F E N D E R B E N D E R . C O M / M AY 2 0 2 0
COVID-19’S INDUSTRY IMPACT
PAGE 20
RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING WORK
Strategies & Inspiration for Collision Repair Success
PAGE 45
SLOW-TIME SURVIVAL SECRETS
Future Forward At his three Maaco shops, Ivan Montoya is dedicated to training the next generation of employees.
PAGE 46
STRENGTH FINDER HOW TO MOTIVATE, PUSH AND RETAIN YOUR TEAM PAGE 32
DEFINE YOUR SHOP’S NEXT CHAPTER May 2020 | fenderbender.com P A G1 E 3 8
BUILT TO HELP YOU ACCESS OEM PARTS CollisionLink® Shop was created to help facilitate the purchase of OEM collision parts for all automotive makes and models by connecting dealerships with shops. And it does not stop there. Collision Vision, a new OEC initiative, makes CollisionLink Shop better than ever. We have quite a few enhancements in the works, so stay tuned for some exciting new features. HERE ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT’S TO COME: OEM DISCOUNT PRICING UPFRONT AND QUOTE TO ORDER Expedite your ordering process by eliminating the back and forth negotiation between you and the dealer PATENTED PARTS NOTIFICATIONS Notifies you if a part you are ordering is violating an OEM patent VIN VERIFICATION Flagging of incorrect parts helping you avoid ordering wrong parts CATALOG ACCESS See all the parts you need directly from OEM Catalogs available in CollisionLink (participating OEMs only) DEALER INVENTORY Notifications of parts not in stock to help you save time We want your feedback on the upcoming changes, so visit OEConnection.com/CollisionVision and join our Collision Vision Council! All Collision Vision Council Ambassadors will be a featured shop in one of our ads!
CollisionLinkShop.com 2 fenderbender.com | May 2020
THERE ARE NO SUBSTITUTES.
Many imitation parts have fit problems, ranging from twisted metal and misaligned mounting holes to major gap variances. Don’t settle for imitation, give your customers the real deal.
FOR MAXIMUM QUALITY AT COMPETITIVE PRICES, CONTACT AN AUTHORIZED MITSUBISHI DEALER TODAY.
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may
05.20 / VOLUME 22 / NUMBER 05
Finding a Way Amid tragic circumstances, Marvic Vila (left) became a shop leader. She survived a lack of experience due to boundless determination.
F E AT U R E
PROFILE
C A SE STU DY
S H O P TA L K
32
38
50
58
One California shop owner devoted an entire shop to ADAS repairs and quickly profited.
Bondurant Auto Body stays top of mind for customers with creative marketing videos.
BY MELISSA STEINKEN
BY MELISSA STEINKEN
MASTER MOTIVATORS The keys to pushing your shop staff to another level and attaining buy-in in the process.
OMAR ASSEF
BY KELLY BEATON
SOLDIER ON Frequent training helped one grief-stricken shop owner find a way to survive and thrive. BY MELISSA STEINKEN
FACILITY OF THE FUTURE?
CORNERING THE MARKET
Printed in the U.S.A. COPYRIGHT ©2020 BY 10 Missions Media LLC. All rights reserved. FenderBender (ISSN 1937-7150) is published monthly by 10 Missions Media, LLC, 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104. FenderBender content may not be photocopied, reproduced or redistributed without the consent of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTERS Send address changes to: FenderBender, 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104. May 2020 | fenderbender.com 5
TAB LE OF CONTENTS
MAY
QUICK FIX
11
20
26
Achieving work-life balance
How to capitalize on the CARES Act
Basin Collision Repair
12
23
29
Does hands-on leadership pay off?
Lead confidently during COVID-19 pandemic
Embrace learning during downtime
PAST THE PAGE
ANALYSIS
NUMBERS
VIEWPOINT
15
Efficient Shop Floor At Basin Collision Repair in Utah, the shop floor is configured to efficiently handle fasttrack repair work.
The merits of digitial vehicle identification
26
Business loans built for auto body shops Get funds in as fast as 24 hours
Your go-to for small business loans Term loans $5k–$500k and lines of credit $6k–$100k Visit ondeck.com/fender or call us at 800-226-6748 6 fenderbender.com | May 2020
Loans subject to lender approval. Depending on the state where your business is located and other attributes of the loan, your business loan may be issued by Celtic Bank, a Utah-Chartered Industrial Bank, Member FDIC. Your loan agreement will identify the loan issuer prior to your signing. OnDeck® is a Registered Trademark. All rights reserved. 1400 Broadway, New York, New York.
COURTESY BASIN COLLISION REPAIR
Shift your mindset during virus crisis
BY KEVIN RAINS
ADAPT
Breaking up shop floor bottlenecks
DRIVER'S SEAT
THE BIG IDEA
25
AWARDS INSIGHT
17
SNAP SHOP
S T R AT E G Y
45
IDEA SHOP Increase morale with positive feedback
46
FINANCE+ OPERATIONS Boost revenue by refurbishing and selling rentals
49
PROCESS DRIVEN
54
62
SALES+ MARKETING
UPDATE Bounce back from declared disasters
The secrets to creating captivating social media marketing videos
72
OUTSIDE THE LINES Survive the virus outbreak with prudent spending
56
IN THE TRENCHES Manage your time effectively and get things done
BY JASON BOGGS
BY STEVE MORRIS
Tips for meeting customer demands
54
GET T Y IMAGES
BY RYAN CROPPER
Is your plastic welder gathering dust?
The experts at Polyvance can help. ®
TRAINING • SUPPLIES • TOOLS • FILLERS • PRIMERS • EVERYTHING FOR PLASTIC
Call us at 800-633-3047 or visit polyvance.com May 2020 | fenderbender.com 7
TAB LE OF CONTENTS
ONLINE EXTRAS
CLICK ON THE LOGO BELOW FOR PRODUCT INFORMATION
ADAPT
FenderBender Managment Conference
2020
LAUNCH Tech USA
OEConnection
PPG
TECH USA
AUTEL
Hunter Engineering
LKQ Corporation
OnDeck
ProSpot
Auto Job Central
I-CAR
Matrix Electronic Measuring
Opus IVS
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes
BASF
Intrepid Direct Insurance
Mitsubishi
Podium
Spanesi Americas
Polyvance
TechForce Foundation
CAPA
8 fenderbender.com | May 2020
EDITORIAL Bryce Evans Vice President, Content and Events Anna Zeck Editorial Director Kelly Beaton Associate Editor Melissa Steinken Staff Writer Miranda Jama Marketing Services Manager
COLLISION
Nora Johnson Special Projects Editor Jordan Wiklund Special Projects Editor
C A S T
Gabe Holzmer Editorial Intern Courtney Welu Editorial Intern Jason Boggs Contributing Writer Ryan Cropper Contributing Writer Steve Morris Contributing Writer Kevin Rains Contributing Writer
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jason Boggs Boggs Auto Collision Rebuilders Ryan Hillenbrand Urb’s Garage and Collision Center
FenderBender’s
PODCAST NETWORK
Jesse Jacobson Heppner’s Auto Body Tiffany Menefee Pronto Body Shop Bob Pearson Pearson Auto Body Louie Sharp Sharp Auto Body Doug Voelzke Doug’s Custom Paint and Body
ART AND PRODUCTION
SERIES WITH NEW EPISODES EACH MONTH. Explore the industry’s biggest trends & most pressing topics.
Zach Pate Art Director Mitch Bradford Graphic Designer Morgan Glisczinski Graphic Designer Fue Vang Graphic Designer Lauren Coleman Production Artist
SALES Chris Messer Vice President and Publisher 651.846.9462 / cmesser@10missions.com Andrew Johnson Associate Publisher
ADVANCE.
651.846.9459 / ajohnson@10missions.com Nathan Smock Marketing Strategist 651.846.9452 / nsmock@10missions.com Ross Kirgiss Regional Advertising Sales 651.846.9485 / rkirgiss@10missions.com Shayna Smith Customer Success Representative 651.846.9460 / ssmith@10missions.com Jen George Client Service Specialist 651.846.9465 / jgeorge@10missions.com
10 MISSIONS MEDIA Jay DeWitt President Mariah Straub General Manager and Production Manager Meghann Moore Bookkeeper and Client Service Specialist Katie Cornet Event Coordinator Tiffany Fowler Senior Digital Media Strategist Kasey Lanenberg Marketing Communications Specialist Corey Steinhoff Administrative Assistant
DISRUPT. HOW I DID IT. MSO PODCAST. VISION.
HOW TO REACH US 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104 tel 651.224.6207 fax 651.224.6212 web 10missions.com The annual subscription rate is $72 (U.S.A. only) for companies not qualified to receive complimentary copies of FenderBender. BACK ISSUES Past issue single copies are $8. Go to fenderbender.com/backissues LETTERS TO THE EDITOR editor@fenderbender.com ARTICLE REPRINTS For high-quality reprints or e-prints of articles in this issue call 651.846.9488 or email reprints@fenderbender.com. Opinions expressed in FenderBender are not necessarily those of 10 Missions Media, and 10 Missions Media does not accept responsibility for advertising content.
LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE SEARCH “COLLISIONCAST” IN APPS FOR APPLE AND ANDROID
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10 fenderbender.com | May 2020
PAST THE PAGE DISCUSSIONS, FEEDBACK, CONTENT AND MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB
IN FULL VIEW
CHECK OUT VIDEO INTERVIEWS Each month, FenderBender produces an Interview Series video that often provides tips from experts on how to navigate life as a shop leader. A recent video included tips for achieving work-life balance from expert Craig Goldblatt, who has advised major corporations like Microsoft. One key, Goldblatt says, is to carve out time each day to relax. Find the FenderBender Interview Series videos online, at fenderbender.com/ topics/615-videos.
GETTY IMAGES
CORRECTIONS
In its April issue, FenderBender misspelled the name of Ron Zappetillo in a portion of the Awards Insight article and also incorrectly noted his home town. Zappetillo, area manager of operations for CARSTAR, is from Lakeville, Minn. Also, in an April profile story, FenderBender presented the name of a repair facility inconsistently; the shop’s correct name is Don’s Auto Body. FenderBender regrets the aforementioned errors.
COVID-19 Resources FenderBender has created a web page to provide shop owners with resources that can aid their business during the coronavirus pandemic. To access countless coronavirusrelated articles, videos, podcasts and webinars that can help break down issues like an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), visit fenderbender.com/COVID19help.
JOIN US ONLINE fenderbender.com fenderbender.com/facebook twitter.com/fenderbendermag fenderbender.com/linkedin instagram.com/fenderbendermag
May 2020 | fenderbender.com 11
BY THE NUMBERS THE TOPIC S, TRENDS AND METRIC S DRIVING YOUR OPER ATION
DOES WORKING HANDS-ON PAY OFF? The 2019 FenderBender Industry Survey suggests that it’s becoming increasingly rare for shop owners to work, hands-on, repairing vehicles on a daily basis. Consider: In 2019, just 19 percent of survey respondents said they work hands-on “everyday”; one year earlier, that number was slightly more than 23 percent. And, 2019 survey statistics certainly suggest that shop owners that said they “never” work hands-on in the shop tend to have higher annual revenues and customer service scores. Here’s a closer examination of the numbers.
FREQUENCY WORKING HANDS-ON IN SHOP 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Never (37% of respondents)
Occasionally (44%)
Every Day (19%) CYCLE TIME OF 7 DAYS OR LESS
CSI OF 90%+
LEARN MORE
A while back, FenderBender wrote an extensive article looking at one Pennsylvania shop owner that, early in his career, often worked 100 hours per week in his shop. Eventually, though, he learned the value of working on his business rather than being buried in it. Find the article at fenderbender.com/handson.
12 fenderbender.com | May 2020
GETTY IMAGES, STAFF GRAPHIC
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May 2020 | fenderbender.com 13
E M B RAC E T E C H N O LO GY. G R OW YO U R B U S I N E S S . OW N YO U R F U T U R E .
Automotive Technology Summit DECEMBER 6-8 • NASHVILLE
BRINGING YOU THE LATEST TRENDS IN ADVANCED VEHICLE DESIGN, WITH PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS LED BY SOME OF THE INDUSTRY’S FOREMOST LEADERS, INCLUDING:
CHRIS CHESNEY
DONNY SEYFER
JOHN SWEIGART
Senior Director of Customer Training, CARQUEST Technical Institute (CTI)
Co-owner, Seyfer Automotive Inc.
Senior Director, Head of National Service Network, LYFT
Leading Expert in: Shop Operations, Customer Service, Technology Trends, Industry Insight
Leading Expert in: Automotive Technology, Technology Trends, The Future of the Industry
Leading Expert in: Lean Operations and Principles, The Future of the Industry
BE AMONG THE FIRST TO KNOW OF IMPORTANT UPDATES:
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14 fenderbender.com | May 2020
T R
AWARDS CO
LLI
AI
OWNER JOE’S COLLISION REPAIR LONDON, KY.
FINES HE
IN
JOSEPH MAGGARD—
T
AWARDS NOMINEE:
AWARDS INSIGHT
P SION RE
Nominate Today
FenderBender Awards Insights feature past FenderBender Award nominees. To nominate an inspiring collision repair professional, or for more information, go to fenderbender.com/awards.
Tips for Avoiding Shop Bottlenecks B Y K E L LY B E AT O N
Earlier in his career, bottlenecks were the bane of Joseph Maggard’s existence. These days, however, he largely avoids them, as the owner of Joe’s Collision Repair, in London, Ky. “Bottlenecks come with a price to pay: the person that runs the place has to stay late,” Maggard says with a laugh. “So, you try to eliminate them from happening, unless you don’t like going home.” Working efficiently is a must when you run a shop with a small staff like Maggard, a veteran of three decades working in collision repair. He’s the only full-time painter at the southeast Kentucky shop, which has four total employees and does approximately $40,000 per month in gross sales. “One time I worked in a shop where it was like everybody’s goal was to go against the next guy,” Maggard says. “That creates a bad problem. You need everybody on the same page. If we’re fixing a spot the size of a quarter, don’t make a primer spot 8 inches around just for that little spot. … You need everyone looking ahead at jobs.” Maggard, who has won awards for his work on restored vehicles like 1956 Chevrolets, has developed a few proven methods for sidestepping bottlenecks at his shop. Here’s his advice for avoiding shop floor constraints.
COURTESY JOSEPH MAGGARD
Schedule with your head, not heart.
At Maggard’s shop, he tries to schedule repairs in a manner that provides a consistent flow of work throughout his facility, and that also provides his staff with at least a bit of wiggle room. “You don’t want to schedule more than you think you can handle,” the shop owner says. “Because, you might think you’ve got yourself a balanced schedule for the week, but lots of times there will be two more people that come in, wanting repairs done. … And, when you’re a shop that does warranty work for dealerships, drop-offs sometimes come in unexpected. So, always leave a little bit of room so you can adjust the workload.” At his 5,000-square-foot Kentucky facility, Maggard typically schedules in a manner that allows 3–5 days per vehicle. He also schedules in a manner that rarely leaves the vehicles on site untouched for a full day. “That way,” he explains, “nobody
feels like they’re being put to the side. You shouldn’t make any customer feel like they’re playing second fiddle. Everybody should think, ‘My car’s being worked on first.”
Maintain constant communication.
Over the course of his career, Maggard has learned the importance of doing repair work right the first time. As a result, he takes several steps to ensure that his staff can avoid costly delays. For example, he often double orders parts if he fears there’s a chance a hood or fender might come in incorrectly, and he instructs his staff to have parts prepped in advance of scheduled repairs. He’s also an ardent believer in making sure his staff gets a clear explanation of what’s expected of them for each repair, via thorough worksheets, estimates and dry-erase boards. For example, his instructions for his part-time painter typically note what a vehicle requires with
regard to mix of paint, clear, and which vehicles need to be in the paint line for the day. Maggard stresses the importance of having his staff members maintain an open line of communication during the repair process. “The worst thing you can do is have a vehicle that you think is ready, taped up, and in the booth,” he says, “and you find out you’ve got to go back and re-do stuff like sanding edges.”
Lay down the law.
These days, the root of many body shop constraints is having a staff member who’s addicted to their cell phone, Maggard says. And, because that makes for occasional battles at his facility, the shop owner doesn’t hesitate to send an eyeopening message on occasion. Maggard will occasionally send an employee home for the day if they’re causing delays because they just can’t pull themselves away from social media or YouTube. “That’s how you get bottlenecks, is having guys not staying focused or staying busy, because they’re watching videos,” Maggard says. “One time I counted an (employee) stopping work 39 times in a little over an hour to get back on the phone, texting.” When an employee causes bottlenecks due to carelessness like that, Maggard feels shop owners need to be authoritative. He even fired one employee in recent years, due to chronic smartphone use on the shop floor. Frequent cell phone use, Maggard says, “is the worst workforce problem I see right now.” May 2020 | fenderbender.com 15
A SYSTEM
REBORN with ever ything you asked for in a ref inish system–color consistency and tools.
M AV ERICK APPROV ED . REQUES T A DEMO, V ISI T M AT R I X S Y S T E M . C O M
16 fenderbender.com | May 2020
DRIVER ' S SE AT
Mindset Shift Why we need strong leaders more than ever right now How are you? No, really, how are you? First and foremost, I hope
everyone reading is safe and healthy. To say it’s been a surreal couple of months is an understatement. Despite the designation as an “essential business,” I can safely say that there’s nothing business as usual about these times. I’ve said it before, but it truly bears repeating, that FenderBender’s sole mission is to be a helpful resource for the strategies you need to improve your business. As we get through this situation together, please do not hesitate to reach out at any time. Although this issue is not COVID-19 themed in nature, I hope that you will find applicable strategies and ideas in many of the stories. For example, our main feature this month, “How I Did It,” looks at four shop operators that have risen through challenging circumstances to find incredible success as business owners. In our strategy section, there are great articles about choosing creative content for social media videos; refurbishing and selling rental vehicles to survive slow times; and how to recognize outstanding work. And, of course, the situation was top-of-mind for all of our columnists this month. What I hope this issue—and our content on fenderbender.com— provides for you during this time is what I like to call “an island of sanity.” There’s plenty of fear and doom-and-gloom to go around; and while it’s understandable, it’s not exactly helpful. More than ever, we need to be a stable, grounding force not only for our businesses and the industry, but for our people, too. Recently, I had the pleasure of talking with Collision Advice owner Mike Anderson and FenderBender columnist Jason Boggs for a panel discussion, and what struck me most was how optimistic they both were. They both truly believe that not only will this industry survive COVID-19, but that we will also be better off after. Mike even joked, “There’s a saying, ‘If this is the end of the world, there’ll be two things left: cockroaches and body shops.’” While I wouldn’t want to be stuck with cockroaches, I certainly wouldn’t mind being stuck with body shops. In my very first editor’s letter for FenderBender, I wrote that the “ingenuity and resourcefulness is one of my favorite parts of covering this industry, and it never ceases to inspire me.” I stand by that, and I look forward to witnessing this industry’s ability to rise above current circumstances.
ANNA ZECK EDITORIAL DIRECTOR a z e c k @10 m i s s i o n s .c o m
May 2020 | fenderbender.com 17
18 fenderbender.com | May 2020
QUICK FIX NEWS
|
IDEAS
|
PEOPLE
|
TRENDS
Sign of Change Basin Collision Repair in Utah used a location change as the perfect opportunity to invest in new, bolder signage that helped rebrand the shop.
ANALYSIS VIEWPOINT LIGHT HITS
COURTESY BASIN COLLISION REPAIR
SNAP SHOP
SN A P SHOP
26 May 2020 | fenderbender.com 19
QUICK FIX
ANALYSIS
BREAKING DOWN CORONAVIRUS-RELATED LOAN OPTIONS
A U.S. congressman explains why it’s important for shop owners to act quickly when applying for loans B Y K E L LY B E AT O N 20 fenderbender.com | May 2020
Buddy Carter didn’t mince words.
“Uncharted waters is what we’re in right now,” the Republican Congressman said during a recent webinar hosted by the Automotive Service Association. The United States has never faced an obstacle quite like the coronavirus outbreak, Carter noted. So he can empathize with business owners like those that operate body shops. “This has never happened to any of us before,” Carter said. “And a lot of business owners, particularly small
GETT Y IMAGES
businesses along with loan forgiveness programs. In late April, an additional, $500-billion coronavirus relief bill was agreed to by Congress and President Donald Trump that was designed to further aid small businesses. Now, in May, the fact remains: body shop owners need to maintain consistent communication with lenders so they can get their business the financial aid it needs. “Hopefully we have given [small business owners] some reason for optimism in passing the coronavirus relief package,” said Carter, a Republican representing Georgia’s 1st congressional district. “We’re trying to make sure that the employee-employer relationship remains there.” The third coronavirus stimulus package included two key elements: the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). Meanwhile, another lending option is now being recommended by some financial experts: the Main Street Lending Program. Here’s a breakdown of those programs:
business owners, there’s a lot of uncertainty as to what the future holds for them. They don’t know whether they’re going to continue to be viable.” Fortunately, Carter’s meeting with the media that day wasn’t all doom and gloom. He was there to offer advice. Carter specifically discussed the U.S.’s third coronavirus stimulus package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion dollar program that included increased funding and relief for small
The PPP: The Paycheck Protection Program was created to help small businesses pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis, though PPP relief money initially ran out by mid April, less than two weeks after the application process opened. The PPP was set up as such: The program’s loan amounts will be forgiven, as long as the loan proceeds are used to cover payroll costs, and most mortgage interest, rent, and utility costs over the 8-week period after the loan was made; and employee and compensation levels were maintained. Payroll costs are capped at $100,000 on an annualized basis for each employee, and the associated loan payments will be deferred for 6 months. The late-April agreement between Congress and the President earmarked $331 billion to boost the small business payroll loan program (for more information, visit sba.gov). “We’ve found that local and community banks are the best option when it comes to PPP loans,” said Brad Mewes, a financial consultant who recently launched COVID19loans.org. “The bigger banks have had challenges quickly processing applications where the smaller local banks are making huge efforts for account holders.”
The EIDL: The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program is meant to aid businesses that suffer substantial economic injury as a result of a declared disaster, regardless of whether the applicant sustained physical damage. An EIDL permits businesses to maintain a reasonable working capital position during the period affected by disaster. An EIDL does not, however, replace lost sales or revenue. Some business owners applied for the EIDL in recent weeks but reported delays. According to a report by geekwire.com, the delays were due in part to capacity; the SBA facilitated 63,000 loans worth approximately $28 billion in the entire fiscal year 2019. Now the organization is attempting to lend at least nine times that amount in the span of mere weeks. A new stimulus deal is expected to add $60 billion to the EIDL. More information about EIDLs can be found by visiting diasterloan.sba.gov. Main Street Lending Program: This Federal Reserve utility has been bolstered in response to coronavirus. Banks will make loans to eligible small and medium-sized businesses and the Fed will then purchase 95 percent of the loan via a special-purpose vehicle, according to a Reuters report. “The new Main Street loan program allows for loans up to $25 million for a 4-year term and an adjustable rate, which will range from 2.6 percent to 4.6 percent,” explained Stuart Sorkin, founder of business consulting firm The Business and Legal Advisors. If shop owners are running into issues with lending, ASA executive director Ray Fisher encouraged members to reach out to the organization’s leaders so they can provide assistance. And Fisher, as well as Carter, emphasized that now is the time for shop owners to leave their egos at their doorstep and accept assistance. The aforementioned business loans, Carter noted, “give us the opportunity to get money into the hands of small businesses so that they can stay liquid. This is not a bailout. … I know your employees are so important to you, and you want to keep those employees. And we’re trying to keep them on your payroll.” May 2020 | fenderbender.com 21
Let talent shine.
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22 fenderbender.com | May 2020
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QUICK FIX
VIEWPOINT
LEAD WITH HOPE
Tips for leading your shop confidently amid the COVID-19 outbreak BY TESS COLLINS
Dave Schedin CEO CompuTrek Automotive Solutions
The COVID-19 outbreak is being felt far and wide. The need to close down businesses and create social distancing will change the economy for the foreseeable future. Small business owners are some of the most vulnerable to this. “Every business is going through this,” says Dave Schedin, CEO of CompuTrek Automotive Solutions, a coaching company for the automotive industry specializing in cash flow. Although it may seem bleak at the moment, body shops may actually have an advantage. While many small businesses had to or continue to be shut down, auto repair shops have been deemed “essential businesses” in many areas of the U.S., allowing them to stay open. In order to come out of this in the best way possible—and learn a valuable lesson for the future—Schedin shares his tips on how body shop owners should go about handling relationships with staff members, customers and vendors.
No. 1, shop owners need to make sure their team feels safe. Not just from the coronavirus—safe in the longevity of their job. Speak hope into people. Leaders need to create a clear plan of what he or she is doing to handle the current situation and communicate what they’ve done in precaution already. Daily meetings are a great idea. Even more than one per day. Don’t let unspoken thoughts not be spoken. Check in with your employees and let them know what’s going on. It’s important to let them know the financial stability of the company. If you don’t have cash reserves, it can be a challenge.
from everyone. Communicate the importance of banding together. Let your employees know that everyone is impacted by this, so if they’re thinking of going somewhere else, chances are that other places are not hiring. As a leader, you need to put a plan in place and the truth is, it’s going to be difficult. Many shops will have to cut wages. Rotational schedules and reduced salaries and wages will help, in some cases, keep the doors of a shop open, so communicate that to your employees. We need to make sure everyone’s core livelihood is protected, even if that means dropping employees down to part time. Owners can’t be afraid to spell the truth out. If we band together, we have a better chance of surviving and coming out the other side.
What should you do if you’re not financially stable?
If business is slow, what should shop owners do to keep businesses afloat?
You can still build hope—but you need help
If you’re slow, now is the time to take
GET T Y IMAGES
How should you approach difficult conversations with your employees when they’re unsure about the company’s future?
advantage of training. Now is the time to upgrade and start servicing hybrids. Get your people trained. This way, when things get back to normal, your staff can perform on higher levels. Another piece of advice that will help get customers in and hopefully prevent layoffs is get customers through the door. You can have someone work remotely and call customers. Get on the phone and go after your database like you never have before. Say, before all of this, you were closing 10–12 cars per day and now you’re closing 4–5. With some phone calls, you could bring it up to 6–8, which can make a huge difference. Now is also a great time to make updates to your shop or equipment. If you’ve always wanted to paint, pay your staff to paint rather than paying a company. Make sure that when it is business as usual, you’re ready to go full force. What about customers? How can shop owners reassure them and get them to continue to come to their business?
By this time, everyone has heard the same message over and over. Keep a fresh perspective and reach out to customers. Remind them that you’re still there for them without making a sales pitch. Businesses should reach out and explain what they are doing to ensure their safety. For example, offering pick-up and drop-off delivery, no-touch payment and authorizations and no-touch key drop boxes, to name a few. Also, find a way to differentiate. One shop I work with, when they pick up a vehicle, they’re also offering to fill the customer’s car up with gas. It’s the customer’s money, but they’re making it so the customer has one less place to go and preventing them from going out when they may feel unsafe. Is there anyone else shop owners should reach out to?
One of the most forgotten about is vendors. Have clear communication with your vendors. Many shops may need an extension to pay bills. Start having these conversations early about how to extend due times. Ask for price breaks. Let them know that you’ll stick with them, but you need to work out a plan. May 2020 | fenderbender.com 23
2018 ADMIN SUPPORT
Cynthia Varnell
GUSTAFSON BROTHERS INC. • HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA
OWNER/EXECUTIVE ADMIN SUPPORT MANAGER SHOP WORKER WILD CARD
NOMINATE YOUR PEERS BEFORE JUNE 1! Take time to recognize those who are hardworking and dedicated to improving the industry by nominating them for the highest awards in collision repair: the 2020 FenderBender Awards.
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K E Y I N S I G H TS , TR E N DS A N D S TR ATEG I E S F O R TO M O R ROW ’ S I N D U S TRY—TO DAY A D A P TA U T O M O T I V E . C O M
A D A P TA U T O M O T I V E . C O M / F A C E B O O K
T W IT TE R .CO M /A DA P T_ AUTO M OTI V E
ADAPT Podcast Check out the growing list of episodes on the ADAPT Podcast. In one recent episode, Automotive Service Association’s Bob Redding lays out the need for vehicle data regulations, as well as the laws of OEM repair procedures. In another episode, collision shop owners Kye Yeung and Mark Olson give tips and tricks that any shop owner needs to know about taking their shop further into the 21st century.
BLOCKCHAIN’S HORIZON
adaptautomotive.com/podcasts
GETTY IMAGES
ADAPT produced two stories that explored the potential for blockchain technology in the automotive industry. One area that’s already getting traction is the digital vehicle identification, which would change the way shops interact with vehicles. Lucy Hakobyan, head of program at the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative (MOBI), has been working with tech and automotive stakeholders to develop standards around this idea. “We are exploring the lifetime events that will become part of the vehicle identity,” Hakobyan says. “That includes repairs that are made. That includes part replacements, accidents and claims. And repair shops are one of the stakeholders in this ecosystem, and potentially one of the adopters of blockchain technology going forward and enabling, really, the concept of vehicle identity.” Developing the standard means that there will have to be an agreed format for how shops enter data, how parts are logged, whether or not the reason for a repair is logged, et cetera. That way, the vehicle identity is consistent and easier to use no matter who is working on the vehicle. To learn more, head to adaptautomotive.com/blockchain.
DECEMBER 6-8 NASHVILLE, TENN.
ADAPT Trend Report Head to the ADAPT website to sign up for the ADAPT Trend Report newsletter to have the latest news, strategies and transportation trends sent to your inbox every week. adaptautomotive.com/newsletter
Registration and hotel accommodations are now open for The ADAPT: Automotive Technology Summit. The full two-and-a-halfday schedule is available at adaptsummit.com.
May 2020 | fenderbender.com 25
QUICK FIX
SNAP SHOP
BASIN COLLISION REPAIR
1
BY KELLY BEATON PHOTOS COURTESY OF BASIN COLLISION REPAIR LOCATION:
Vernal, Utah OWNER:
Roger Hutcheon SIZE:
3
11,300 square feet STAFF:
12 (1 owner, 1 estimator/manager, 1 office manager/accountant, 2 detailers, 3 painters, 4 body technicians) AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT:
114
ANNUAL REVENUE:
$3.2 million
1. IMMACULATE LANDSCAPING Those driving past the edge of town in Vernal, Utah, are likely to take note of Basin Collision Repair. For starters, a longtime lot tech maintains its landscaping religiously, trimming bushes, and mowing the lawn. The main motivation for the manicured landscaping is Hutcheon’s desire to alter the image of gritty, industrial repair facilities. “We just didn’t want it to look like the general view of a body shop,” notes
26 fenderbender.com | May 2020
Hutcheon, who has owned the Utah shop since 2008.
2. RUSTIC STONEWORK When Basin Collision Repair moved to its current facility in 2013, Hutcheon invested $13,000 in stone masonry work on the outside of his facility’s office area in an effort to help the shop fit in to its residential surroundings. He also wanted his shop to look presentable for the long run.
“I didn’t want anything that would deteriorate over time,” Hutcheon says in reference to the stone work. “I actually bought an old house, tore it down, and built this facility where it was at. And it has worked out fantastically,” adds Hutcheon, whose business garners 4.8star reviews on Google.
3. SLEEK SIGNAGE To prove he planned to run his business for the long haul, Hutcheon made a
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4
long-distance request to a sign company in Salt Lake City, approximately 200 miles away. After a slew of emailed rough drafts, graphic art and sketches from the folks at Impact Signs in Salt Lake City, Hutcheon had a nearly $15,000 sign that was the envy of the competition in his town of 20,000. Hutcheon took the shop’s longtime color scheme and brightened it ever so slightly to blend in with his building’s partially stone facade.
4. EFFICIENT SHOP FLOOR Earlier in his career, Hutcheon always felt it was inefficient for shops to feature traditional layouts that required employees to shuffle vehicles in and out of the shop at various stages of the repair process. So, when Basin Collision Repair moved to its new location, Hutcheon configured the shop floor with lean, efficient philosophies in mind. Now, the facility’s paint booth is confined to a corner of the building. Fast-
track repair work occurs on the middle of the shop floor, and vehicles are driven directly into the detail bay, while nondriveable repairs have dedicated stalls. “You’re not driving vehicles in and out, backing them outside” now, notes Hutcheon, whose shop produces a 5.7-day cycle time. “It’s for the comfort of the techs, because it’s hard to cool a 10,000-pound truck down when it’s 100 degrees, and it’s hard to heat them when they’re 10 degrees. And, happy techs are efficient techs.”
May 2020 | fenderbender.com 27
CARES During these unprecedented times of need, it’s important to remember to give. Spanesi Americas supports the Collision Industry Foundation and challenges each of you to give a tax deductible donation to the Collision Industry Foundation. Please visit the Collision Industry Foundation website www.collisionindustryfoundation.org to donate today. Together, we can all answer the call.
We Answer The Call Spanesi Americas, Inc. 123 Ambassador Dr. STE 107 28 fenderbender.com | May 2020 Naperville, IL 60540
2 2 4 - S PA N E S I (224-772-6374)
spanesi.com www.facebook.com/spanesigroup
COLUMNS
THE BIG IDEA KEVIN RAINS
Time to Learn
Rapid learning for competitive advantage
MICHAEL HOEWELER, GETTY IMAGES
At the time of this writing, we find
ourselves right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Large scale changes have hit our nation and small businesses like ours have been deeply affected. Even though auto body is considered an “essential business,” that certainly does not mean it’s business as usual. Our car count is down by 50 percent. We have furloughed over half of our workforce. Several members of our leadership team who are not in direction operations are working from home full-time now. These are massive, unpredicted shifts. All our grand plans for 2020 are now either on hold or discarded. Now we pivot plans and tactics constantly to meet the ever-evolving challenges, while still holding as best we can to the strategies, tactics and culture that got us this far. Last week, I attended a COVID-19 response webinar with business coach Shawn Lovejoy. He said there are five things leaders need to do to navigate times of uncertainty. He reminded us that leaders must provide hope to their teams; provide value to their customers; pivot toward new opportunities; get healthy by working on, and not just in, the business; and learn. I want to dig a little deeper on that last one: learning. Most states by now have orders in place for their residents to stay at home unless they absolutely must leave for groceries, medicine, or another essential service. What this
means for me and likely most of you is loads of extra time at home. What a great opportunity to really dig in and learn a new skill! For many, this will be a skill that could greatly enhance their business for years to come. For others, it might be time to pursue something more personal. Personally, I decided that the first thing I wanted to learn was how to learn—rapidly. If you’ve ever met me or read this column before, it’s pretty obvious that I love to learn. I’m always in the middle of an audio book, typically playing whenever I’m in the car alone. I start every day by reading from several different books. I end my day in bed with my Kindle literally falling out of my hand as I drift off to sleep. In addition to this, I listen to a variety of podcasts. I regularly attend webinars. And I’m currently enrolled in a program through my church to learn more about theology.
My challenge sometimes is that I’m like a bee collecting pollen from all these different sources. And while it’s great to cross-pollinate from several different places sometimes my learning can lack depth and mastery. Jack of all, master of none. I heard a podcast recently from Tim Ferriss where he talked about the idea of “rapid, deep learning.” He said that in about six months time of very focused learning on almost any topic, we can become proficient. He reduced what rapid learning requires to four components: • Deconstruct. You start by taking the skill you want to learn and break it into smaller blocks of things that must be learned for mastery. • Selection. Out of those larger blocks, choose the 20 percent of them that will give you 80 percent of mastery.
KEVIN RAINS Kevin Rains is the owner of Rains CARSTAR Group with locations in Cincinnati, Ohio, West Chester, Ohio and Lexington, Ky. He is also an industry consultant and founder of Body Shop 2.0.
E M A I L : kev i n r a i n s @ g m a i l .c o m A R C H I V E : f e n d e r b e n d e r.c o m /r a i n s
May 2020 | fenderbender.com 29
KEVIN RAINS
THE BIG IDEA
• Sequencing. Arrange the blocks in the order they need to be learned. • Stakes. Find meaningful rewards or consequences that will keep you motivated to learn.
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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR STORY PROFILE
PROFILE
MAKE IT BY MARKETING
MAKE IT BY MARKETING
COMPLETE CAR & RV REPAIR OWNER:
KIM BARKS Assertive Marketing Efforts
BARKS' S BUSINESS PL AN
PROFILE
MAKE IT BY
MARKETING BY INCREASING LOCAL MARKETING EFFORTS IN SMALL, SUBTLE WAYS, YOU CAN RECEIVE A BIG RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Customer Expert
Kim Barks has a solid grasp on her community. She spends time up front, interacting with customers, which has informed marketing tactics.
Kim Barks dabbles in a bit of everything at her shop, from operations to owner. Like many collision repairers, the owner of Complete Car & RV Repair’s knowledge of the industry was passed down by her father. Yet, before joining the shop and taking over for her dad, she earned a B.S. in business marketing with an emphasis in non-profit administration. Barks has brought her passion for marketing and nonprofit administration into the body shop. Since coming on board, she has increased the shop’s size to a staff of 17 people, annual revenue to $2.5 million, and more than three partnerships with local charities. “I’ve always been very hands-on in my work, and when I was younger, my dad showed me around the business,” she says. As a relative newcomer to the industry, Barks had to rely on her education and drive to learn. If she doesn’t understand how a certain part of the shop operates, she finds a book on the topic and dives into research. She also attends as many I-CAR meetings and local chamber of commerce meetings as possible. While learning more about the industry, she learned one key piece of information that led to a breakthrough for her as a leader: In order to be successful as a leader, you need to be assertive in your marketing tactics. Barks took that knowledge and framed her plan around an open door policy for anyone, whether it’s a customer seeking repair help or another woman in the industry looking for career advice.
BY MELISSA STEINKEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON WINKELER
Marketing Boost
Kim Barks knew that marketing needed a boost at Complete Car and RV Repair; what she was able to accomplish only required small changes.
52 fenderbender.com | October 2019
October 2019 | fenderbender.com 53
54 fenderbender.com | October 2019
KIM BARKS, OWNER OF COMPLETE CAR & RV REPAIR, SHARES HOW SHE SET UP HER SHOP TO TAP INTO AN ADDITIONAL, PROFITABLE MARKET. SHE GOT INTO THE RV INDUSTRY IN 2012. AFTER SEEING THE OCCASIONAL RV PASS BY AND OFTEN BREAK DOWN, SHE REALIZED THAT IN HER TOWN OF ROUGHLY 70,000, RV CUSTOMERS DIDN’T HAVE MANY OPTIONS WHEN IT CAME TO GETTING THEIR VEHICLE REPAIRED.
T H E BU YOU T Barks bought Hazelwood REC TEC, which was struggling, and renamed the shop to include RV repair in the title.
T H E C H A LLE N G E Scheduling programs for that side of the industry were far more antiquated than those the shop was used to. Barks and the shop use CCC ONE for their management and scheduling system. She tweaked the platform so it included tracking RV repairs but inputting an RV production line into the system required a new pricing matrix. The matrix creates labor rates and itemizes the labor.
T H E PAYOU T Barks and her staff repair roughly 50 RVs for both body repair and service repair per month. When a customer searches for an RV repair shop in St. Charles, Mo., the first listing they’ll see pop up is Complete Car & RV Repair.
Using her degree in business marketing, Barks focused mainly on increasing the shop’s marketing efforts. She knew that the best way to expand the business was to constantly be in front of the customer in some capacity. Barks expanded the shop’s marketing to include all social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. She says the most successful posts are ones that include jokes or memes about the repair industry. “I’ll post jokes, memes, pictures of the shop, really anything to get the customer feeling comfortable stepping into the body shop,” Barks says. Now, 25 percent of the shop’s business comes from social media, she says. Barks or a front office employee ask every customer coming into the shop how they heard about the business. Then, they write it down. After the job is closed, the team adds that information to their own internal spreadsheet. Before a customer leaves the shop, Barks is also not afraid to ask for a review. Complete Car & RV Repair has over 100 reviews on Google, and is on sites like Carwise, as well. If the shop gets a negative review, Barks says she personally responds. She apologizes to the customer, gives the customer her personal phone number, and asks them to come in or call to discuss the issue. “I put myself in their situation,” she says. “I ask myself how I would feel if I walked into a store and this is what happened.” By simply making sure to promptly respond to the reviews, Barks has turned around customer’s perception of body shops. In fact, one customer attended the shop’s annual Christmas party and apologized to Barks for the bad review.
Proactive Relationship Building
Barks learned the most about collision repair from being around her father in the body shop growing up. As she got older and gained a permanent leadership role in the business, she realized that one way to increase the shop’s customer base and become well-known, was to partner on educational events in the community. It’s all part of her “open door policy” in which her team members and others in the business community are always welcome to come to her for advice. She implemented the policy early in her time with the facility.
LOCATION:
ST. CHARLES, MO. SIZE:
12,00 SQUARE FEET STAFF:
17 (7 FRONT OFFICE, 10 SHOP FLOOR) AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT:
30
ANNUAL REVENUE:
$2.5 MILLION (INCLUDING COLLISION AND RV REPAIRS) Top of the Page
When a customer searches for an RV repair shop in St. Charles, Mo., the first listing they’ll see is Complete Car & RV Repair, which repairs about 50 RVs per month.
In order to get her business noticed, she made calls and attended as many meetings as she could in the community. Barks first reached out to three local community colleges for help. She reached out to the Lewis and Clark Career Center, St. Louis Community College and Lincoln University. She talked to the leaders of their automotive programs and asked to speak in the classes. She also asked if they had anyone they thought could be a potential hire for the body shop. After working with local schools, Barks initiated a class that she says is an important step for someone trying to grow their body shop. She created an all-women repair class that she hosted twice per year. The class is free to women in the area, as long as they RSVP to the event on Facebook. So, in the process of hosting the class, Barks brought more women out to her shop in person and to the shop’s Facebook page. Roughly 12 to 15 women attend each class. The course offers time for Barks to touch on safety with the vehicle and answer any general questions they have on
car repairs. By hosting classes annually, she builds her reputation as an automotive expert in the community. In addition to partnering with local colleges, Barks partnered with animal shelters in the area, including the Five Acres Animal Shelter. She hosted an event for the shelter at the Missouri facility. The body shop team spent the day loading bags of dog food onto pallets so the animal shelter could then transport the pallets around town. Barks partners only with charities that she audits first. She’ll make sure to spend time reading about the charity’s mission and vision. “I’d turn the body shop into an animal shelter if I could,” Barks says, referring to her passion for dogs and how she’s used every avenue available to have the shop help out the local humane society. She’s also the youngest member in the local Rotary Club. Overall, her drive to be an expert for anyone who needs it has led Barks to continue to be creative and grow the shop’s reach. Customers might even find her at the local hair salon, taking time to write an estimate here and there. October 2019 | fenderbender.com 55
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For a quick example, consider accounting: Deconstruct. The big blocks of learning for accounting might be accounting software, preparing financial statements, taxation, ledgers, etc. Selection. Since you likely already have an accountant for your business, you decide you don’t need to know all about tax law. And you may already have a bookkeeper who handles the accounting software side. So perhaps learning deeply about five financial reports is more what you need. You decide to focus on profit and loss statements, balance sheet, cash flow report, income statement, and accounts payable and receivable. In this step you need to decide which books, online classes, or free YouTube tutorials you need to engage to gain proficiency. Sequencing. Let’s say you decide to learn about the weekly reports you get from your bookkeeper first. That would be cash flow, then AR/AP and income. The next two reports come from your accountant monthly so you decide a deeper dive on profit and loss and balance sheet round out the reports you want to master over the next two or three months. Stakes. A meaningful reward might be something like a steak dinner with your spouse when you complete an online course for each report. So, over the next six months, you could get five amazing date nights in! The consequence could be something like you have to give a competitor $500 if you don’t complete the learning in six months! A milder version might be you make a donation to a favorite charity of $100 for every target date you miss for the learning. If you find that you have some extra time on your hands, Netflix is always an option. But think of the pay off for that versus intentional learning. Honestly, it’s a bit of both for me! Over the next several weeks consider this question: What might I learn that could propel my shop forward for months or even years? What learning could give me a competitive edge when all the dust settles from this season?
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FE ATURE
HOW I DID IT:
Motivation Front-line stories from the industry’s brightest leaders, examining how they attained staff buy-in B Y K E L LY B E AT O N
Great leaders inspire. Of course, in the collision repair industry, it’s not always easy to motivate employees that might feel their repair knowledge is vast and unending, those who may not like multiple co-workers, or whom may feel underpaid. Yet, the stories that follow in this feature shine a light on shop leaders that earned a devoted following from their employees. They did so in many ways—by exhibiting honesty, empathy, and selflessness, not to mention boundless passion for their industry. They didn’t ascend to the status of unquestioned leader without learning a few lessons along the way. The four pages that follow detail those lessons for FenderBender readers. 32 fenderbender.com | May 2020
H OW I D I D I T: M OT I VAT I O N
The Picture of Unity
Shop owner Derek Lighthall (in yellow) believes in teambuilding exercises.
D E R E K LI G HTH A LL :
Leading with Transparency when Derek Lighthall became a shop owner, he had neither a high school diploma, nor much money. His facility was modest, to say the least, at perhaps 700 square feet. By 2020, however, Lighthall’s shop, Committed Collision & Auto Body Center, had increased 10 fold in size, was receiving 5-star reviews, and began bringing in about $250,000 per month. The 36-year-old New Hampshire shop owner notes that, while there’s no shortcut to success in business, acting in an open and honest manner with your employees always helps. “I’ve found that the best way for me to manage people,” Lighthall says, “is to kind of let them self-manage themselves. And, in doing so, they become committed to stamping their name on every job they do.” Due in no small part to the fact he spends more time with his employees than he does with his loved ones, Lighthall ensures that his staff is well-provided for. The dozen employees at the high-volume, New Hampshire I-CAR gold-certified shop receive perks like flexible time off, two weeks of vacation, and health benefits that are half paid by their employer. Lighthall has even gone as far as to make down payments on homes for employees. “Half the shop makes more than I do,” Lighthall, 36, says. “And that’s because, without them, I wouldn’t be here. Without them, the customers wouldn’t be getting what they deserve, and we wouldn’t be able to sustain growth.” All told, Lighthall has attained buy-in from his staff by utilizing a couple relatively easy focuses:
COURTESY COMMITTED COLLISION & AUTO BODY CENTER
A FEW YEARS BACK,
• Use team-building exercises. Lighthall isn’t shy about hosting summer cookouts, or even taking his staff on a one-hour trek to a Boston Bruins hockey game. Similarly, Committed
Collision employees receive homemade desserts on birthdays and holidays from shop manager Taylor Dahme. And, the shop’s owner has even replaced engines in employees’ vehicles if they couldn’t quite fund for it. It’s all in an effort to get the New Hampshire shop’s employees to relate to each other. “In the body shop business, one of the hardest things is getting everybody to see eye to eye,” Lighthall explains. • Hire like-minded individuals. Employee retention takes care of itself, Lighthall says, if shop owners hire the right people and express belief in them. To aid that process, the New Hampshire shop owner tries to hire job candidates who share some of his traits, like competitiveness and an unending desire to improve—often, for example, he hires entry-level employees who have worked as part of a restaurant’s wait staff previously. “During the hiring process, I know that I’m getting people that rationally think like I do,” Lighthall says. “I only hire if I feel that you’ve got a huge amount of potential.”
Derek Lighthall Owner Committed Collision & Auto Body Center
U N I Q U E A P P R OAC H :
One key to having a growing, thriving shop for operator Derek Lighthall: unparalleled employee compensation. "You can't pay technicians what Cs are getting down the street, because you'll have a lot of turnover. You have to pay flat-rate techs a good dollar amount, so they don't feel like they have to cut corners and rush through jobs," he says.
LESSONS LEARNED:
“You need to let employees selfmanage themselves and, in doing so, it gives them pride in their job.” —Derek Lighthall, owner, Committed Collision & Auto Body Center May 2020 | fenderbender.com 33
FE ATURE
On Solid Ground
TH E O LE N D E R B ROTH E R S:
A focus on retention has Olender's Body Shop Inc. built to last in Connecticut.
Leading By Example
34 fenderbender.com | May 2020
LESSONS LEARNED:
“The main thing I’ve learned is that you have to work hard. There’s nothing in this industry that’s given to you.” —Jeff Olender, co-owner, Olender’s
• Post performance figures. The Olenders’ two shops both boast an average monthly car count of 200 for collision work. And the best way to generate such production, Jeff Olender says, is by generating some healthy competitiveness among employees by posting efficiency reports. Those performance reports are “posted at both shops, so employees know exactly where they are for that month, and where they are overall for the year,” Jeff Olender says, “so they know exactly where their efficiencies are.” • Give back to the community. The Olenders don’t just give ‘til it hurts, donating no less than $5,000 to charity most years. They also get creative with their donations. Beyond sponsoring several youth and high school sports teams, the business also participates in Safe Grad programs and the DARE anti-drug initiative. The Olenders get creative with their charitable endeavors, too. For instance, four years ago, the collision repair business donated $5,000 for a scoreboard for a local youth baseball league—and now that scoreboard bears the Olender name, offering a bit of advertising in virtual perpetuity. “We work hard,” Jeff Olender notes, “at maintaining our relationships with our neighbors.”
David Olender
Jeff Olender
Co-Owner
Co-Owner
Oldender's Body Shop
Oldender's Body Shop
U N I Q U E A P P R OAC H :
Connecticut shop co-owners Jeff and David Olender lead their shops by switching the location they each work out of every two years. That way, says Jeff "we have a good feel for all the people we're working with, and it keeps it fresh for everybody."
COURTESY OLENDER'S BODY SHOP INC.
A R E A S O N W H Y Jeff and David Olender wear workboots most weekdays. Hard work was instilled in the shop co-owners from a young age. From the time they were young boys, welding toy Tonka trucks at Olender’s Body Shop Inc. in Vernon, Conn., the brothers learned the value of setting an example through grit and determination. That lesson was further reinforced years later, when the founder of the family business, the boys’ grandfather, Joseph Olender, fought off a dire leukemia diagnosis and lived for nearly three more decades. “Everybody has to work hard, and that includes the people whose names are on the sign,” Jeff Olender says. “We’re boots-on-the-ground owners—there are no absentee owners here.” But, Jeff Olender adds, “I don’t wanna sound like we micromanage the business. We macromanage it.” Yes, while the Olender brothers don’t hesitate to write the occasional estimate or greet a walk-in customer, they’re not working excessive overtime. They’re simply setting a tone in their two Connecticut shops. “Working hard doesn’t necessarily mean beating on a panel,” Jeff Olender says. “Working hard means getting your inroads with the insurance companies, going out of your way for your community.” And that philosophy tends to inspire buy-in from employees. For proof of that, look no further than on the Olenders’ shop floor, where no less than 15 of their employees have worked with the company for at least a decade. “My brother and I have never had anybody that works for us; they work with us,” Jeff Olender says. “We all work together.” Here are the other basic tenets the Olenders abide by to create a motivated, nearly 60-person staff that combines to produce $13 million in annual revenue. THERE’S
H OW I D I D I T: M OT I VAT I O N
I VA N M O NTOYA :
Leading the Next Generation a shop owner can give their employees, in Ivan Montoya’s opinion, is empowerment. At Montoya’s three Maaco shops in the greater Tampa, Fla., area, he trains young hires in a trial-by-fire manner. He has no qualms about seeing a rookie swing and miss a couple times if he feels they have home-run potential. “I let my employees try to figure it out on their own, with training,” says Montoya, in his 18th year in the industry. “Grudgingly, I let them make mistakes one or two times, so at least they’re learning. And, in the long run, they then feel more comfortable with themselves—they’re not afraid to attempt something. “Anybody’s going to work happier and more productively if they’re not being micromanaged.” That philosophy has served the Florida shop owner well. Not only do his three shops combine to produce nearly $5 million in annual revenue, but Montoya has built a reputation within the Maaco chain for grooming high-performing employees and managers. “I try to let employees learn how to manage things,” the shop owner says, “so that, at the end of the day, I don’t have to be at three places at once.” Montoya has used a multi-pronged approach to build an efficient—and largely self-sufficient— 50-person staff in Florida. The key elements of that leadership approach include: T H E G R E AT E S T G I F T
JOE TRAINA
• Carefully assemble an office staff. Simply put, Montoya only hires front-office employees that he’s confident he can trust, that have a willingness to learn, and that possess a knack for salesmanship. He feels a solid front office is the foundation of many profitable shops. “I bring in young hires, build them up, and train them in the office,” the shop owner notes. “That way, in the long run, they can support me here and I can be out (in the shop) making sure everything’s run properly and efficiently. “For the front office, we look for individuals who are highly motivated and professional. Ideally I like to find people that have a positive attitude along with some selling experience, whether that be within the auto industry or outside it, such as even a bartender.” • Express belief in employees. A while back, a final prepper at a Tampa-area Maaco shop expressed gratitude to Montoya for the fact that he let her work without looming over her, watching
her every move. That’s how Montoya leads employees these days: by coaching them up, rather than tearing them down when they make the occasional misstep. “I teach them, I train them,” he says of young hires. “I let them loose with a very long leash. I believe they learn by watching me, and then knowing that, after they’re doing taking care of a client, I’m their support, telling them, ‘Here’s what you did right, here’s what you did wrong.’ “That way,” he adds, “they’re comfortable and confident.”
Ivan Montoya Owner Maaco Tampa
LESSONS LEARNED:
“I remember being younger, being a micromanager, nit-picking everyone. I learned it was (better) to teach people rather than belittle them.” —Ivan Montoya, Maaco owner, greater Tampa, Fla.
A Guiding Force
Ivan Montoya (left) encourages his staff to continuously expand its skill set.
May 2020 | fenderbender.com 35
FE ATURE
J E F F N E W B E R RY:
Leading Through Goal-Setting into the world of body shops at age 15, when he was urged to sweep the floors and remove scrap metal from his father’s shop. It didn’t take long for a passion for the industry to take hold of Newberry, who found life as a technician to be one big rush of adrenaline. Over 40 years later, he’s as energized about shop life as ever, as the managing partner of two Jay Wolfe Body Shops in the Kansas City area. These days, Newberry finds the task of leading a shop staff especially fulfilling. “Accountability is key,” Newberry says. “If you don’t know how to approach people, that can hurt your business. Everybody’s got to be on the same page.” Newberry has endeared himself to employees by speaking to them respectfully, rather than acting as if he’s above them. “I don’t wear a tie,” he says. “I wear blue jeans and boots, because I’ve gotta get out there. I want to still be involved in that daily activity out in that shop.” Of course, just acting like “one of the guys,” isn’t enough to lead a body shop to the success that Wolfe Body Shops have attained—$9.9 million combined among two body shops that produce an average monthly car count of 472. Here’s a look at the other steps Newberry has taken to inspire immense productivity from his staff. JEFF NEWBERRY GOT NUDGED
• Emphasize team. Newberry feels a shop’s front office and technicians need to be on the same page, with similar overall goals for the business. In his experience, if every employee at a shop is working in unison to efficiently move vehicles from the refinish department to detail, 36 fenderbender.com | May 2020
Wolfe Body Shops feature avid leaders who welcome high monthly car counts.
LESSONS LEARNED:
“Accountability is key. It’s pretty easy to lead people when you’re up front with them at the interview.” —Jeff Newberry, managing partner, Jay Wolfe Body Shop, Kansas City, Mo
to delivery, for example, then the facility tends to produce top metrics like Wolfe Body Shop’s 92 percent CSI score. And, he adds, that teamwork becomes contagious. • Have frequent performance reviews. At Wolfe Body Shops, which has 42 combined staff members, many employees undergo weekly performance meetings to track their productivity. Newberry subscribes to the philosophy that you can’t improve what you don’t measure. “I don’t give technicians a $100 bonus if they hit 100 hours. I don’t want to have to bribe them to do more hours,” he explains. “I want to work with a tech that wants to make the most money they possibly can. “If they’re having their best year, I tell them, ‘Keep up the good work. And, I’m going to be watching, and I’m going to help you hit those hours … because I can’t do it without you, and you can’t do it without me.”
Jeff Newberry Managing Partner Jay Wolfe Body Shops
COURTESY JAY WOLFE BODY SHOP
• Control cost as a group. One mantra Newberry emphasizes is controlling the everyday usage of materials, utilities, and equipment. From Day One at Wolfe Body Shops, he tells technicians and estimators to approach their bay or desk area as their very own business. When he gets his commision-based employees to think like that, it usually helps them push themselves. “I tell technicians, ‘If you don’t run a good business, none of the estimators are going to want to do business with you,’” Newberry says. “And, when that syncs in and they start making some big hours consistently, then they want to work together.”
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PROFILE
CONTINUING A VISION How to inspire a staff after tragedy strikes
BY MELISSA STEINKEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY OMAR ASSEF 38 fenderbender.com | May 2020
May 2020 | fenderbender.com 39
PROFILE
CONTINUING A VISION
M
arvic Vila had no experience in collision repair. None. When it came to driving her own vehicle, she could not tell you what a certain light on the dashboard meant or how to change a tire. A nurse-turned-real estate agent, Vila served as her husband. Ademir’s, go-to advisor. So, when he came to her with a proposal to open a second location of his shop, Fix Auto San Francisco-South of the Market, she told him, “If you believe in it, you should do it.” In 2015, Ademir signed on to be a part of the Fix Auto brand, with Vila helping him with permits for his second facility. Three years later, however, life was forever altered when Ademir suddenly passed in 2018. Vila was left with the decision to either leave the collision repair industry behind or tackle managing a business with which she had no previous experience. Everyone, from her family to her husband’s employees, was urging her to give up on the dream. How could she succeed when she knew nothing about the job? But Vila was determined—to great success. In 2019, Vila’s accomplishments were recognized when she received the Fix Auto Vision Award. She now runs a $2.5 million business comprising two, successful collision repair shop locations. “My husband’s dreams and visions lived on through me,” she says. “We had become one when he passed away.” Throughout the two years, Vila conquered challenges in staffing the facility and learning the ins and outs of a new industry by turning for help from her trusted advisor.
Establishing Trust
When Vila first entered her husband’s body shop, she felt like no one was on her side. The staff had loyalty to Ademir. Vila took over the management of the body shop with one advisor by her side: her husband’s accountant and trusted colleague, Albert Ho. He worked with Vila’s husband since 1999 and had over 35 years of experience in the collision repair industry. He says the growth of the shop was very slow for the first year as Vila learned how to manage the team. “The team had doubts about me and 40 fenderbender.com | May 2020
Crash Course
A few years ago, Marvic Vila had zero auto repair experience. But, she embraced a leadership role when tragedy struck in 2018.
whether I could do the job—and, honestly, they should have,” Vila says. She recognized that her team viewed her as an outsider. Vila says it’s important that she reminded the staff that, while she didn’t have any collision repair experience, in particular, she had management experience in her previous real estate role, where she managed a team of 13 people. In order to establish trust and build a team, Vila was frank with them. She told them either they could get on board and follow her or they could leave. “Work with me or work yourself out,” Vila recalls saying.
Five employees did leave—but not because of a lack of confidence in Vila’s outcome. Ho says they left because the positions they wanted were not open at the Fix Auto shop. In order to replace the staff defections, Vila took out her husband’s cell phone and began making calls to every single body shop connection he had listed among his contacts, eventually building a team of 15 vetted by her and Ho.
Tackling Leftover Obstacles
To take on a whole new business, Vila essentially stayed at the body shop from
FIX AUTO DALY CITY OWNER:
MARVIC VILA LOCATION:
TWO LOCATIONS IN CALIFORNIA SIZE:
33,000 SQUARE FEET (DALY CITY); 25,000 SQUARE FEET (SAN FRANCISCO) AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT:
55 COMBINED STAFF:
15 (4 BODY TECHNICIANS, 1 RECEPTIONIST, 3 ESTIMATORS, 2 PREPPERS, 2 PAINTERS, 1 BODY SHOP MANAGER, 1 DETAILER, 1 PARTS) ANNUAL REVENUE:
$2.5 MILLION
around 7 a.m. to midnight., working long hours to be there in person in case a team member needed her. At the time she took it over, the shop’s average monthly car count was about 30 cars at both locations. The Daly City location was only producing about $40,000 in annual revenue and the San Francisco location produced roughly $120,000. Turning that around was simply part of her natural hands-on, can-do attitude. When Vila first entered the industry she spent hours taking I-CAR classes and had her new team of employees complete the classes, too. These days,
Vila has completed I-CAR training and brought the two body shops to I-CAR Gold Class status. Three months after taking over, Vila formed more DRPs, which helped boost business. After putting in the work at the beginning, Vila no longer works 14-hour days but delegates some of the responsibility to her body shop manager at the San Francisco location and Ho, who works at Daly City. She also hires I-CAR instructors to come in on the weekends for extra classes, in an effort to keep the team up to date on processes, like welding and frame repairs.
Vila spends the majority of her day writing estimates. When she started, Ho spent time teaching her the basics of writing an estimate. To better learn the process, she would follow the steps the CCC ONE program advised and make sure to walk around and assess every single car’s damage when it came to the body shop. Now, she schedules estimates in the morning and spends the afternoon working on inputting data and documents from the repairs into the shop’s management system. On the weekends, Vila tackles the shop’s accounting. The fledgling shop owner maintains an open-door policy and has no qualms about dropping everything to answer a technician’s question. “I want my team to be able to come to me with questions,” she notes. Vila strives to alleviate stress on her employees and help wherever she can in the body shop, but an assistant helps keep her appointments on track and on time.
Planning for the Future
Ho distinctly remembers when he realized Vila’s potential. “You’re going to be running a $10 million facility,” he says he told her. At the time, Vila says she thought that number was crazy. Yet, as of 2020, Vila operates two locations with an annual revenue of $2.5 million. In the wake of her husband’s passing, Vila says she was lucky if the shop was repairing even 10 vehicles per month. Since restructuring the way the business is run, the team works on roughly 2–4 drop-offs per day and estimates for about 6 DRPs per day, Ho says. A significant portion of repairs came to the facilities once the shop was a part of the Fix Auto program for DRPs. Villa says that, in order to maintain a healthy stream of repairs in the future, she has to stay on top of trends in the industry, like calibrations of ADAS features in vehicles. The team at the Fix Auto locations currently performs pre- and post-repair scans of every vehicle. She emphasizes that, as an owner, she has to remain aware of how subletting calibrations plays a role into the shop’s overall cycle time. Despite some bumps in the road, Vila remains competitive in the industry. In fact, she’s looking to expand the shop in the next couple of years. May 2020 | fenderbender.com 41
42 fenderbender.com | May 2020
STRATEGY LEARN
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WORK SMARTER
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CASE S T UDY
50 May 2020 | fenderbender.com 43
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STR ATEGY
IDEA SHOP
Top 5 Tips for Recognizing Outstanding Work
GETTY IMAGES
How to effectively acknowledge employees’ exemplary work As a shop owner or operator, you’ve walked the shop floor thousands of times. You can probably even walk the same path in your sleep. Sure, you can walk the shop floor but while you do, can you also point to a success that your team is accomplishing right at this moment? A worker that feels appreciated will often perform better than expected, says Kevin Bonazew, collision industry consultant for CCARS Inc. with over 41 years of experience in the automotive industry. Data supports the theory. A 2016 Gallup workplace study discovered that employee recognition is a low-cost endeavor that can lead to a high pay-off. About 28 percent of respondents said the most memorable recognition comes from an employee’s manager. Not only do employees need recognition to thrive, a 2018 Gallup study found that employees also need good, specific recognition. Right now, only three in 10 U.S. employees strongly agree that, within the last seven days, they have received recognition or praise for doing good work. Bonazew admits that recognizing good work was hard to come by in the industry in the past, but nowadays owners and operators are more likely to acknowledge that they don’t want a good technician walking out the door because they didn’t feel happy or supported. “It’s not just a one-time deal, either,” Bonazew says. “A owner needs to be honest and open and care about it.” Below, Bonazew provides his top tips to offering employees recognition to avoid losing top performers. AS TOLD TO MELISSA STEINKEN
1) Provide positive feedback in person.
Put in the effort and sit down in person with the technician. I’ve noticed a lot of times, during my consulting, that a body shop operator believes their technician is having no issues but there’s actually a weird disconnect taking place between the technician and the front office. As a leader, you need to take those five minutes or so and verbally talk to the employee. Then, let the technician know this is your feedback and give the technician an opportunity to share. When you’re providing positive feedback, avoid constructive criticism. These are two separate conversations and criticism can be delivered at a different time. Words to not use in this conversation include “never”, and “always”. These words can be misinterpreted by the employee as he or she perpetually acting correctly or never acting the right way. Keep it in the moment.
2) Have conversations focused solely on career paths.
It’s important to continuously check in with the team and ask them where they see their career in the future. We have a serious technician shortage right now and a lot of the issues in that shortage can be fixed by touching base with the employee. Recognize where the employee is at with regard to their goal for training, skills and position in the shop. Talk to the employee about their objectives. Bring any resources you have with you to the meeting so you can effectively build a career path with the employee and not for the employee.
3) Celebrate even the small successes.
Say a technician undergoes training and finishes the course. If the technician accomplishes even a task as small as annual training, celebrate that fact. If the technician receives a certificate for the training, hang up the certificate in the shop. You can also post those types of accomplishments on social media. Bring the team into the celebration and conversation by tagging the recipient in the post.
4) Deliver news to the team every day.
If you receive positive feedback for a repair well done, share that with the team. Offer praise as soon as you can. Acknowledgement given 6 months after the fact loses its effect. Let the team know the customer appreciated the hard work that went into the repair. There’s no cost involved in simply sharing positive news with your team. Remember that you want to be genuine and realistic. Don’t overdo the praise because it might make you seem as if you aren’t sincere.
5) Check in with your management staff.
If you’re a leader that works more remotely, make the most of the time you are in the shop. Talk to your managers. They’ll be able to tell you who is doing an excellent job and who’s struggling. If they share news of someone exceeding expectations, make a point to walk over and thank that person. Also, take time to walk the shop floor. Keep your eyes open for someone performing a repair very well and point it out. May 2020 | fenderbender.com 45
STR ATEGY
FINANCE+OPERATIONS
Using Rentals to Survive Slow Times How to buy, refurbish, and sell rentals to maintain a steady repair schedule
In 2018, Mark Probst embarked on an ex-
periment. Eventually, months of research left him with a conclusion: buying, refurbishing and selling rental vehicles can be rather valuable to body shops. “I was like, ‘Why don’t I give this a shot?’” the shop operator says. “It kept our (repair) schedule full and tight.” A couple years ago, Probst, the owner of Probst Auto Body in Dieterich, Ill., stumbled across a company that sold wrecked Enterprise rental cars in weekly 46 fenderbender.com | May 2020
auctions. Noting that the vehicles were housed just three hours away from his business, the shop owner, who runs a shop with eight employees and an annual revenue of $1.5 million, saw a solution to an age-old collision repair problem. For shops that encounter occasional slow periods, Probst notes, buying, repairing, and eventually selling rental vehicles can keep a shop staff consistently busy. Aaron Stinson, the collision shop manager of A&A Auto Body and Repairs
in Lancaster County, Pa., agrees. In 2016, when his $2-million-per-year shop began buying and selling previously damaged Avis rentals, Stinson felt the work provided a great learning platform for younger technicians during lulls in the repair schedule. Throughout some trial-and-error testing in recent years, Probst and Stinson developed a few tried-and-true methods for capitalizing when refurbishing rental vehicles.
GETTY IMAGES
B Y K E L LY B E AT O N
customer repair schedule, to restore the rental vehicles. They used proper repair procedures, used new parts, and didn’t compromise the business’ integrity. When they were done repairing the Enterprise vehicles, Probst was left with the possibility of sitting on thousands of dollars if he couldn’t sell the vehicles via his shop website, Facebook advertising, or on-site sales. “When we’d get done, we’d have about the value of the (rental) car, without cutting corners,” says Probst, who also kept a few of the rentals to upgrade his shop’s loaner fleet. “And I’m not a car salesman. … But I looked at it like, my guys never run out of work this way.”
Study your market.
First, have finances in order.
Shop owners need to have cash set aside before making an expenditure on rental vehicles. Probst felt it was a worthy investment to pay cash for 11 rentals back in 2018 because most of the Enterprise vehicles he purchased (for between $10,000 and $20,000) were just 2–3 years old, with no more than 30,000 miles on them. Probst Auto Body’s staff worked diligently, when they had gaps in their
When shop owners gauge the merits of investing in and eventually selling rental vehicles, it’s imperative to do research, said Stinson, who oversees 15 employees. For one thing, it’s important to do due diligence, and make sure each rental has a clean title (which is typically listed on an auction site). In short, shop owners need to gauge how much certain vehicle models are worth to customers in their area. Shop owners can research used-vehicle prices on websites like CarGurus, for starters. After all, used-vehicle prices can vary fairly significantly depending on market and factors like the time of year. “Study it before you just go out and buy three or four rental vehicles,” says Stinson, a shop operator who possesses a dealer’s license and had success flipping rentals that were 2015–17 Toyota Corollas. “Know the market, because certain cars sell better than others,” he adds. “I was pretty selective, and I usually tried to get ones where there was only one accident on them.”
Get employee feedback.
If a body shop’s staff isn’t on board with refurbishing vehicles, they can end up collecting dust in the corner of the shop for months on end. That wasn’t an issue in Illinois, where Probst’s technicians seemed to appreciate the steady stream of work those Enterprise vehicles allowed for. Most of those rentals had around $6,000 worth of necessary repairs, requiring an equal mix of parts and labor.
Quite simply, Probst’s staff loved working on those rentals. “They loved it because, in the past, it would get slow and we’d scramble for work, and it was like, ‘What are we going to do?’” Probst explains. Starting in 2018, “If we had an open slot in the schedule and couldn’t fill it … we would go ahead and fill in with one of our rental cars. “Employees loved it because they were new cars and they were in and out quickly. And, it kept the guys busy.”
Develop a game plan.
Shop owners always need a backup plan to generate revenue. In that respect, buying and refurbishing rental vehicles can be an ideal option for shops during lulls in business. “We don’t get slow often, but I don’t like the idea of sending my guys home without their 40 hours,” Stinson says. Virtually all rental companies sell damaged vehicles, Stinson notes. And, when he buys rentals, he typically tries to make at least 20–30 percent on the repair portion of the deal, and another $2,000 on the eventual sale of the vehicle. In general, he says he typically makes a $4,000–$5,000 profit. “If I had a $5,000 repair on [a purchased rental vehicle], I’d still shoot to make 50 percent of that portion on it,” Stinson says. “If you make $2,000 on the rental, plus the $2,500 you’re making in the shop, that’s a pretty good return.” Probst’s “Plan B” in years past was to do traditional customer restoration jobs. However, those projects tended to get set aside when business picked up, meaning that, for months on end, vehicles in the process of getting restoration work ate up valuable space at his 7,600-squarefoot-shop. And, other tactics for increasing his shop’s workload, like spending 3 percent of his overall budget on marketing, hardly guaranteed an increase in vehicles that rolled across his shop floor. Conversely, repairing and selling late model rentals was a more effective process. “Once we bought the rentals, the process went pretty slick,” Probst says, “as far as working them into our workflow. Would I do it again? Yeah—it was a nice filler.” May 2020 | fenderbender.com 47
Messaging tools for local business. 48 fenderbender.com | May 2020
COLUMNS
PROCESS DRIVEN R YA N C R O P P E R
Adapting to a New Way of Life
How to adjust on the fly and aid customers during the COVID-19 outbreak
FUE VANG, GETTY IMAGES
As you’re well aware of, the ongoing
coronavirus outbreak has forced businesses in every industry to adapt on the fly. And that’s on the top of my mind lately. Take a look at how the restaurant industry is adapting now that every American is concerned with “social distancing” and avoiding contracting the COVID-19 virus. The other day, for instance, I got takeout from a very popular pizza place up here in my hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. They have developed a pretty impressive, streamlined process for picking up your order now. You call in your order, they tell you what time to enter the parking lot, they tell you which table your meal is sitting at, and then every customer flows in and out of there in one direction. As body shop operators, we need to take note of this innovation and also adjust on the fly. We need to cater to customers in a different fashion in the weeks and months ahead. Because I disagree with people who say it’s going to be business as usual in no time as our country comes to grips with this COVID-19 outbreak. I think there could be a major impact felt by body shop owners in the foreseeable future. Think about it: the more potential customers you have that are unemployed, the more people you have working from home, the worse things could get for us as shop operators. If miles aren’t driven, accidents don’t happen. In our area, body shops were considered essential businesses, and
we’re still working on cars that were wrecked late last winter. But we’re probably going to feel the effects of this virus outbreak in a month or so. You’re going to see a big impact. That’s why, at our facilities, we’re trying to streamline our processes to make customers as comfortable as possible. We closed our offices, and all our business is done in our parking lots right now. We use technology like Docu-sign, we use Podium, CCC ONE, Bodyshop Booster, we do photo estimates. Customers can text my entire staff, for example. Right now customers can email us, they can call us, but no customer or vendor can enter our facilities. I noticed some uneasiness from my staff as the coronavirus crisis started dominating the headlines. So, we took the route, early on, of explaining our safety precautions and letting our employees know that we’re going to
change the way we do business—and that we’ll continue doing that as long as I feel it’s necessary. And, honestly, these new processes are working flawlessly. Customers are very appreciative that we’re still fixing their cars. We’re still able to write estimates, and we’re able to use technology to make any necessary adjustments. I think shops that don’t get on that technology bandwagon and make adjustments might struggle in the months ahead. Because, yes, in theory, this coronavirus outbreak could be over almost as fast as it arrived, but it could also go on for the next couple years. For the foreseeable future, body shop operators need to adapt and ease the concerns of both customers and employees. Fortunately, the technology available to make those adjustments is readily available—and I believe you have no choice but to use it.
RYA N C R O P P E R is the owner of Able Body Shop, with four locations in Anchorage, Alaska, and Total Truck Accessory Center.
E M A I L : r c r o p p e r @ ab l e b o d y s h o p .c o m
May 2020 | fenderbender.com 49
STR ATEGY
CASE STUDY
Configuring an ADAS repair facility requires careful planning BY MELISSA STEINKEN PHOTOS COURTESY SUPERIOR REPLACEMENT
Four years ago, Jack Perea had five people working in his facility. Today, he has 15 employees. Perea first started investing in ADAS repairs at his facility in 2016. While he currently runs a facility that produces over $2 million in annual revenue, Perea says that the journey to get to an ADAS repair facility isn’t always going to be like hitting “an easy button.” Like many body shop owners, Perea isn’t a fan of having to sublet calibrations to dealerships. When he first started his own journey in the repair business, Perea realized he didn’t like having to sublet calibrations to a dealership. “I want to start a job and complete a job and stand behind it 100 percent,” he says. Perea owns Superior Replacement in Riverside, Calif., a separate facility dedicated solely to ADAS calibrations for body shops. As of April 2020, Perea had only been in his ADAS collision repair facility for nearly 1 year and already repaired nearly 500 cars each month. He’s a forward thinker and wants to keep his team moving forward. “I try to be proactive and not reactive to the automotive industry market,” he says. Perea strived for an “easy” path but definitely hit road bumps along the way to success.
50 fenderbender.com | May 2020
The Backstory
Since the outset of his career, Perea has been intrigued by new technologies. He hired a few team members who were “tinkerers” and liked new challenges when it came to repairing vehicles. In 2016, he began putting money toward teaching his staff new repair technologies. For example, one of his first investments was on Honda and Toyota software because those were two of the brands the shop saw frequently. Those first investments allowed him to invest even more into training for Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) repairs. According to automakers like Volvo and AutoZone, an SRS uses more components than just air bags: modules, crash sensors, position sensors and seat belt switches, warning lights and more. Perea scoured the web for news on the latest technologies in the industry. He made it a priority to attend industry events where he could see technology and repairs being debuted. He attended NACE and SEMA shows. And, the industry veteran called his peers at other repair shops to pick their brains on what was out there.
The Problem
Perea from the outset did not like subletting work to dealerships. So, he started performing ADAS repair work in his original facility in 2017. That first space was a time-waste, as Perea recalls. The first building he started doing ADAS repairs in only had about 2,300 square feet of space to perform the operations. His older facility, by and large, created waste. His team wasted a large part of every day simply moving cars around. He decided the best solution would be to continue performing ADAS repairs in- house and looking towards opening a second ADAS repair–only facility.
The Solution
Perea waited a few months for the location he wanted to be rebuilt, then moved ADAS repairs to a facility that had multiple garage doors and a large, wide open space. While he was able to hire about four new technicians, all of the shop’s previous SOPs and technician roles stayed the same. “We were already a fine-tuned machine and now just had the additional room,” he says. The second location provided Perea May 2020 | fenderbender.com 51
STR ATEGY
CASE STUDY
Equipped for Success By equipping one of his facilities to handle repairs of advanced driver-assistance systems, shop owner Jack Perea has his business built to last.
SUPERIOR REPLACEMENT OWNER:
JACK PEREA LOCATION:
RIVERSIDE, CALIF. SIZE:
19,000 SQUARE FEET STAFF:
15 (3 FRONT OFFICE, 12 ON SHOP FLOOR) AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT:
500
ANNUAL REVENUE:
$2.1 MILLION
with an additional 12,000 square feet of space. In March 2020, Perea purchased the building next door to increase space even further with the additional 4,000 square feet. The first fact to remember when building an ADAS repair facility, Perea says, is that every OEM has different guidelines on the amount of space for their car repairs and the tools used to perform the repair. “You need multiple points of entry and exit to keep a nice workflow,” Perea says. Then, Perea needed to focus on aligning each vehicle properly. He already had Hunter alignment machines, but Perea had to chalk off space specifically for wheel and tire alignments with an area inflation system. When a car comes to Perea’s shop, it drives into the facility to an alignment bay. There are two ADAS stalls that are about 30 feet by 40 feet. In the additional 4,000 square-foot building, there are four stalls, with one dedicated to repairing new air conditioning systems. Then the car is test-driven by a team member who performed the alignment. The car is then driven into one of the team’s two calibration stalls; if both stalls are being used, 52 fenderbender.com | May 2020
the team will take the car to an “on deck” area where the car is completely torn down to diagnose damage. Once calibrations are performed, Perea’s technician takes the car on another test drive. The shop owner recommends using Mitchell software in the shop because it helps the technicians access wiring diagrams for cars rather easily. In the back-end of the shop, the two technicians handle alignment, air pressure and ride height, five technicians do calibrations and resets on ADAS and there is one production manager. Two technicians handle mechanical repairs. Perea’s team performs some collision repair work out of this location as well, including air bag replacements, dashboard and interior replacements, and pigtails repairs.
The Aftermath
Perea’s ADAS repair facility is producing a little more than $60,000 per month. He’s not surprised the facility is a viable investment, Perea says. “I don’t lose and I have an A-1 team surrounding me,” Perea says. In fact, he was so confident from his past research
on industry trends that when he was starting the investment, the only financial advisor he had was his bank account, he says. Perea has built a strong team to work in the facility as well, he says. When he began the endeavor, he put out the word that he was working on the location and then potential candidates started to come to him. In fact, most of his employees today were ones that sought him out because they wanted to try their hand at a new way to repair vehicles. “Anyone that was willing to come to me and go out of their way to talk to me or call me, I opened the door for them,” Perea says.
The Takeaway
The key to his successful journey was the team, Perea says. “If you don’t have the right crew and the right teammates with the proper training and ability, it won’t work,” he says. At the end of the process, he attributes the results to his team that is driven to follow through on repairs every day and keeps their motivation to learn about new repair skills.
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May 2020 | fenderbender.com 53
STR ATEGY
SALES+MARKETING
Get it On Tape
How to choose the right content bucket for your videos BY MELISSA STEINKEN
Opening YouTube, you might see a video
from NordicTrack and you think, “What’s this?” So, you open the video and start dancing in your seat as people start dancing on NordicTrack treadmills. You’re captivated by the 2-minute, 31-second video. And, so are over 4 million other people. That 2015 video, World’s Largest Treadmill Dance with Over 40 Treadmills by NordicTrack, is just one example of a successful viral video used to increase engagement and increase ad revenue. That’s one example of a viral video that Travis Chambers and his media company 54 fenderbender.com | May 2020
have successfully produced. Chambers, chief media hacker for Chamber Media, says video is one creative way of getting in front of customers quickly. Chambers has worked with 1800Flowers, Credit Repair and other larger companies. As a body shop owner, you don’t need a large company like Chamber Media or a deep budget to create a successful social media video. You could start as soon as you have access to a smartphone and the internet. Views of branded video content have increased 258 percent on Facebook and 99 percent on Youtube as
of June 2017, according to Tubular Insight’s sponsored social video intelligence product, DealMaker. Tubular Insights is a global video measurement and analytics platform. Consider: DealMaker reports that, in 2018, 90 percent of all content shared by users on social media was video. Closely behind the No. 1 search engine, Google, is YouTube, says Ian Anderson Gray, founder of Confidant Live Marketing Academy. Clearly, video is becoming a prominent player in social media and can help bring your business to the forefront.
operator doesn’t need any fancy equipment to be successful. However, people will stop watching if the audio quality of the video is horrible, he says. If the audio on a phone isn’t good, Gray suggests purchasing a mic that can be plugged into the phone and then clipped onto the person’s outfit. Chambers says video helps more people get connected to information resources faster. “Right now, video is the richest type of media we have,” he says. Platforms like Google, Youtube and Facebook have helped businesses because they are able to get video advertisements in front of consumers for products they want before they even knew they wanted them, Chambers says. To start producing videos, Gray says to begin where the business is already receiving engagement. So, if a body shop is getting a lot of reach and interactions on Facebook, start there. But, don’t forget about YouTube. One tool a body shop operator can use is Morningfame. The platform will gather YouTube analytics of your videos, show which videos performed well and which did not, and then tailor recommendations for growing the channel and optimizing the videos in searches. Chambers recommends a business owner spend about 60 percent of their marketing budget on Facebook ad videos, 30 percent on Google and then 10 percent on experimenting with new platforms.
Creating the Content of the Video Gray and Chambers share their advice to determine the best content to post in a social media video.
GETTY IMAGES
Setting up the Video for Success
Gray recommends a video be around 14 minutes in length. The length of the video depends on the type of video. For instance, a live show is different than a quick social media video and could therefore be longer. One mistake people often make is overcomplicating a video, Gray remarks. Anyone can simply take their phone out and start recording a video. A business
Each video can be a different type of “content bucket”, Gray says. One example of a content bucket is a “how-to” video. The content for each video depends on which platform the video will be posted on. A video that’s posted on Facebook might do better if it is filmed in a type of question-and-answer format, Gray says. Some of the best types of videos that garner engagement from the audience include a live video or a type of “behind the scenes” video. These platforms give a sneak peak of how a company, brand or organization works and, as a result, often humanizes the subject. Gray recommends the shop operator
invite a guest on the video. Or, if a guest is not available, the leader can invite the audience watching the video to ask questions or be a remote “host” of the video. “You have to just start trying to produce videos,” Gray says, noting that the videos will tend to look better as business staffs get used to producing them. Chambers says there are about 100 different ways to run a video in an advertising format, but there are seven important types of advertising videos that can be made. The video types include spokesperson anchor, product demo, social proof, closer ads, case study, unboxing showcase and lifestyle. Out of seven, the most important for the auto body is the spokesperson anchor video. (See Sidebar: The No. 1 Type of Video for Body Shops) For prospecting or targeting customers that have not heard of the business before, Chambers says to keep the video length to about 3–5 minutes (See Sidebar: Glossary of Marketing Terms). “You want to make it as long as you can while still maintaining people’s attention,” he notes. For retargeting, it’s more of a reminder of what they already purchased from you. Retargeting videos can be shorter than prospecting ones. “Generally, we’ve had a lot of luck with your first touchpoint being longer because you only have one chance to make a first impression,” Chambers explains. Another common mistake business owners make is thinking they have to copy other successful videos. Instead of downright plagiarizing the content of another company’s video, Chambers recommends a shop come up with an idea that makes the customer feel uncomfortable or places the customer out of their comfort zone and then pivot to content that’s more familiar for the customer. “We’ve found this very strong sense of randomness to creativity and it needs to start out being something that is very joking, confusing, perplexing or almost difficult to contextualize and then you bring it back to something people understand,” Chambers says. “So then they say, ‘Oh, wow, that was different but I still understand it’.” May 2020 | fenderbender.com 55
COLUMNS
IN THE TRENCHES STEVE MORRIS
Getting Things Done
Productivity lessons from a fellow procrastinator As you read this, you may be in the middle
of some really bad news and some challenging events. I hope that you, your loved ones, and colleagues are safe and healthy. These days are far from normal but, viewed through the right lens, they also present tremendous opportunities for personal and professional growth. During these days of social distancing, it’s the perfect time to distance yourself from emotional reactions to your current predicament. This disruption could be the impetus for you to discover ways to better serve your customers. It can also be the time to learn how to change your typical behaviors and habits and reinvent yourself to be less distracted. Change is hard, and as I’ve said before, the only creature on the planet that likes change is a baby with a dirty diaper.
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Nevertheless, change is often invaluable. When you begin to focus your attention on this topic you’ll discover the thief that’s always lurking in your brain. That thief is a time stealer named procrastination. Procrastination is actually an emotional problem that’s triggered by boredom and anxiety—negative things we naturally try to avoid and so we often choose to find activities that encourage positive emotions. Things like binge-watching Netflix shows, or checking Facebook, are just a couple of the ways we can get a small hit of positive emotions. We choose these small hits of dopamine at the expense of expending energy on truly meaningful work. The word “procrastinate” comes from the Latin term that literally means “put off until tomorrow.” Someone once said,
“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.” We get pretty good at putting things off until later. But, if we’re honest with ourselves, we really don’t like how we feel when we procrastinate. The answer to combatting procrastination is to simply start and take action. I find that breaking down your tasks into small, bite-sized portions works well. For example, I am an expert procrastinator when it comes to writing this column. I have a deadline that I rarely meet and I’m sure it gives my editor, Anna Zeck, anxiety each month. I’m learning that if I break down the process of writing this column into tasks that take five minutes or less, I can usually get through the whole process all at once simply because I just started and I took action. Here’s how it looks: 1. Open a new Word document. 2. Write down the theme or title of the column. 3. Note my research on the topic. 4. Write an outline of the column. 5. Write the intro to the column. 6. Etc.
The five-minute threshold is the magic number for me when I need to get started on a column. Each time I complete one of the five-minute tasks I am conditioning myself into a positive sense of accomplishment. Psychologically, I am creating little wins that reward me with more confidence to continue. Each win makes me motivated. I completely forget about the negative emotions that I had when procrastinating. Since I find it hard to get started on some projects, I’ve learned to follow the advice of Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom: He says,“If you don’t want to do something, make a deal with yourself to do at least five minutes of it. After five minutes, you’ll end up doing the whole thing.” Making a mental bargain with yourself can actually be that “just start” action you need to get moving on a task. As you move along on the project, look at your 5–minute tasks and cross them off your list. By doing this, you’ll have a tangible method for measuring your progress on the project. Small steady steps forward are the secret to beating procrastination.
getting painted, striping of work spaces are being redone, for example. We also now have our training requirements ramped up. I-CAR, AMi, and the OEMs have lots of online courses that need to be taken and can be done during this slow time at the shops. My idea is to come up with a really good Total Preventative Maintenance program to implement so that I don’t procrastinate in the future. Perhaps you, too, can work on these projects as your first phase of beating procrastination.
What are some of the tasks and projects you’ve been procrastinating on? What can you come up with as your “just start” action? We’ve seen a tremendous drop in business due to the shelter-in-place orders here in Los Angeles. As an essential business, we remain open and are retaining all of our employees at this time. The silver lining in this event is that we now have the time to do deferred maintenance (i.e. stuff we procrastinated on). Welders are getting tuned up, floors are
S T E V E M O R R I S is the director of operations for Pride Collision Centers, a seven-location MSO located in Southern California. He is an Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) and ASE-certified master technician.
E M A I L : s t ev e m @ p r i d e au t o b o d y.c o m A R C H I V E : f e n d e r b e n d e r.c o m /m o r r i s
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AMERICA MOVING THANK YOU TO SKILLED TECHNICIANS
for keeping emergency responders, medical supplies, food and equipment rolling.
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May 2020 | fenderbender.com 57
SHOP TALK
"W A
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WE WORK HARD AND WE PLAY HARD." MARY HANRAHAN CO-OWNER BONDURANT AUTO BODY B O N D U R A N T, I OWA PHOTOGRAPHY BY NONNA A PHOTOGRAPHY
At
Bondurant Auto Body, it’s not always about work. Sometimes, it’s about a pie in the face. For National Pie Day on January 23, the body shop had its customers vote on which technician received a pie in his or her face, notes Mary Hanrahan, co-owner of the body shop. While it may seem unusual for a body shop to celebrate a holiday like National Pie Day, Hanrahan builds her whole workplace culture around bringing humor and engagement into everyday events. Hanrahan, alongside her husband, Todd, opened Bondurant Auto Body approximately 10 years ago. While her husband started working as a body technician in the industry 33 years ago, Mary Hanrahan came into the collision repair industry from her background as a director of operations for a Fortune 500 company. “It just made sense for me to establish the business side of the organization while he was focused on the daily work,” she says. Hanrahan spent the first couple years in the business learning about the collision repair industry as a whole and taking as many I-CAR classes as possible. She attended every training session and seminar possible to ramp up her knowledge. Since opening the shop 10 years ago, the couple has tripled its sales. Hanrahan now spends the majority of her time involved in the front office and the front-end of the business. Her day is focused on the customer experience. AS TOLD TO MELISSA STEINKEN
Most days I am in the office by 8 a.m. and every day looks a little different. We have
production meetings every morning. It’s like a typical production meeting in which we discuss the status of each vehicle, what needs to happen that day and what needs assistance to move every car forward. However, we also use the time to read our most current customer reviews and celebrate the wins.
I focus a lot of my day on making sure the customer is well taken care of. I spend
time on educating the customer from the initial estimate to updating the customer on the progress of the repair. We created a “Know Your Rights” brochure that’s given to the customer during the estimating process. Another estimator or I will walk through the brochure with the customer and explain items like filing
a claim, requesting a shop for repairs and what a deductible is. When the customer schedules a repair, we provide them a visual document of the repair process. It’s important for the customer to know that we are on their side and we will take care of everything while the vehicle is in the shop. I work alongside my manager of customer experience. When I’m educating
the customer during the estimate, my customer experience manager will help me in the process. She lets the customer know that she’ll be the main point of contact during the repair and will be updating them along the way. If there are issues in the repair, she’ll be the one to inform the customer about hold-ups or insurance issues. The customer is always contacted when their car moves into the paint department and reassembly. My manager gives the customer an estimated day when the car will be finished and then will call when it’s ready for pick up. Coffee is definitely my friend. I work with
a lot of people so I most definitely drink a lot of coffee to stay upbeat. I usually have two to three cups of coffee per day. I also use a calendar as well as multiple spreadsheets to help organize the tasks I’m working on for the day. I spend a section of my morning researching OEM position statements and procedures. May 2020 | fenderbender.com 59
SHOP TALK
MARY HANRAHAN
I probably spend an hour each day performing this research. When I take the time to research this, it helps the technician repair the vehicle correctly and have the information ready for when they need it during the repair process. Sometimes, I talk to insurance adjusters and educate them, as well. I typically find the OEM information on the OEM1Stop website and the I-CAR website. When the vehicle is in the shop, we use Mitchell Tech Advisor for specifics on the make and model. I try to incorporate marketing ideas that allow our customers to be involved.
These can be events that don’t have to do anything with the industry but grab people’s attention. For National Pie Day, I videoed the technician when he was getting a pie in the face and posted it to Facebook. I also brought in several pies to share that day. Last summer, we did a selfie contest with our customers. We had them come
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and find a metal sculpture of Sasquatch (named “Crash”), take a picture with him and post it to Facebook. Each person that posted a picture received a limited edition T-shirt. We definitely got a lot of responses from the community and had fun with that promotion. Collaborating with our community is a great way to have fun while completing marketing tasks. For instance, we have
friendly battles with the auto repair shop down the street. We’ve challenged them at bowling and recently at go-karting. In April we hosted an event called St. Baldrick’s. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-powered charity that funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. People raise money and shave their heads as a tribute to children with cancer. This is our fifth year being involved in the event and the first year actually hosting it.
Last year, we raised $5,000 and three people on our team had their heads shaved. I leave the shop around 5:30 p.m. I stick with this schedule for the most part. There are nights that I stay later while reviewing financials, working on process improvement initiatives and catching up on paperwork.
BONDURANT AUTO BODY Social Butterfly Iowa shop co-owner Mary Hanrahan maintains constant communication with clients and her crew, to let them know that their input is invaluable.
OWNER:
TODD & MARY HANRAHAN LOCATION:
BONDURANT, IOWA SIZE:
6,000 SQUARE FEET STAFF:
8 TOTAL 3 BODY TECHS, 1 REFINISH TECH, 1 PREPPER/DETAIL, 1 ESTIMATOR, 1 OFFICE MANAGER AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT:
Overall, we work hard and we play hard.
We make fun of ourselves and laugh a lot but as a group we are the absolute most serious when it comes to completing our work. Safety is a main priority of the business and I focus on delivering the customer excellent work without any compromises.
43
ANNUAL REVENUE:
$1.1 MILLION
AVERAGE REPAIR ORDER:
$2,600
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UPDATE
CSI COLLISION SPECIALIST
Rebounding from Disaster The keys to helping your shop bounce back from natural disasters B Y K E L LY B E AT O N
Create an emergency SOP.
While the majority of Houston businesses were closed at length in the wake of Hurricane Ike, the Perdues’ facility largely reopened roughly 72 hours after 110 mph winds battered their area. That’s because Trey Perdue thought ahead, taking steps like purchasing generators to quickly bring the business back to life. “My husband went at it, because people still expect to have their cars,” Cheryl Perdue notes. “I mean, that’s how people get to work. People expect their cars no matter what.” Now, when a major weather event appears poised to hit southeast Texas, staff members at the Perdues’ shop take cautionary measures like turning the business’ gas off, securing vehicles inside, cleaning up any cardboard at the facility, and making sure the shop floor’s drains are clear of debris like trash or even auto parts. “Have standards for how you’re going to prep the building, to make sure it’s sound,” Perdue suggests. 62 fenderbender.com | May 2020
Document everything.
Fortunately for the Perdues, their business had insurance that protected it in the event of wind storms. And, the coowners also helped their cause by taking photos of their building and all items of value once Ike struck. After all, when insurers do a visual inspection of businesses following disasters, they demand such documentation. “Nowadays it’s easier than in 2008, because you have smartphones now,” Cheryl Perdue notes. “So, you can just hit ‘record’ and quickly record a video of your business. It’s just easier to send a quick video. Then you don’t have to dig through a bunch of paperwork.” For example, “if you bought generators, if you want to get paid back for that you’re going to have to be able to produce receipts, so keep your receipts.”
Schedule vehicle repairs carefully.
In the wake of storms, Perdue notes, a body shop’s schedule can become
Force to be Reckoned With These days, Trey and Cheryl Perdue have their shop set up to handle anything Mother Nature throws their way.
chaotic in the blink of an eye. That’s why, when Houston has been struck by subsequent storms in recent years, the staff at CSI Collision Specialist has worked hard to plan repair work with great care and an eye toward ideal shop floor workflow. “After a hurricane you’re going to have lots of cars out,” Perdue says, “so, if a car’s driveable, you’re not encouraging people to drop off when there’s customers who are in wrecks that don’t have driveable cars. You’re just trying to schedule things appropriately, because there’s no sense in having someone drop off a car that they can still drive if there’s not a rental car available for them.”
THE TAKEAWAY The overarching lesson learned by shop co-owner Cheryl Perdue in the wake of Hurricane Ike in 2008: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.
COURTESY FENDERBENDER ARCHIVES
Last November, an unlikely occurrence befell Trey and Cheryl Perdue’s body shop. Someone momentarily mistook a gas pedal for a brake and, as a result, plowed through the lobby of CSI Collision Specialist, in Houston. They could’ve thought, ‘Here we go again.’ Instead, Cheryl says, she simply took a deep breath when she learned no one was in the lobby at the time of the accident. “You’re upset, but I felt relief that no one was in there,” recalls Cheryl, who co-owns the facility with her husband. “Because the other things can be fixed.” That, above all else, is the key to recovering from disaster as a shop owner: keep your cool. And Perdue is no stranger to dealing with disasters. She experienced that back in 2008, for instance, when the Category 4 winds of Hurricane Ike left her body shop in tatters, which was chronicled in a past FenderBender article (fenderbender.com/Ike) “It was impactful, because [parts of] our building literally came down,” Perdue recalls, in reference to a portion of the shop’s bay area. “The winds of the hurricane just took it down. Boom. It’s a little chaotic—it just causes stress.” But CSI Collision Specialist was rebuilt, and the 28,000-square-foot facility now features elements like a lobby that's the envy of many competitors. And, the lessons learned back in 2008 served the Houston shop well in recent years, when subsequent storms like Hurricane Harvey (in 2017) struck the area. Here are Perdue’s suggestions for preparing a shop for such severe weather.
FOLLOW WHAT THE LEADERS FOLLOW. CONNECT WITH FENDERBENDER FOR T H E L AT E S T C O L L I S I O N R E PA I R C O N T E N T
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With CollisionLink Shop you get: • The largest dealer network across all OEMs • Discounts through 35 part programs for 18 automakers • Efficient workflow system to streamline your parts order process • Comprehensive VIN build vehicle data for part ordering accuracy • No cost for you to enroll Visit: OEConnection.com/fenderbender Call: 234.400.1518
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Inefficiencies can break the shop. Lost time and lost orders, wrong parts or a poor system only increase cycle time and slash the critical KPIs that let you know how well your shop operates day to day, month to month, year to year. Reducing comebacks and keeping CSI scores high often comes down to one simple factor— do you have an OEM part? Is its quality ensured? And how do you know? Quality parts when you need them are critical to your success. Fortunately, OEConnection ® (OEC ®) has been an industry leader in parts procurement for twenty years. In this special section, FenderBender sat down with one business owner who relies on CollisionLink® Shop to keep his expansive collision repair business in top gear. We also spoke with OEC's Director of Collision about where the industry has been—and more importantly, where it's going. OEC will be there. You will be there. The future isn't coming— it's already here. Let's take a look at how to navigate it together.
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INCREASE REVENUE, DECREASE CYCLE TIME AND PURSUE YOUR PASSION COLLISIONLINK SHOP IS THE LEADING PARTS SOURCING TOOL ON THE MARKET. USE IT TO HELP PURSUE WHAT DRIVES YOU.
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James Thomas started Thomas Collision (Valdosta, GA.) 20 years ago and has continued to grow his business with each passing year. Today, he has 29 employees, 55 bays, and over 50,000 square feet. It’s a fast-paced, high-volume shop doing a little over $6 million in revenue per year. “It’s a lot to keep up with,” Thomas admits, “and the contemporary collision center is now the collision industry.” Simply put, a successful collision shop today is at the center of the greater industry at large. Cars come in; cars go out; techs build their skills and try to keep pace with evolving materials, parts and technology. There are certifications to maintain and new skills to learn as well as new processes, procedures and tools to incorporate into one’s repair repertoire. One of the primary tools Thomas uses to help stay ahead is CollisionLink Shop, from OEC.
THE COLLISION INDUSTRY REPAIR STANDARD Change in any industry is constant, and Thomas
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insists he’s welcome to it if it means his shop can be more successful and help more drivers get back on the road. “We’ll adapt as needed, and as long as we can make a margin, we’ll connect with other vendors and make the repair. OEC is communicating without communicating; you click what you need, ignore the rest, and then get what you need.” In a sense, Thomas uses CollisionLink Shop as a means by which to judge the capacity and contributions of other shops and dealers around him. “Everyone around us wants a foot in the door for parts,” he says, “and as a consumer, we know off the bat whether they’re a volume dealer or not depending upon if they use CollisionLink Shop. If we have to call them and quote a retainer, quote a part number, that’s way too much time--we encourage our dealers to get on the program so we can more easily send them business. “Business is all about relationships,” he adds, “and you have to do what’s right.”
IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND CYCLE TIME Shane Criswell is the primary parts professional and estimator at Thomas Collision. “If we have about 35 drivable cars coming in on Monday, it only takes about two hours through CollisionLink Shop to get the parts we need,” he says. “Previously, working with recyclers or other vendors, you’re talking a day or two, and you have to wait for them to call you back.” One of the primary benefits of CollisionLink Shop that Criswell enjoys is not having to shop around price-matching for every conceivable part and repair. “That’s a huge benefit,” he says, “because we can get what we need and the OEM can reimburse the dealers immediately.” He also enjoys the time-saving benefits the online collision parts ordering tool provides. “Time is money,” he says, “and placing orders takes time. If there’s a faster, better way to do it, I’m in. CollisionLink Shop also creates a digital trail, so you’re accountable. A phone call doesn’t provide a trail, and three days later you may not recall what you even asked for, or what the circumstances were. It helps hold us all accountable by creating a record.” Thomas jumps back in, noting how critical it is to minimize cycle time. “Cycle time is part of our report,” he says. “If we’re able to improve cycle time, everyone wins. When a car runs over its time period—say 30
days is up on the rental—we always get a call from a car rental company. They have to follow up too, and we can use the CollisionLink Shop document to prove we ordered the parts in a timely fashion. Once we get the parts, cycle time starts clicking, and CollisionLink Shop helps bail us out.” It’s good to be on the right side of revenue and efficiency. When he is, Thomas can focus on his other passion--classic muscle cars. Dude’s Modern-Built Classics is the hobbyist division of his company, and they usually restore one hot rod or muscle car per year. “We process claims to make a living, serve our community, and do that once a year,” Thomas laughs, “and it helps keep us young.” CollisionLink Shop makes no claims as to guaranteeing its clients’ youthful vigor. What it can do is help get cars through the shop and back on the road so you can pursue your passion—whatever it may be. To learn more, visit CollisionLinkShop.com.
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WHAT’S NEXT FOR OEC
2020 IS OEC’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY, AND THE NEXT 20 YEARS WILL BE FOCUSED ON PARTS, RELATIONSHIPS AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES
Pat Blech is Director of Collision, North America, for OEC. At the time of the interview, Blech was in quarantine at home, “holed up in my basement bunker,” he says, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
What's your title, and how long have you been with OEC? What are your primary responsibilities? I am the Director of Collision in North America, and have been with OEC for over seven years. I began as a product specialist and from that I grew into the role I have today. I’m responsible for the growth and success of our collision products. We’re split into different business units focused on the buyer—independent repair facilities, collision shops, DIYers and dealers—anyone ordering OEM parts. We have different products serving the different channels. I’m
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responsible for products in the collision portfolio and I’m excited to see it continue to grow. CollisionLink Shop is the big one. CollisionLink Shop is a juggernaut in parts sourcing. Where would you like to see it go? We’ve always been focused on OEM parts and the value they bring. Now more than ever, there’s a strong need to get shops closer to OEMs and there’s a need to get them more reliable information and more parts. That’s why we intend to double down on our value proposition—CollisionLink Shop focused on the shop, the parts dealer and the OEM. We want to leverage our relationship with automakers and get that information to the customer to make sure they have the best information possible when ordering their parts. We have a collision division roadmap in 2020 and 2021; those enhancements are geared toward allowing shops to more efficiently take advantage of OEM parts programs and order parts from dealers. It will also make info straight from OEMs more readily available. It’s the access to information that informs safety for their customers. What’s changed from when you began working at OEC? When I first started, I was surprised at how little information or incomplete info is actually available to shops today, and from just how many sources it can potentially be sourced. Shops really have to do their own homework and sometimes still place orders without complete information, and it can
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result in comebacks, delays, less safe vehicles and less profitable shops. We really rely on getting close to the folks who live it and do it every day. We spend a lot of time with collision shops, dealerships and OEMs—those who actually have to confront these challenges. We learn from the experts and try to help them. These days, having access to the most complete info up front, as much and as often as possible, helps us save shops a resource no one can get back—time. Vehicles are getting more and more complex and shops can’t afford to spend two hours researching repair and ordering parts. They need to diminish non-repair time to keep up with throughput. Anything we can do to help make them more efficient is going to help. We’re compressing the downtime to decrease cycle time.
It sounds like OEC is able to help shops make the most of their valuable employees’ skills and time. It sounds like you’re talking about efficiency and productivity. Right! Right. Those are critical KPIs, and many times, repair planning is not value-added time. Technicians or service advisors may spend hours on every repair, but they’re not getting reimbursed or paid for by insurance companies or other parties. They need to compress the non-value-added time without sacrificing quality. Work smarter, not harder. We look at the unique challenges our clients face, and you see who is ordering and selling the parts, and many shop and dealer employees have three or more screens up—they’re using websites, applications or other mobile solutions, juggling it all just to get their job done. It’s clear there’s a lot of inefficiencies out there. I get in the field a fair amount and we spend a lot of time with those at the cutting edge of collision repair. We want to benefit them, our dealer customers and the OEMs as well. What's the #1 reason an owner would choose OEC for his or her parts needs, opposed to many other qualified vendors? For me, it’s simple. We truly believe that responsible collision repairers choose to use OEM parts as much as possible. We have one of the largest network of wholesale dealers in North America and relationships with 26 brands. When we walk into shops and dealers with our product, it’s pretty clear we focus on OEM parts exclusively. We don’t have to counterbalance that with stakeholders who encourage the use of third-party or aftermarket parts, and it helps our clients trust us. We are here to help.
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BY THE NUMBERS PERCENTAGE OF OEM PARTS USED
The below data was pulled from the 2019 FenderBender Industry Survey. This survey
— Should your shop use OEM or aftermarket parts? This debate is as strong as ever, and a topic that shouldn’t be taken lightly. According to the 2019 FenderBender Industry Survey, a majority of shops around the country use a combination of both, depending on the repair. Shops with a higher percentage of OEM parts tend to outperform those with less, when it comes to profitability.
represents a crosssection of shops around the country and provides a glimpse into how the average shop performs, how its leadership manages the shop, and
Of shops with 60% or more use of OEM parts, 67% have an annual revenue of more than 1 million dollars. Of shops with less than 60% use of OEM parts, 53% have an annual revenue of more than 1 million dollars.
the tech and tools the shop uses. Ensure your shop commits to accessing the right OEM information. CollisionLinkShop.com. gives you access to tens of thousands high-volume collision parts that qualify for discounts from 26 OEMs in the US and Canada. Gain 24/7 online access to original equipment collision parts from preferred dealership suppliers with CollisionLinkShop.com.
70 fenderbender.com | May 2020 92
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Shop owners were asked,
“What percentage of your parts use is made up of OEM parts?� 4% use 100% OEM parts
8% use less than 40% OEM parts
14% use 40-49% OEM parts
15% use 90-99% OEM parts
11% use
50-59% OEM parts
22% use
80-89% OEM parts
12% use 60-69%
OEM parts
14% use 70-79% OEM parts
May 2020 | fenderbender.com 93 May 2020 | fenderbender.com 71
COLUMNS
OUTSIDE THE LINES JASON BOGGS
The Other Side
Three principles to weather any storm
March 31, 2020, I realize that things in the collision repair industry, let alone the world, could drastically change by the time this goes to print and you are reading it. Regardless of what happens in the time between then and now, I think the important lesson is that unexpected events happen to our industry, our economy, and our country without notice. The obvious big ones that have taken place in the time I’ve been in the industry are 9/11, the 2008 housing crisis, and, now, the coronavirus. I admit, the timing of this may not be the best, as some of what is discussed here in this column won’t be helpful in the current situation. However, one thing we know is that history is doomed to repeat itself. That’s why I would make the argument that this is the best time to discuss how to be prepared for the unexpected. There are some basic principles that can be a great benefit to a company, regardless of the reason for the sudden change in market conditions. These principles, if enacted, can put companies in position to be healthy enough to offer the best chances of survival no matter what comes their way. And when this COVID-19 pandemic is finally over, the companies that had these in place will likely be standing stronger than their competitors. I’m sure at some point in your life you’ve known someone who has received some unexpected and scary health news from a doctor. In most cases, the person commits to eating healthier and exercising regularly. Inevitably, the patient usually states that they wish they had lived like that before the initial doctor visit as 1) they might have avoided the visit altogether and, 2) they feel so much better practicing ideal health habits. Running a business is no different. We must consistently make decisions that keep the company healthy in order to be best prepared for unexpected events. 72 fenderbender.com | May 2020
The first principle is to have a solid savings account. A good formula to use is to see how long you could last if you didn’t generate a single dollar in sales, yet had to make all your essential overhead expenses. I suggest having a minimum of three months' expenses in savings that would allow you to cover all those overhead expenses. If that seems impossible, see how long it takes you to find a recent purchase you regret making. Sixty percent of the country lives paycheck to paycheck. Professional athletes earning millions go bankrupt regularly. We don’t have an earning problem in America— we have a spending problem. Our industry is not immune to this problem. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever been given is quite simple: Don’t buy what you can’t afford to pay for in full. Another principle that makes a world of difference is having no, or very little, debt. Debt is the norm in America. Yet I believe that is precisely why we live paycheck to paycheck. We live in a society where the norm is to buy whatever we want, whenever we want it, and let someone else pay for it up front. We can’t run our business that way. If someone gave me $300,000 to spend on equipment in our shop, I could spend that money in a couple hours. But then I’d end up paying $400,000 over the next 5-10 years for those purchases. Instead, we follow
principle No. 1 and have a nice savings account built up, so we can pay for equipment in full when we know it’s the right time to buy. The third principle is having an efficient team and system of processes in place that allows them to maximize their efficiency. I’ve talked with several shop owners of the last few weeks who have discussed the layoffs they’ve made. Almost every one of them has mentioned that, when the dust settles, they won’t be bringing everyone back because they were improperly staffed before the crisis started. We all know when we buy something that it has to give us a return on investment. Payroll is our largest investment so we must track the KPIs that ensure a consistent solid return. I know these principles won’t help you out of the current situation you find yourself in. But if they make sense and you agree that the principles would have put you in a better position to withstand this current climate in our industry/world, then you can make this your game plan on what to focus on when you come out of it. Following these three principles— keeping a healthy savings account, running your company with zero or little debt, and always maintaining a staff size that allows you a consistent return—will put your company in position to weather the unexpected storms.
JASON BOGGS is the owner of Boggs Auto Collision Rebuilders in Woodbury, N.J. He has attended the Disney Institute and Discover Leadership, and has studied lean manufacturing processes.
E M A I L : j a s o n @b o g g s au t o .c o m A R C H I V E : f e n d e r b e n d e r.c o m / b o g g s
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UNDERSTANDING ADAS CALIBRATION AUTEL CALIBRATION SYSTEMS ENABLE TECHNICIANS TO CALIBRATE CAMERAS, LIDAR, AND MORE with some type of advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) on the road today. As of May 2018, back-up cameras became a federally mandated feature on new vehicles and 20 major automakers committed to including forward collision warning (FCW) and cityspeed automatic emergency braking (AEB) as standard equipment on their vehicles starting September 2022. Audi, Volvo, Mercedes Benz and Tesla have already met that goal. Many, if not most, of these vehicles are equipped with camera-dependent systems such as AEB with pedestrian detection and even some blind spot detection (BSD). And these are just the basic systems at this time; the front-facing cameras are also used in traffic sign recognition, automatic parking, cross-traffic alert and adaptive lighting systems. The emergence of these technologies and their increasing popularity have added layers of complexity, time and cost to vehicle repairs including glass repair and replacement.
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WHY DO GLASS-FOCUSED SHOPS NEED TO BE AWARE OF ADAS CALIBRATION? According to AAA, more than 14.5 million windshields are replaced annually. As the number of vehicles with ADAS input, such as front-facing and side view mirror cameras rises, auto glass shops need to incorporate calibration into their vehicle repair procedures. Regardless if the service is subletted to other shops, performed by a mobile ADAS calibration technician or completed in-house, glass-focused shops need to understand their liability to complete the calibration after the windshield replacement and before the vehicle is returned to the owner. It is their responsibility to educate themselves about these systems and keep their customers safe after the repairs.
WHEN DO CAMERAS NEED TO BE RECALIBRATED? Every glass technician should know that if a windshield is replaced or if the camera is disconnected for whatever reason, the camera will need to be recalibrated. A camera
code displayed during a diagnostic scan, deployment of the air bag or an alignment or a change in suspension would also necessitate a camera calibration. A camera calibration is an adjustment of the operating parameters of the camera lens or lenses to capture an image of the environment ahead. Depending on the camera system, the horizontal field of view on a forward-facing camera is between 40 and 70 degrees. During the repair, even the slightest adjustment of this camera field of view, will disrupt the system's ability to accurately ensure the safety it was designed to provide. Calibrations can be stationary, which involve targets or patterns, dynamic, which is involved in driving the vehicle in a prescribed manner including a specific duration, speed and environment, and some vehicles require both static and dynamic calibrations.
HOW IMPORTANT IS A CALIBRATION TO EFFECTIVENESS OF ADAS? Consider this Institute for Highway Safety
AUTEL
THERE ARE CLOSE TO 60 million vehicles
MA600
(IHS) test/demonstration that highlighted the frightening result when a vehicle’s collision avoidance system relies on the data from a misaligned front camera to first warn the driver of an imminent crash and then to actively engage the systems to brake when the driver fails to act. The IHS tested a vehicle with a front-facing camera that was misaligned by .6 degrees to the right. The IHS found that this variance affected “the perceived collision threat, thus delaying first the driver prompt or warning to brake and then delaying when the vehicle itself initiated braking.” The result was a warning prompt that gave the driver just 2.8 seconds to respond and gave the vehicle just .9 seconds to brake. It didn’t, and the vehicle collided with the obstacle at 20 mph.
WHAT CALIBRATION SYSTEMS SHOULD SHOPS USE?
LDWPACKAGE
knowledgeable about the very different ways each brand and model uses the data from these input devices—including the cameras and radar sensors—to control how the vehicle reacts. Therefore, it falls on the technician’s shoulders to learn the vehicles systems they most often service and continue to keep up with emerging trends. That’s exactly why Autel produces two ADAS calibration systems: a standard frame and a mobile frame system. Both systems provide upgradeable options to enable technicians higher technicality to efficiently calibrate cameras, night vision, Lidar and radarbased systems that are so instrumental to vehicle operations and to the safety of its passengers. As the leading developer of automotive diagnostic scan tools, we feel it is our responsibility to provide that level of system capability.
It’s important to not simply learn the
HOW DO THE CALIBRATION SYSTEMS WORK?
basic concepts behind the many advanced systems ontoday’s vehicles, but to also be
Both of the Autel calibration systems include patterns, targets, radar and night vision
ADASCOMPLETE
calibration tools used with the MaxiSYS ADAS software. In addition to communicating with the ADAS modules and initiating calibration, Autel’s ADAS software itself acts as a training guide for setup of each calibration, with detailed illustrations for proper frame positioning and instructional videos enabling the technician to perform every step in the calibration process. The tablet displays the basic vehicle requirements before initiating the calibration, to ensure consistent vehicle height, such as parking on a level ground, ensuring fuel and fluids are filled, and that the vehicle carries no additional cargo. Each procedure screen lists the tools needed, including the correct vehicle-specific target or pattern part number. The tablet displays exact OE-specific measurements and easyto-follow instructions. As automakers advance their materials and electronics toward the autonomous vehicle, there is little doubt these driver-assist technologies will necessitate technicians and their shops to evolve and adapt to prosper.
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PROPER ADAS CALIBRATION WILL ONLY BECOME MORE CRITICAL TO SAFE COLLISION REPAIR DAVID KRAUSE SPENT a lot of time
throughout his 30-year automotive career waiting for the industry to catch up. Krause, a fourth-generation electrical technician, owns Platinum Programming and Diagnostics in Houston and Nashville, Tenn., a mobile business that travels to collision repair and glass shops to diagnose vehicles, program modules and, for close to two years, calibrate the cameras and radar devices used by advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Throughout the years, Krause has sounded the repair battle cry on the importance of doing things the right way and patiently waited until his customer shops and the supporting industries at large acquiesced and did so. First, it was integrated, multi-systems diagnostics; then pre- and post-repair scanning; now it’s ADAS. Or, more specifically, the critical importance of calibrating these safety systems’ cameras and radar units. He says he’s passionate about his work, though, when it comes
PAGE 4 GLASS GUIDE
to ADAS, he’s less patient than before, because he knows the stakes are high.
PROPER CALIBRATIONS SAVE COMEBACKS He describes going to a collision repair shop to replace a wiring harness and provide a pre- and post-repair scan on a Honda Civic. After the repair was completed, Krause advised the shop owner the radar needed to be re-calibrated. The owner disagreed, stating it wasn’t damaged, so it didn’t need a calibration. Krause was instructed to run a post-scan and call it a day. He relented and ran the scan, adding a disclaimer to his report that a calibration was advised but not completed. As the radar unit was functioning, the scan showed no codes. The customer retrieved his vehicle and drove away. The driver entered an intersection with the intention of turning left. The misaligned radar unit detected something in front of the vehicle and the ADAS instructed the vehicle to stop. It did—in the middle of the intersection.
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The vehicle was hit on both sides. After that, never again did the shop manager balk at a calibration Krause advised. Any sensor needs to be calibrated if repairs have been made and confirmed in a report that the vehicle had no codes beforehand. Only recently has it become acceptable to complete radar-based calibrations outside because light does not affect the accuracy of the radar sensor calibration. Krause wasn’t content waiting for the right ADAS equipment to be made. As an Autel diagnostic scan tool user since the debut of its MaxiSYS 908 Pro tablet in 2014, he reached out and suggested to the company to add ADAS calibration tools and targets to its product line. Little did he know, however, that Autel was already developing an ADAS calibration system to integrate into all the MaxiSYS tablets. In 2018, Autel released a comprehensive system including software, frame, patterns and targets. Krause says, “We went all in. Everything Autel had, we bought.” In addition to the camera targets, patterns, and radar reflectors and calibrators for multiple vehicle lines, Autel’s first-generation ADAS calibration system includes a substantial frame with a steel base, durable enough for his multi-location use. Krause says his business has thrived with the firstgeneration system. He knows the 160-pound frame and nearly 9-foot-long crossbar were not designed for mobile use, but the system became extremely dependable after completing so many calibrations without issue. In fact, Krause had to purchase a larger Ford T150 transit van to be able to move it to his customers’ shops. “My guys are fit, and we made it work. We knew nobody else in the market had what we had,” he says. Yet, it would be no surprise when Autel later released its portable ADAS calibration system, the MA600, with a foldable crossbar and modular frame parts which weighed less than half of the first frame, that easily separated for faster transport and setup. By this time, Platinum’s team of 11 technicians were all smiles, understanding that their business was becoming more widely accepted and supported. Though each Autel ADAS calibration
Top: Though effective, Krause had to buy a bigger van to accommodate the first-generation ADAS calibration tool. Bottom: The new MA600 tool is lighter and more easily handled by a small crew or even single employee.
system centers and squares the frame with the vehicle differently, the essence of the calibration process is the same. With the addition of its new and ever-expanding list of available patterns, targets and tools, both frame options can calibrate a wide range of radar and camera vehicle systems such as Ford, General Motors, Subaru, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Porsche, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Volkswagen, KIA and Mitsubishi.
CALIBRATION IS CRITICAL, PROFITABLE AND INCREASINGLY PREVALENT Krause continues to search for new glass-focused repair and replacement shops that need his help to keep their customers safe. Krause says many glass-focused shops are ill-informed about the necessity of camera calibration
after windshield replacement and feel the effect on their bottom lines, as calibrations add to service time and reduce the number of windshields they can replace in a day. The reality, however, is the opposite—glass repair shops need to understand how important their businesses are to the repair industry for the years to come and how their local repair shops and even dealers will want to use their help to complete difficult projects. “Every windshield is made and installed differently. Every mount is different, even space gaps are all different,” he says. “It’s a constant education. We go to the shop and tell them what we need to do. But everyone is focused on the DTC scanning, especially with ADAS. They think if there’s no code, then the vehicle is good to release to
the customer. But that’s not how the camera and radar-based systems work. Their customer safety is on the line because of their misunderstanding and lives are being put in danger.” Convincing shops to look beyond the DTC to understand how to complete the repair honorably will always be the industry focus. Now that the insurance carriers have understood and adopted the needed cost of pre-repair scanning and post-repair scanning to the repair process, the same crusade is being fought over the ADAS calibration process. The acceptable calibration cost by the insurance carrier varies on the vehicle make and model as well as the system being calibrated, so this crusade will continue until an industry-wide understanding of the needed ADAS calibration is accepted.
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SHOP INSIDER: COUNTRY PARKWAY REPAIRS A NEW YORK SHOP OWNER SHARES HIS RECENT ADAS JOURNEY, AND EXPLAINS WHY HE CHOSE AN AUTEL CALIBRATION FRAME AS HIS PREFERRED EQUIPMENT
bury, NY community of repairers with ADAS calibration service. “I wanted to be the first in this area to have the tools to perform calibrations,” he says. In January of this year, Cole began calibrating vehicles with driver assist systems in his shop, Country Parkway Repairs. He first noticed the business opportunity in 2019, when he saw an increase of vehicles come in that he didn’t have the means to completely repair.
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“My repair shop is surrounded by body shops. So anything that they can't repair, they usually send to me,” he explains. “When I started getting in a couple of these vehicles I couldn't fix—because I didn't have the right equipment on hand—I started doing research.” This research led Cole to purchase the new Autel MA600 calibration frame. Ever since, his shop has been performing repairs, replacing windshields and completing calibrations for surrounding shops and
dealers—helping increase his profits far more than expected.
PLAN FOR NEEDED SHOP SPACE. Calibrations take space, and before investing in the frame, Cole measured his shop to ensure the space could handle it. Country Parkway Repairs is 4,000 square feet, with four bays. He says the frame is a good fit for his New York shop because he has the 15-foot wide by 30-foot long space needed to calibrate any vehicle. Beyond
COUNTRY PARKWAY REPAIRS
CHRIS COLE IS LEADING his local West-
Efficient Use of Space The portability of the frame helps Cole complete calibrations in his small shop.
just the space for the tool, other factors of the shop needed to be accounted for. “You're going to need a level floor, enough room so there's nothing interfering in the calibration area and no external light sources like windows,” Cole says. Autel offers both a standard frame and a portable MA600 frame—both of which provide more than camera-based calibrations to complete any vehicle that comes his way. Cole opted for the portable MA600 frame to account for shop size and convenience. The portable frame can store and set up easily anywhere to complete the calibration quickly. The MA600 also cost less, so he was able to use his existing Autel MaxiSYS tablet to provide the calibration software, rather than buying a new tablet.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE TRAINING. Cole says that prior to investing in the frame, he had little knowledge of how to use calibration tools. Throughout the process of learning, Autel provided both person-to-person and video class training assistance with his purchase. One of the best resources for Cole has been the Autel Training Academy video library. “When you go into it blind, the videos are definitely helpful,” he says.
As the owner, Cole wanted to be the first person in his shop to figure everything out regarding the frame positioning and completion of calibrations. He has since been able to teach his employees and keep his shop well informed. “Whenever I see something useful or knowledgeable about ADAS calibration, I will discuss it with the team,” he says. After utilizing the training Autel offers, Cole began completing calibrations shortly after setup in his shop. As quickly as they replace a windshield, they are now completing the vehicle calibrations and getting projects billed.
RELY ON TECH SUPPORT OPTIONS. The main reason Cole chose Autel for his calibration partner is because of the support he experienced with his previous Autel MaxiSYS diagnostic tools. “I think their support is great, they are easy to reach and the price point was perfect,” he explains. “I have several Autel scanners in my shop and I've had a lot of luck with them.” When Cole first purchased the frame, he would call the Autel tech support team whenever he had questions. They were able to help walk him through any issue he ran into—mechanical or software-based—so he
could then complete the calibration easily. Autel can also remotely log into his scan tool and take a closer look at any issue, Cole says. “They can dial into my scanner and see exactly what I'm seeing when a vehicle is hooked up, which I think is huge,” he says. This helps answer questions faster and complete projects easily.
SPREAD THE WORD TO OTHER LOCALS. In order to show surrounding businesses that Country Parkway Repairs performs calibrations, Cole began an aggressive marketing campaign. He created and mailed out ADAS promotional pieces to his surrounding shops and dealerships to demonstrate his capabilities and take on new projects. “Every morning, I go to Google Maps and search for auto body shops in surrounding towns,” he says. “Then I grab their addresses and I put them into a word document; from there, I just mail the pieces out every two weeks.” Cole solely markets to businesses, considering customers rarely understand what ADAS calibration is. The industry is experiencing an increase of these new vehicle systems, so Cole has planned well in advance of the service requirements.
GLASS GUIDE PAGE 7
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