Spanesi Americas Introduces FLASH Portable Pulling Column

Auotbody News

Exclusive SEMA Coverage

Built to be portable, powerful and flexible, the FLASH Portable Pulling Column was introduced by Spanesi Americas for the collision repair industry. The company showcased the patent-pending product during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV.

Timothy W. Morgan, COO of Spanesi Americas, Inc., said the FLASH is a vacuum-powered tower that uses the shop’s compressed air system (minimum of 102psi required) to create a vacuum seal to the flooring surface, delivering 550 pounds of pulling force using a heavyduty ratcheting system. The FLASH features an adjustable pulling height setup providing precise pulling for straight or down-pulling applications.

“This is a game-changer for collision repair facilities,” said Morgan. “Technicians no longer need to move the vehicle to a bench, frame rack or floor pot to perform light pulling duties on vehicles.”

With the FLASH, he said technicians have the flexibility to repair vehicles in tight spaces with the exact angles needed to remove vehicle damage. Using built-in rear wheels allows the FLASH to be relocated within the repair facility so there is no need for anchoring to floor pots or moving the vehicle to a frame rack to perform a dent pull.

“With shop footprints becoming smaller, you need to maximize space,” said Morgan. “The FLASH is easy to use and works anywhere, so it is time efficient and can help shops save costs.”

During SEMA, Spanesi Americas raffled off four FLASH portable pulling columns. The winners were Gene Lopez, Siedner’s Collision Center, CA; Manuel Lim, Fixit Auto Body, CA; Nicole Craig, Coachworks, AZ; and Daniel Trevisanutto, Half-Way Motors, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.

Spanesi Americas also displayed its award-winning TOUCH electronic measuring system, the 106EXT structural straightening bench, the MULTIBENCH single-bay repair solution, the Q5.2 three torch MIG/ MAG welding machine, and the PULL UP! repair systems for glue-based cosmetic and structural pulling.

With a range of equipment built for collision repairers, Morgan shared that in late October, Spanesi America’s received OEM certification approval from Lucid Motors. Approved Spanesi products include the 106 and 106EXT Structural Straightening Benches and the TOUCH electronic measuring system. Each piece of equipment underwent stringent reviews for data accuracy by Lucid Motors before being approved for the program.

The company is working to ensure it is at the forefront of vehicle repairs.

“We understand the importance of working closely with the auto manufacturers to be able to repair a car properly,” said Morgan.

Another development is Spanesi America’s partnership with Operative Talent. Launched this year, Operative Talent was formed to engage and attract future talent to the automotive industry. Founding partners include the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), BASF and KTL Restorations.

“Spanesi has helped spread the word about Operative Talent and they are also donating equipment to get shops involved with supporting the raffle,” said Brandon Eckenrode, CREF’s managing director. “In addition to Operative Talent, Tim and Spanesi have been long-standing CREF supporters.”

As a sponsor, Spanesi plans to raffle a measuring system and donate the money to Operative Talent. The team also hopes to bring young people into their Chicago, IL, facility and teach them how to measure vehicles and weld.

“They need hands-on experience to determine if this is the path they want to take,” said Morgan, who started in the industry when he was 14 years old and wants to encourage young people to learn about the opportunities available in the industry. “We’re really excited about being part of this initiative.

“The industry has been given a bad rap that it’s a dirty job, but it’s not,” he said. “It can be a very fulfilling career.”

For more information, visit www. spanesi-americas.com.

Members of the Spanesi Americas team included, pictured, left to right: Timothy Morgan, Jeramy Holloway, Aaron Sworden, Fred Randazzo, Robert Wells, Constantino Uliano and Karl Kirschenmen

Roseville Kia

• Dedicated Wholesale Staff • Competitive Prices • Fast Free Delivery • Large Inventory

Start something special.

AutoNation Honda

2888 Harbor Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Fax 714.436.2413 Parts: 714.434.5277

916-783-8129

www.rosevillekia.com parts@rosevillekia.com

Mon-Fri 7am-6pm Sat 8am-4pm 916.783.1005 Fax

110 Automall Drive Roseville, CA 95661

• Competitive Pricing • Free and Fast Delivery • Knowledgeable Wholesale Parts Staff • Honda Genuine Parts

The times have not been kind to the auto insurance industry.

The volume of vehicle collisions is returning to pre-pandemic levels and, when combined with all-time-high repair costs, historic backlogs in repair shops and limited replacement parts availability, it is costlier and more time-consuming than ever to get customers’ vehicles back on the road after a collision.

The J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, released Oct. 27, adds another dour fact to the mix: customer satisfaction has declined 7 points (on a 1,000-point scale) from 2021 as customers start to lose patience with the claims process.

“Insurers are in a tight spot with their own profitability strained and a host of external factors causing their customers to grow increasingly disillusioned with the entire claims experience,” said Mark Garrett, director of global insurance intelligence at J.D. Power. “The best way forward is for insurers to start focusing on carefully managing customers’ expectations and finetuning their digital engagement strategies to shepherd their customers through the process.

“There is one bright spot in the study: insurers that focused on managing timing expectations, were quickly available and responsive to customers and that provided multiple digital options for status updates were able to outperform the industry—with some even improving year over year,” Garrett said.

Key Findings Of The 2022 Study

Historically slow repair process drags on customer satisfaction: Overall satisfaction with the auto insurance claims process this year falls 7 points to 873. While satisfaction is down across nearly all factors in the study, satisfaction with the repair process registers a 9-point year-over-year decline.

This year marks the first time a majority of customers cited supply chain issues such as waiting for parts on order and repair shop backlog as reasons for delays in getting their vehicle back on the road. The average repair cycle time is nearly 17 days, compared with a prepandemic average of about 12 days.

Expectation management becomes key to customer satisfaction: The average overall satisfaction score among customers experiencing a repair cycle time greater than three weeks is 837. That score jumps 71 points to 908 when customers are provided with an accurate time estimate beforehand.

Being empathetic throughout

the process is key, especially for the longer-tailed claims that can create more effort for customers who have questions, need updates and are trying to determine next steps.

Claims servicing is not one size fits all: Rising repair costs are challenging insurers’ profitability, so pressure is mounting to better manage expenses.

This puts the focus on digital channels as a critical tool for efficiently managing customer relationships, but not all customers want to use such channels. In fact, 34% of customers say they have a stronger preference for working with people than using digital contact.

These customers also have a notably worse claims experience, as satisfaction is 31 points lower than among those who are equally comfortable with both people and digital as contact channels.

Getting digital formula just right is critical, but not easy: Not all digital experiences are created equal. When digital is used for delivering status updates, overall satisfaction rises 56 points, with those using text messaging having the highest levels of satisfaction. However, when digital is used to report first notice of loss (FNOL) via the internet or mobile app, overall satisfaction falls 4 points.

Right hand, meet left hand: A common complaint about the auto insurance claims process is the need to repeatedly provide the same information to different people at various points in the process. Overall satisfaction scores are lowest (840)

when customers interact with three or more representatives during the claims process---a decline of 13 points from a year ago.

Scores are highest (912)---and have held steady year over year— when the insurer uses straightthrough-processing technology to automatically approve and route the claim.

Credit: Shutterstock

Finish It Like a Masterpiece with

GENUINE PARTS

The Dealers Below Are Mercedes-Benz Genuine Parts Specialists:

CALIFORNIA Mercedes-Benz of Valencia Valencia 661-753-5526

661-753-5525 Fax

M-F 8am - 5pm

FREE 4x Monthly E-Newsletter. Subscribe Today!

josh.henderson@mbzvalencia. com Study Ranking

Amica Mutual ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction with a score of 903. NJM Insurance Co. (896) ranks second and Erie Insurance (893) ranks third.

The redesigned 2022 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 8,239 auto insurance customers who settled a claim within the past six months prior to participating in the survey. The study excludes claimants whose vehicle incurred only glass/ windshield damage or was stolen, or who only filed a roadside assistance claim. The study was fielded from November 2021 through September 2022.

For more information about the U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/ resource/jd-power-us-auto-claimssatisfaction-study.

— Source: J.D. Power

The Right PARTS. A PERFECT Fit.

Order Genuine Mazda Parts From These Parts Specialists in Your Area.

SO. CALIFORNIA

Galpin Mazda

Van Nuys 818-778-2005 Fax 818-778-2090

www.galpin.com