenic Brusco, PPG Automotive Sr. Manager, MVP Business Solutions & Industry Relations, said, “PPG proudly supports the Collision
Repair Education Foundation’s effort to promote careers in the collision industry and assist future professionals as they train for a career. It is more important than ever to showcase the industry as a rewarding career option for students and, through these scholarships, we can help remove some of the financial barriers they face during their technical education.” Industry members interested in working together with the Collision Repair Education Foundation in supporting secondary and post-secondary collision repair students, instructors and their school programs should contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at 847463-5244 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ ed-foundation.org.
56 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
search capability and guided estimating to help in the decision-making process. Eric Mendoza from Toyota
Butch. “What we also want to do at Mitchell is make sure repair facilities’ solutions are efficient and easy to use.” When it comes to repairing the vehicle, Butch said there are three areas of focus. The first is ensuring the correct parts are on the vehicle. He said the Mitchell Parts portal will allow repair facilities the freedom to automatically direct estimators to parts providers based on in(l to r) Kenny Crumpler, Thomas Butch and Bill Lopez formation from the estimate. also talked about the functionality of The next area of focus is ensuring the Mitchell Cloud Estimating with Toyrepair is being done correctly, using ota vehicles. calibration and controller programming. Third, he said, is being able to provide a clean bill of health for the 6) Repair Management Thomas Butch, Mitchell and Bill vehicle with a post-scan. Lopez, VP and GM for the collision “Our goal is to ensure that a safe business unit for OEC and properly repaired vehicle is returned to the customer,” said Butch. Thomas Butch, director of product “By providing the right parts, procemanagement for Mitchell, oversees the dures and the ability to calibrate and company’s repair facilities solutions. do the right repairs, we believe we can He talked about repair management, do that.” including integrated parts, repair procedures and calibration. For more information about Mitchell’s “As an industry, we all want the solutions, contact Rebecca Janzon at same thing—to deliver a proper and 858-368-8254 or visit http://freedom safe vehicle to our end customer,” said .mitchell.com/faqs/.
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Hyundai Showcases World’s 1st Self-Driven Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
A fleet of Hyundai Motor Company’s next-generation fuel cell electric cars has succeeded in completing a selfdriven, 190-kilometer-journey from Seoul to Pyeongchang. This is the first time in the world that level 4 autonomous driving has been achieved with fuel cell electric cars, the ultimate eco-friendly vehicles. Until now, autonomous driving has been demonstrated at a limited speed on some sections of domestic roads, but this is the first time autonomous cars have driven such a long distance at 100 km/h-110 km/h, the maximum speed allowed by law on Korean highways. Five Hyundai vehicles completed the journey. Three vehicles are based on Hyundai’s next-generation fuel cell electric SUV NEXO, scheduled to be released in Korea next month, and the other two are Genesis G80 autonomous vehicles. All vehicles are equipped with level 4 self-driving technology, as defined by the SAE international standards, and 5G network technology. The vehicles used for the demonstration are “futuristic vehicles” that closely represent Hyundai’s three visions for future mobility: con-
nected mobility; freedom in mobility; and clean mobility. The demonstration started in Seoul on Feb. 2 with the ‘CRUISE’ and ‘SET’ buttons being pressed on the autonomous-driving steering wheel of each vehicle, at which point the cars immediately switched to self-driving mode and began the 190-km journey to Pyeongchang. Entering the high-
them to recognize surrounding vehicles more accurately and make better judgments at junctions and at branching roads, navigate through toll gates by accurately calculating the toll gate’s width and position, and precisely pinpoint the vehicle’s position on a map by using external sensors fitted for situations when the GPS signal was interrupted, such as going through
way, the vehicles moved in response to the natural flow of traffic. They executed lane changes, overtook maneuvers and navigated toll gates using Hi-pass, South Korea’s wireless expressway payment system. Building on the successful demonstration of Hyundai’s vehicles, which drove autonomously in Las Vegas during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), these cars featured a number of advanced technologies that enabled
long underground tunnels. Hyundai conducted a significant number of highway test drives amounting to hundreds of thousands of kilometers traveled, which enabled them to accumulate a vast amount of data that helped enhance the performance of its self-driving vehicles. “Hyundai’s philosophy for developing autonomous driving technology is to provide the highest level of safety combined with a high standard of con-
“Hyundai’s philosophy for developing autonomous driving technology is to provide the highest level of safety combined with a high standard of convenience that our customers expect,” — Jinwoo Lee
Hundreds of Automotive Scholarships To Be Awarded: Apply by March 31
The University of the Aftermarket Foundation is now accepting applications for automotive scholarships at its Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Central website at: www.automotivescholarships.com. The application deadline is March 31, 2018. Interested candidates can view a wide array of scholarship opportunities, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, available from the University of the Aftermarket Foundation and more than 30 industry organizations. Hundreds of scholarships are available for students enrolled in four-year and two-year colleges as well as ASE/NATEF-certified automotive, collision and heavy duty post-secondary schools. By completing a single application online, students can be considered for multiple scholarships for the 2018–19 school year. A full list of scholarships is featured on the Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Central home page with links to pages outlining each organization’s scholarship details, eligibility requirements and
awards. To apply for as many scholarships as possible, applicants should read the individual pages thoroughly to ensure they include the proper information required by each organization. “Every completed scholarship application is reviewed by all the organizations where the candidate meets the qualifications. Last year, more than 50 students received multiple awards from one application,” said Pete Kornafel, MAAP, chairman of the University of the Aftermarket Foundation scholarship committee. “We are pleased to be able to offer so many scholarship opportunities for the 2018–19 school year and encourage interested students to apply today.”
For more information about the University of the Aftermarket Foundation and available automotive scholarships, visit: www.UofAFoundation.com and www.automotivescholarships.com
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58 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
venience that our customers expect,” said Jinwoo Lee, head of the Intelligent Safety Technology Center at Hyundai Motor Group. The exterior and interior of selfdriving vehicles used for this demonstration look similar to Hyundai’s other mass-produced models, but they are equipped with various cameras and LIDARs. Adding a small number of sensors to mass-produced vehicles has enabled the realization of fully autonomous driving technology, and thus brings the company a step closer to the commercialization of self-driving technology. Autonomous driving processes a high volume of data, which requires a lot of power. The fuel cell electric model is able to produce electricity through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cell stack, making it the optimal vehicle model choice for this test. The NEXO fuel cell electric SUV can drive more than 600 km on a single charge, which takes approximately five minutes. The model boasts a worldclass system efficiency of 60 percent, durability equivalent to internal com-
bustion engine-driven vehicles and a load space of 839 liters. Connectivity Enhanced Infotainment System: Utilizing the 5G network of KT Corp., a Korean mobile service provider, the vehicles deliver five new advanced information technologies, all accessed through a user interface (UI) that provides an intuitive user experience.
Passengers in the rear seats can use “Home Connect,” a car-to-home technology that enables the user to access and control IoT devices installed in their smart home. They can view home camera images in real-time, control the lighting, remote door lock or TV, and even manage home energy systems. Hyundai plans to phase in the home-to-car and car-to-home tech-
nology to its vehicles from the first half of 2018 and from 2019, respectively. “Assistant Chat” is a technology that allows users to ask a Chat Bot questions with simple voice commands and receive answers in the form of text or images. “Wellness Care” can monitor health information of passengers seated in the rear of the vehicle, such as their stress level, heart rate, and mood state. They can also access relaxing therapeutic services, and they can be connected with a health consultant through a real-time video call. In addition, the vehicle also provides “Noise-Away” cabin noise reduction technology, and “Mood Care,” which provides rear door mood lighting when the music player or Wellness Care is active. The Korean karaoke application “Everysing” also allows passengers to sing along to music on their journey, and it’s possible to stream video to the rear-seat entertainment system. Lastly, users can receive real-time traffic information notifications, supported by
multiple languages, including Korean, English and Chinese. These advanced infotainment features enable drivers to make the best use of their time spent in autonomously driven vehicles, making them more than a simple means of moving from one location to another. Hyundai Motor Group, which includes flagship units Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, is preparing for the commercialization of the SAE standard Level 4 compliant autonomousdriving system in smart cities by 2021. To this end, the company announced plans at CES 2018 last month to jointly develop self- driving technology with Aurora Innovation, a U.S.based autonomous driving startup. Hyundai also plans to commercialize the technology for fully autonomous driving by 2030. Furthermore, since August last year, Hyundai has been researching and building its V2X infrastructure. As a founding member of the American Center for Mobility, an American research institute for future mobility, Hyundai Motor Group last October invested $5 million in the ACM-led construction of state-of-the-art testing facilities.
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Anti-Safety Inspection Legislation Introduced in WV, NH
West Virginia Sen. Robert Karnes, R-11, recently introduced Senate Bill (SB) 90. If enacted, this legislation would repeal West Virginia’s vehicle safety inspection program, which requires an annual inspection. In New Hampshire, Rep. Glen Dickey, R-Hillsborough-05, introduced House Bill (HB) 1328, which would change the annual inspection requirement to a biennial (every two years) requirement. Those bills are the latest in a recent series of legislation designed to dismantle or weaken a state’s safety inspection program. ASA opposes both SB 90 and HB 1328. All interested parties in West Virginia and New Hampshire are encouraged to visit TakingTheHill.com and click “Alerts” to contact their state representatives in opposition to these bills.
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Albuquerque 800-642-2697 505-217-0289 Fax www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 59
Leading Painter Olivia Cook Advocates PPG’s ENVIROBASE, SATA Spray Guns
Olivia Cook was born on the island of Newfoundland in Canada, grew up as a military brat and lived overseas until 2001. From a very early age, she loved cars of every kind—from high end imports, to the everyday, to muscle cars. In high school, she had a fascination for cars and art and wanted a job that somehow combined both. While attending high school in Mascoutah, IL, she took her first auto body class. After high school, she moved to Blairsville, PA, to attend Wyotech. At Wyotech, she studied collision refinishing, trim and upholstery, and also took a custom street rod class. After graduation, her first job was at Collision Plus, a high production shop chain in Illinois. At Collision Plus, she started off as a porter and worked her way up to a body tech. Her strong desire to become a painter led to her first job painting full-time at Kurt’s Carats in Maryville, IL. During this time, she also painted at a hot rod shop doing restorations. She is currently the head painter at Auto Crafters Autobody in Red Bud, IL, where she swears by PPG’s ENVIROBASE and SATA spray guns. “My experience with painting began with solvent, so I was nervous
about switching to water- based. Since making the change to PPG’s ENVIROBASE, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the excellent results and have never looked back,” she said. “I love the shop because I have the best of both worlds. We do collision and full restoration work as well. There is something about restoration work that I think is more gratifying in the end. Also, my boss has the bar set very high for quality, which is another reason I love it. I like to get involved in custom painting projects and car shows, which got me involved in Refinish Kulture, a social media community.” An important milestone for Cook was working on the “Chevy Montage” all-female build sponsored by Bogi’s Garage. Prior to that experience, she had befriended Bogi Lateiner (host of the “All Girls Garage” TV show and owner of Bogi’s Garage), Dez Ferrell and Konstandina Manjavinos (founder of “Girls Behind The Gun”) through social media, but by working on the project, she was able to meet them in person. Cook described how working with Bogi’s Garage allowed her to share her struggles as a female working in the auto body business.
“One thing that I will always remember from this build is when Bogi asked me what I would think about my daughter wanting to get into this business,” she said. “I told her that honestly, I hope she doesn’t, and that’s really a shame to say. It was always a struggle for me and so many other women, and I hope with future generations it won’t be. In the end, I just want to help women in the auto body industry and portray them in a positive light. I look up to women like Petra Schroeder from WIN and Konstandina Manjavinos from Girls Behind The Gun. They are definitely giving women [in the industry] positive exposure.” Bogi Lateiner’s “Chevy Montage” was a tremendous success at SEMA 2017. It was a custom build combining a 1957 Chevy Pickup with a BMW S62 engine, and was unveiled at the BASF booth. Sponsors included 3M Automotive and many more. After returning from SEMA, Lateiner hired Cook as a custom painting instructor starting in April 2018. For more information, visit PPG, SATA, Bogi’s Garage and Auto Crafters Autobody.
42 Apprentices Join Service King’s Training Program
Service King Collision Repair Centers announced it has officially accepted and welcomed 42 new auto body repair technicians to its growing Apprentice Development Program at locations in five different states across the U.S. “The entire Service King family is thrilled to welcome the latest class of apprentice technicians,” said Tyra Bremer, Service King Vice President of Talent Development. “It is exciting to witness our apprenticeship program continue to grow and provide immersive training opportunities to aspiring technicians from across the country. We look forward to equipping and training each of the 42 technicians who joined our family this week to prosper in the next chapter of their careers.” The immersive approach to Service King’s Apprentice Development Program features a proprietary curriculum developed with insight from master auto body technicians, management and leading experts from across the industry. The Apprentice Development Program officially launched in 2015, placing more than 125 certified auto body technicians into its workforce.
1Collision Announces New Call Center, Phone App
The 1Collision Network announced the release of a phone app and call center integrated technology solution designed to assist the motorist—from handling the scene of an accident, to finding the nearest 1Collision repair center, to initializing the repair process.
The Network Call Center, a function button on the app, will direct consumers through a toll free number, utilizing an advanced zip code locator as well as an option to connect the caller to the network corporate office directly for support. The 1Collision phone app also assists the motorist in
the collision repair process, with features such as “What to Do After an Accident,” “Find a Location,” and “Request an Estimate.” Network President Jim Keller commented, “We are excited to launch these tools aimed at assisting consumers with solutions when the unfortunate happens, and also naturally creating opportunities to increase the traffic at our network locations.” The 1Collision Network phone app is now available on both the Google Play Store and the Apple Store. The app will be promoted by 1Collision through targeted social media and other marketing channel campaigns. Collision repair businesses interested in participating should contact John Keller, Director of Locations support, at jrkeller@ 1collision.net.
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60 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 61
OE Shop Certification
Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 48 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News. He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com
Audi’s Mark Allen Interviewed on Shop Certification with Gary Ledoux
For this month’s OE certification profile, we spoke with industry icon Mark Allen, Manager of Collision Programs/Collision Training and EV After Sales for Audi.
ABN: Does your program have a specific name?
Audi: It’s called the Audi Authorized Collision Repair Program. It was first started back in 2003, received a major overhaul in 2006 and another one most recently in 2015.
ABN: What is the main purpose of the program?
Audi: Audi is big on controlling the total customer experience. Despite the bad situation an accident brings, we don’t want to make it worse for our clients with a bad shop and a bad repair. So for us, it’s all about customer retention, and making sure the car is fixed properly. ABN: What are the program requirements?
Audi: All shops receive a plaque. Technicians that complete our welding course get a special jacket. All certified shops are on the towing program, so any Audi owner using their Roadside Assistance program due to an accident can have their car towed free to an Audi Authorized shop. Audi Authorized
ABN: Are any shops specifically ineligible?
Audi: Our program is limited to dealers and shops in the U.S. A few years ago we used to handle what few participating shops and dealers we had in Canada. Now that there is more par-
formation technology for us.
ABN: What is the fee for the program? Does the program run on an annual basis?
Audi: Independent shops pay $7,500 for the first year and $4,000 for each succeeding year. Our dealer charge is proprietary information.
ABN: Do you inspect every shop and if so, who does the inspections?
shops are also the first shops of choice to repair any of our transportation-damaged cars, show-damaged cars or any cars that are corporately owned that suffer an accident. And of course they can promote themselves as an Audi Authorized shop. ABN: What shops are eligible?
Audi: We welcome dealer-owned shops, independent shops and MSOs, but the standards and requirements remain the same. We don’t cut anyone any slack. Right now we have a 60/40 split—60 percent are independent and 40 percent are dealer shops. The dealer percentage is perhaps higher than other OEs, but that is because of our focus on customer retention.
Audi: We focus on three areas: tools, equipment and training. For training, we don’t now require that the shop be ICAR Gold Class, but many are simply because they are the better shops and are Gold Class by default. However, in the near future we will be requiring all ABN: Must an independent shop be sponsored by a dealer? If so, has that shops to be Gold Class. Then we also caused any problems? have our own classes; some on structural repair, others are model-specific. We also have a 10-day aluminum class Audi: Yes, a dealer must sponsor an independent shop and the shop must be and classes on carbon fiber. Also, we in its own market area. If our have two levels of training for focus is on the customer extwo levels of shops. The hyperience and retaining cusbrid training is the more basic tomers, it makes no sense for with limited classes. The a dealer to sponsor a shop ultra-advanced training inthat is 50 miles away. A cuscludes all classes and is meant tomer will never drive 50 for the ultra-advanced shops. miles to a body shop. One other thing about Mark Allen Audi training: most of it is hands-on training. The technicians ABN: Can a dealer sponsor more than one shop? like it because this is what they do all day. They can relate better and learn better rather than watching a video or Audi: Yes, but that rarely happens. The units in operation must warrant more reading a book. than one shop in any given dealer’s area of influence. ABN: What are the program benefits?
62 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
ticipation, Audi Canada handles it themselves, although we still provide a good part of the training materials.
ABN: Do you have any program partners, such as Axalta, VeriFacts, Summit, Assured Performance or others? If so, what role do they play? Audi: We have VeriFacts handle the in-
Audi: Yes, Axalta conducts the annual inspections for us. We also look at feedback from Audi employees and other Audi corporate people who have cars repaired at these shops. They should have the same good experience and the same proper repair as any Audi customer. On top of that, I travel quite a bit and when I do, I make a point to make a few unannounced visits to Audi Authorized shops.
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ABN: Is there an optimum number of shops you want to have and if so, how close are you to reaching that number?
Audi: The optimum number is about 250. Right now we are at about 192 with about 100 being the ultra-advanced shops that work on all models, and the rest are hybrid shops that only work on certain models. Of course, that number fluctuates as shops come and go. We will put on more shops, but we want to do it strategically, placing the shops only where they are needed based on units in operation. ABN: Have you had any shops drop out and if so, why?
Audi: We are big on training because we want the cars fixed properly and our customers to drive a safe automobile. I want to be able to stand up in front of a group of people at an industry meeting or show, talk about training and know all of our shops are properly trained. So if a shop can’t or won’t meet our requirements and complete the proper training, we have to part ways. Of course, we give the shop plenty of opportunity to take the training. We call and let them know when
the training will take place and ask if we can sign them up at that time.
ABN: If the shop is removed from the program due to a training lapse, and they later take the training, are they allowed back into the program?
Audi: We address that on a case by case basis. It is a lot less work to allow that shop back into the program than to go out and find another shop and start from scratch. ABN: Do you have a field force?
Audi: We have Area After-Sale Managers who work with both dealers and shops, but they are not collision-dedicated. ABN: What has been the biggest challenge in establishing the network?
Audi: Today in 2018, most people in the industry know about high-strength steel, aluminum and such, and know that vehicles with these substrates require different tools, equipment and procedures. When we started back in 2003, this was a foreign concept to most people—even those in the indus-
The Right Parts. A Perfect Fit.
try. First, I had to convince our own corporate team at Audi that changes were necessary. Then we had to convince our dealers. They wanted to continue fixing cars the same way they learned 25 years ago. It was a challenge in 2003, but we eventually started changing minds.
ABN: What is you biggest challenge in maintaining the network?
Audi: Our biggest challenge is maintaining communication with our shops. It seems the technician base in our shops is pretty solid—few people come and go. The “curn” is with management people in the shops. It’s a real challenge to get them to keep their profile current so we know who we are talking to when we call. It’s also a challenge to keep everyone’s training current. ABN: What do you see for the future
of OE certification programs?
Audi: I think it is inevitable that all OEs will have some sort of certification program. Those that don’t have a program now will start one. Those that have an existing program will put more teeth into it. In the future, I think OEs will make their customers more aware of their programs and find ways to drive more vehicles to their shops. Also in the future, I think insurance companies will pay more attention to certified shops and give them more credence due to liability concerns. ABN: Any final thoughts?
Audi: We have a lot of other ideas to enhance the program. Some are under development, some are still just ideas. But we will continue to move forward with the industry.
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www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 63
SCRS Releases Video of ‘Kool Tools From 2017 SEMA Show & More’
In January, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) held an open board meeting in Palm Springs, CA, including a presentation from the SCRS Education Committee on “Kool Tools” that may provide assistance or convenience in collision repair tasks. The presentation, led by committee member Toby Chess and SCRS Chairman Kye Yeung, was inspired by the wide range of products and offerings exhibited during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. Each year, the SCRS Education Committee walks the SEMA Show looking for unique tools, equipment and offerings to the collision repair industry that they feel provide notable value in fixing today’s damaged vehicles. Kye Yeung and Toby Chess purchased these tools, tested them and shared some of their favorites during the live presentation at the SCRS Open Meeting in January. SCRS encourages you to subscribe to the association’s YouTube channel SCRSCollision to be notified as new material is released. For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, please visit www.scrs.com, call toll free 1-877-841-0660 or email us at info@scrs.com.
Industry Invited To Sponsor Uniforms for Collision Education Students The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is facilitating a uniform donation program between collision repair businesses and high school and college collision repair programs for the 2018–2019 school year. Uniforms will create a more professional learning environment for students, preparing them for potential careers in the collision industry. Each local student can be sponsored for $50, which provides the student with a Cintas work shirt and pants. Businesses that sponsor more than 20 uniforms can have their corporate logo featured on a patch on the front of the uniform shirts. Students of Barry Roopnarine, a teacher in the collision program at Edison Technical High School, received donations from The Collision Centers of New York Inc. for the 2017– 2018 school year. Roopnarine said, “The sponsorship… allows the students to maintain a professional look. It also makes them aware that the collision industry is taking their education seriously, as they are the future of the industry.” Participating businesses can sponsor schools of their choice, or they can choose to be paired with a school in need by the Education Foun-
dation. The donation program can lead to long-term relationships between professionals and school programs that are preparing the next generation of collision industry employees. Madison Larson, Human Resources Representative from The Collision Centers of New York Inc., said, “As we move into 2018, it’s important to invest and encourage our next generation of technicians. These uniforms for the Thomas E. Edison auto body program allow the students to feel like they are a part of something special. It creates confidence and excitement for the program. The program is very dedicated to its students, and we are thrilled to be a part of that.” Sponsorship and donations are facilitated through the Collision Repair Education Foundation, but sponsoring businesses are invited to visit the school to meet the students and distribute the new uniforms. Roopnarine said, “Having members from the Collision Centers visit the classroom allowed students the opportunity to explore career options and gain a deeper understanding of the importance of their education.” Zachary Concepcion, a 12th grade collision student at Edison Tech-
nical High School and recipient of uniform donations in 2017, said the donation shows him and his classmates where they can find opportunities in the industry. “It gives us a reason to never be unprepared… and makes us look really professional as a class,” he said. Companies interested in sponsoring the uniform donation program through the Collision Repair Education Foundation for the 2018—2019 school year should contact Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@ed -foundation.org or 847-463-5244. Roopnarine said, “Through partnership between collision education programs and collision industry associates, it can lead to opportunities to help fill the technician shortage. Without the efforts of the Collision Repair Education Foundation, this opportunity would not have been possible as they help form a link between collision repair schools and the collision industry.”
Mike Anderson to Host Free Webinars on Locating OEM Procedures
Trainer and consultant Mike Anderson of Collision Advice will host a new series of free monthly webinars, titled “Learn to Research, Research to Learn,” throughout 2018. The webinars are designed to help shops more easily research and find OEM collision repair procedures. Most will include an automaker representative, and attendees will have an opportunity to text in questions during the live webinar, to be answered by Anderson or the OEM representative. “I’ll be focusing on a different automaker each month, and I will walk shop owners, estimators and technicians through the process of using that OEM’s specific website to locate the repair procedures, information and position statements they need,” Anderson said. Anderson has long been a proponent of shops checking OEM repair procedures for every job, and believes far too few shops are doing that. “Once you understand the automakers’ websites and begin using them, it becomes a much faster and
easier process, and these webinars will help shops do that,” he said. “Repetition is key.” The first of the free monthly webinars will focus on Toyota’s Technical Information System (TIS), and will be held at 2 p.m. (Eastern) / 11 a.m. (Pacific) on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Visit the following URL to register: http://bit.ly/2EQiDk7 Collision Advice is a full-service training and consulting firm offering collision repairers’ businesses of all sizes assistance with virtually every aspect of business management and production, including estimating, SOP development, lean principles, accounting, sales and marketing, customer service, negotiating, workforce development, websites and social marketing. Anderson and his Collision Advice team offer dozens of workshops and seminars throughout the country each year, and provide business and shop operational consulting services for individual collision repair businesses. Collision Advice also conducts quarterly “Who Pays for What?” surveys in conjunction with CRASH Network.
64 MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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Sterling McCall Toyota 800-231-1440 HOUSTON
713-270-3942 Fax M-F 7am-7pm; Sat 7am-4pm
INSIST ON GENUINE GM PARTS ONLY ORIGINAL PARTS PROTECT THE VEHICLE’S VALUE.
Call Call Any Any of of These These Wholesale Wholesale Parts Parts Dealers Dealers Below Below Arizona
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas
Chapman Chevrolet
Hudiburg Chevrolet
AutoNation Chevrolet
Mission Chevrolet
800-242-3249
915-594-7886 Fax
TEMPE
800-365-5805 480-730-6745 Fax Bill: 480-752-1620 Larry: 480-752-1621 M-F 7am - 5:30pm Sat 7:30am - 5pm
NORTH CORPUS CHRISTI
405-739-0636 Fax
361-854-0855 Fax
M-F 7am - 6pm
M-F 7am - 7pm Sat 8am - 5pm www.autonationchevrolet northcorpuschristi.com
fernie_silva@missionchevrolet.com
Kelly Grimsley Cadillac
800-995-6282
855-879-1206
M-F 7am - 7pm Sat 8am - 5pm
800-800-5963 M-F 7am - 6pm zach@hudiburg.com
Louisiana
Banner Chevrolet
800-456-4700
TULSA
NEW ORLEANS
918-828-7070 918-828-7094 Fax
504-242-4624 504-253-8490 Fax
M-F 7:30am - 6pm barry@marcmillertulsa.com
www.bannerauto.com
915-594-1700
MIDWEST CITY
Marc Miller Buick GMC
800-477-8603
EL PASO
ODESSA
432-332-0441 432-337-4807 Fax M-F 7:30am - 6pm Sat 8am - 12pm april@kellygrimsley.com
Ray Huffines Chevrolet PLANO
972-202-2300 972-596-5571 Fax
Call Us For Your Saturn Parts Also.
www.autobodynews.com | MARCH 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 65
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