Hammer & Dolly June 2020

June 2020 Volume 14, No. 6 $5.95

The

DANGERS

of

““DISINFECTING” DISINFECTING” Staying Legally

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Safe in a COVID-19 World

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CONTENTS June 2020

22

COVER STORY BY JOEL GAUSTEN THE DANGERS OF "DISINFECTING": STAYING LEGALLY SAFE IN A COVID-19 WORLD 14 NATIONAL NEWS DEPARTMENTS

CIF, CREF RECOVERY FUNDS AVAILABLE COVID-19 support for shops and vocational schools.

18

WHITE HOUSE PROVIDES “OPENING UP” GUIDELINES

6

Getting America back on track.

21 SAVE THE DATE!

8

NORTHEAST® 2020 RESCHEDULED TO AUGUST 9

26 WMABA FEATURE BY JOEL GAUSTEN OVERCOMING CORONAVIRUS: A WMABA MEMBER ROUNDTABLE

12

Solutions and survival on the shop floor.

25

30 INDUSTRY ADVICE: ASK MIKE HOW CAN SHOPS PREPARE FOR LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN? Prepping for the new normal.

34

Editor’s Message JOEL GAUSTEN

Executive Director’s Message JORDAN HENDLER WMABA Board Page

WMABA Membership Application

WMABA Sponsorship Page Advertisers’ Index

Stock Images © www.istockphoto.com

June 2020

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Superior service starts with superior parts.

Rely on what Mazda drivers already know-Genuine Mazda parts extend a car's life.

Designed specifically for Mazda vehicles Get the right part the first time We're an accurate, trusted resource as close as your phone Give us the opportunity to serve you

Contact these Mazda dealers for all your parts needs: Brown’s Fairfax Mazda 10570 Lee Hwy. Fairfax, VA 22030 Toll Free: 800-234-8642 Phone: 703-385-3994 Fax: 703-591-5348

Nu Car Mazda 172 North Dupont Hwy. New Castle, DE 19720 Toll Free: 800-346-5283 Fax: 302-322-7135

Ourisman Mazda of Rockville 801 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 Parts Direct: 301-340-7668 Phone: 855-417-4511 Fax: 240-499-2488 e-mail: rockvilleparts@ourismanautomotive.com www.ourismanmazdaofrockville.com

Fitzgerald Mazda of Annapolis 1930 West Street Annapolis, MD 21401 Toll Free: 866-280-8022 Phone: 410-224-4636 Fax: 410-224-4264

Fitzgerald Mazda 114 Baughmans Lane Frederick, MD 21702 Toll Free: 800-545-4745 Fax 877-696-1841 E-mail parts@fitzmall.com www.fitzparts.com

4

www.fitzmall.com

June 2020

THEY’RE CALLED “ORIGINAL BMW PARTS” FOR GOOD REASON. FOR UNCOMPROMISING PRECISION AND INCOMPARABLE QUALITY, YOUR BMW CENTER IS YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR EVERYTHING BMW.

For Original BMW Parts, contact one of these authorized BMW centers: 499 South Pickett Street Alexandria,VA 22304 Direct: 703-684-5255 Fax: 703-647-1853 bmwofalexandria.com

5000 Auth Way Marlow Heights, MD 20746 301-423-0733 Fax: 301-423-2717 passportbmw.com

3211 Automobile Blvd Silver Spring, MD 20904 866-737-8937 Direct: 301-890-3015 Fax: 301-890-3748 bmwofsilverspring.com

8710 West Broad Street Richmond, VA 23294 800-237-0130 Direct: 804-527-6860 Fax: 804-965-6254 E-mail: tdailey@crownauto.com richmond-bmw.com

6700 Baltimore National Pike Baltimore, MD 21228 855-996-2906 410-744-2000 Fax: 410-818-2600 bmwofcatonsville.com

©2020 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

June 2020

5

Joel Gausten

(973) 600-9288 joel@grecopublishing.com

EDITOR’S

MESSAGE A MOVING TARGET In a recent email exchange I had with Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg, he referred to the various material hitting the auto body industry in regard to COVID-19 as a “firehose of information.” Like SCRS, WMABA and other industry entities, our job here at Hammer & Dolly is to put this heavy stream of water into various buckets and then pass them along to the parties who need them. In many ways, we’re basing our actions and decisions on what is happening within the timeframe we have to produce this magazine each month. In this issue, we take a two-pronged approach by focusing on where things are in the present tense and devoting space to assisting shops in getting back to “normal” once our current circumstances subside.

As far as things unfolding as this issue went to press, this month’s cover story details a recent webinar hosted by SCRS that examines (among other things) the possible dangers in some of the common verbiage used by shops while servicing customers during the pandemic. As an example, there is potential liability attached when repairers use the word “disinfecting” during the repair process, as this could mean different things to different

WMABA OFFICERS PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Torchy Chandler torchy.chandler@gmail.com 410-309-2242 Bill Hawkins hawkinswilliamjr@gmail.com 510-915-2283 Phil Rice phil@ricewoods.com 540-846-6617 Mark Schaech, Jr. markschaech@gmail.com 410-358-5155

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Don Beaver (donbeaver3551@gmail.com) 443-235-6668 Rodney Bolton (rbolton@aacps.org) 443-386-0066 Kevin Burt (kevinburt@walkermillcollision.com) 301-336-1140 Kris Burton (kris@Rosslynautobody.com) 703-820-1800

ADMINISTRATION

Barry Dorn (bdorn@dornsbodyandpaint.com) 804-746-3928 Ben Gibson (bgibson@richmondmarinecenter.com) 804-355-8151 Steven Krieps (srkrieps@live.com) 304-755-1146 Danny Szarka (danny@dynamiccollisionservices.com) 410-500-9200

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jordan Hendler (jordanhendler@wmaba.com) 804-789-9649 WMABA CORPORATE OFFICE P.O. Box 3157 • Mechanicsville, VA 23116

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June 2020

people. In addition to serving as a guest presenter in this webinar, WMABA Executive Director Jordan Hendler was the first industry representative to caution the automotive community that words matter when it comes to addressing COVID-19 at the shop level. I encourage you to read our coverage, view the complete webinar and reach out to WMABA with any follow-up questions you may have.

Elsewhere in this issue, we touch base with Mike Anderson of Collision Advice for his insights into what shops can do to position themselves to thrive once the lockdown is over. Anyone who has ever interacted with Mike knows that he is one of the most positive people out there, and the uplifting attitude he brings to this latest installment of “Ask Mike” is no exception. There is opportunity in all adversity, and I’m sure Mike’s words will bring some light to an otherwise dark and uncertain time.

Until next month, stay safe and productive and never forget that you’re not alone in this. If we at Hammer & Dolly can be of any assistance to you and your business, we’re always just a

phone call or email away. H&D

STAFF

PUBLISHER SALES DIRECTOR EDITORIAL DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Thomas Greco thomas@grecopublishing.com

Alicia Figurelli alicia@grecopublishing.com

Joel Gausten joel@grecopublishing.com

Lisa M. Cuthbert lisa@grecopublishing.com

EDITORIAL/CREATIVE COORDINATOR

Alana Bonillo alana@grecopublishing.com

OFFICE MANAGER

Donna Greco donna@grecopublishing.com

PUBLISHED BY TGP, Inc. 244 Chestnut St., Suite 202 Nutley, NJ 07110 973-667-6922 FAX 973-235-1963 Reproduction of any portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written permission from the publisher. The opinions and ideas appearing in this magazine are not necessarily representations of TGP Inc. or of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA). Copyright © 2020 Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc.

A SYSTEM

R EBO OR N w it h e v er yt hing y ou u a s k ed f or in a r e f inish s y s t em – c olor c onsis t enc y and t ools .

M AV ER IC K AP P R OV ED .

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S

MESSAGE

Jordan Hendler

(804) 789-9649 jordanhendler@wmaba.com

ARE WE “BACK TO WORK”?

WHAT HAS THAT LOOKED LIKE?

We talked last month about cautions relating to promoting services to “clean,” “sanitize” or “disinfect” customer vehicles, but now I feel it’s equally important to next talk about the business responsibilities during the phase(d) reopening recommendations.

That said, by the time you read this, I’m hopeful the worst is behind us.

In my mind, the worst-case scenario is to think of a shop doing its best but still having a confirmed COVID-19 case where they have to spend thousands of dollars for a professional cleaning, interrupt its business and send its employees home for this period of time. Truly, this could happen with all precautions taken because someone had an exposure and just didn’t know.

I highly recommend reading the article on page 18, “White House Provides ‘Opening Up’ Guidelines,” where explanation is given behind their very simple and straightforward considerations for individuals and businesses. In there, it specifies taking temperatures, considering individual risk factors for returning (or continuing) to work and other items.

Where I struggle with this the most is that it seems businesses are now responsible for communicable illness management. We are certainly not trained for such things, and the pivot taken to acquire those skills is fairly steep. Most shops have digital thermometers that can monitor employees, but most other returning businesses are checking customers, too. There’s also consideration to not let them

into the business space (if possible) and utilize tablets or website authorization mechanisms to reduce contact or exposure.

These are such bizarre times, and anything we can do to stay informed and make adjustments as advice comes out is key. Dating those changes made in process may also be helpful if – God forbid – you have to defend what you did or did not do given a specific timeframe.

We strive to keep a level pro-shop and pro-business voice. Even within that, we have to consider that the customer is the income source and the employee gets the work done. These aspects also need to be valued and protected.

If you need assistance, have questions or want to just plain vent, you can always call us. We at WMABA are here for you and want nothing but success despite these rollercoaster waves of constantly trying to adapt for growth. H&D

Check the WMABA website and newsletters for regular updates and reports from the Executive Director’s perspective.

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June 2020

An association fostering the exchange of ideas and providing a voice and support for the collision repair professional.

Position Your Business as a Leader!

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT: Torchy Chandler torchy.chandler@gmail.com 410-309-2242

VICE PRESIDENT: Bill Hawkins hawkinswilliamjr@gmail.com 510-915-2283

SECRETARY: Phil Rice phil@ricewoods.com 540-846-6617

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PAST PRESIDENT: Mark Schaech Jr. markschaech@gmail.com 410-358-5155

Rodney Bolton rbolton@aacps.org 443-386-0066

Barry Dorn bdorn@dornsbodyandpaint.com 804-746-3928

Just like equipment and training, WMABA membership is not only a commitment to excellence, but also a valuable investment.

WMABA is recognized both regionally and nationally as the key forum for the exchange of ideas concerning the D.C., MD, VA and WV collision repair industry. It is the venue to discuss, learn about and impact evolving standards and policies in the technical, administrative and legislative fronts of our industry.

Shops and industry supporters can best develop themselves and their employees by actively engaging in the association and its activities.

Automotive collision repair facilities in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. who are willing to adopt WMABA’s Standards of Membership and offer a guarantee to their consumers are encouraged to engage their business as an active member of the association. For over 40 years, the WMABA membership of professional collision repair businesses and affiliates have committed to operating at a higher standard on behalf of their industry and their consumers. Over the years, WMABA has proudly represented the collision repair industry at hearings on Capitol Hill, in Annapolis, MD, and Richmond, VA as well as almost every national collision repair event. While WMABA has a rich history of dedicated men and women serving the local collision repair community, WMABA also boasts numerous past and current accomplished Board members who represent our membership at the national level.

WMABA offers current and dynamic discussion forums on topics facing collision repairers, technical information and educational seminars, opportunities to network and discuss pressing topics with leaders of the collision repair industry, an arbitration program that works with consumers to help resolve issues they might have, apprenticeship programs, legislative representation and the ability to receive and contribute to one of the nation’s leading collision repair magazines, Hammer & Dolly.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Jordan Hendler jordanhendler@wmaba.com 804-789-9649 Kevin Burt kevinburt@walkermillcollision.com 301-336-1140

Ben Gibson bgibson@richmondmarinecenter.com 804-355-8151

Don Beaver don.beaver3551@gmail.com 443-235-6668

Contact Executive Director Jordan Hendler to find out how WMABA can amplify YOUR voice in the collision repair industry.

Danny Szarka danny@dynamiccollisionservices.com 410-500-9200

Steven Krieps srkrieps@live.com 304-755-1146

Kris Burton kris@rosslynautobody.com 703-820-1800

June 2020

9

KEEP IT GENUINE

INSIST ON GENUINE GM PARTS

We stand behind our product, providing collision repair professionals and vehicle owners peace-of-mind and confidence.

Contact these Genuine GM Parts dealers for all your parts needs: NU CAR CHEVROLET 172 North Dupont Highway New Castle, DE 19720 Phone: 800-633-6606 Fax: 800-346-5285 e-mail: parts@nucar.com www.nucar.com

10

OURISMAN CHEVROLET 4400 Branch Avenue Temple Hills, MD 20748 Phone: 301-899-6990 Fax: 301-899-9375 www.ourismanchevrolet.com

June 2020

RADLEY CHEVROLET 3670 Jefferson Davis Highway Fredericksburg, VA 22408 Phone: 800-355-8202 Direct: 540-898-0055 Fax: 540-891-2074 www.radleychevrolet.com

OURISMAN CHEVROLET OF ROCKVILLE 807 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 Toll Free: 800-345-4640 Direct: 301-424-5332 Fax: 301-294-6381 www.rockvillechevrolet.com

JERRY’S CHEVROLET 1940 E. Joppa Road Baltimore, MD 21234 Toll Free: 844-817-9405 Local: 443-219-3339 Fax: 443-403-0803 chevyparts@jerryschevrolet.com www.jerryschevrolet.com

Diagnostically speaking, there is no substitute.

Porsche technology.

Porsche Genuine Service & Parts.

Contact one of these authorized dealers.

Porsche Bethesda 11990 Rockville Pike North Bethesda, MD 855-683-3144 Fax 301-945-4341 bethesda.porschedealer.com

Porsche Silver Spring 3141 Automobile Boulevard Silver Spring, MD 844-413-6929 Fax 301-890-3748 silverspring.porschedealer.com

Porsche of Arlington 3154 Jefferson Davis Highway Arlington, VA 703-684-8835 Fax 703-518-0467 arlington.porschedealer.com

Euroclassics Porsche 11900 Midlothian Turnpike Midlothian, VA 804-794-3399 Fax 804-794-9771 euroclassics.porschedealer.com

Š 2020 Porsche Cars North America Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of traffic laws at all times.

June 2020

11

JOIN !

TODAY

GENUINE NISSAN PARTS

MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

Only Genuine Nissan Parts deliver the fit, reliability, and performance to meet your shop’s collision repair needs.

So keep it original, and keep it real with Genuine Nissan Parts.

Contact these Nissan dealers for all your parts needs: Passport Nissan 5000 Auth Way Suitland, MD 20746 Phone: 301-423-6930 Fax: 301-423-2965

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June 2020

Sheehy Nissan of Manassas 9010 Liberia Ave Manassas, VA 20110 Toll Free: 800-969-4778 Local Direct: 703-361-0377 Fax: 703-361-5165 martinfisher@sheehy.com

Cowles Nissan of Woodbridge 14777 Jefferson Davis Hwy. Wodbridge, VA 22191 Phone: 703-497-3097 Parts Fax: 703-497-4407 Email: parts@cowlesauto.com

MAINTAIN AN INFINITE INVENTORY OF ORIGINAL MINI PARTS.

At your local MINI dealer, we believe that using Original MINI collision replacement parts will speed your repairs and increase your profitability. Original MINI parts assure an absolute perfect fit and function.

For Original MINI parts, contact any of these authorized MINI dealers.

MINI of Annapolis 25 Old Mill Bottom Road Annapolis, MD 21409 410-349-2565 fax: 410-349-2586

Crown MINI 8710 West Broad Street Richmond, VA 23294 804-527-6860 fax: 804-965-6254

MINI of Alexandria 5990 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22304 703-461-6250 fax: 703-751-0595

MINI of Montgomery County 820 Russell Avenue Gaithersburg, MD 20879 Parts: 240-238-1204 Parts fax: 240-238-1493

MYMINIANNAPOLIS.COM

MINIOFALEXANDRIA.COM

CROWNMINI.COM

MINIOFMONTGOMERYCOUNTY.COM

© 2020 MINI USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

June 2020

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Help is here.

NATIONAL

NEWS CIF, CREF RECOVERY FUNDS AVAILABLE As reported in last month’s Hammer & Dolly, the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) has formed a specific Assistance Fund to assist those industry members whose livelihoods have been greatly affected by recent events. Since that time, the Fund’s initial amount of $100,000 has grown to more than $200,000 thanks in large part to a generous donation from CCC Information Services, who contributed an additional $100,000. Other industry organizations and individuals who have donated to the Fund include AirPro Diagnostics, Benjamin Cupelli, Dave’s Collision Center/Halethorpe, Kelli Dewberry, Jeff Hendler, Timothy Morgan, Petra Schroeder, Spanesi

Americas and Tanya Sweetland. Additionally, funds are also being contributed from monthly donors Bill Enross (cPrax Internet Marketing) and Meredith Bradshaw.

“We are grateful for the generous financial contributions that have been made to the CIF COVID-19 Assistance Fund at this crucial time,” comments Michael Quinn, CIF Board president and senior vice president of business development at AirPro Diagnostics. “With several hundred applications for financial assistance already received, these and additional donations are vital. For those organizations that are in a position to contribute, the CIF Board of

OVER 40 YEARS NISSAN EXPERIENCE #1 WHOLESALE DEALER IN DISTRICT MULTIPLE DELIVERY DRIVERS Visit Us 14777 Jefferson Davis Highway Woodbridge, Virginia 22191 M-F 8am-7pm SAT 8am-5pm

Contact Us www.cowlesnissan.com parts@cowlesauto.com Phone Number: 703-497-3097 Fax Number: 703-490-4407

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June 2020

Continued on page 21

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For Genuine Mitsubishi parts, contact these authorized Mitsubishi Dealers.

Fitzgerald Mitsubishi >L >LZ[ :[YLL[ (UUHWVSPZ 4+ +PYLJ[!

-H_! , THPS! HKHTZM'Ã&#x201E;[aTHSS JVT

Younger Mitsubishi +\HS /PNO^H` /HNLYZ[V^U 4+ +PYLJ[!

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Buy Genuine Mitsubishi Parts and get WKH SHUIHFW Ã&#x20AC;W DW WKH SHUIHFW SULFH 10% off on all parts orders when you mention this ad.

June 2020

15

Audi dealers strive to make you an Audi Genuine Parts fan •

Audi Parts Professionals are your subject matter experts on collision parts, replacement components and mechanical items.

•

Many Audi dealers offer technical service support hotline access that can reduce your repair times and help you meet an on-time promised delivery.

•

Installing Audi Genuine Parts contributes towards improved cycle time that makes both your customer and their insurance company happier.

•

Regardless of the age of your customer’s Audi, Audi dealers have access to over 200,000 part numbers.

No other supplier comes close.

Helping you do business is our business. Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select dealers.

Audi Arlington 3200 Columbia Pike Alexandria, VA 22204 703.739.7490 Fax: 703.684.8420

Audi Chantilly 14839 Stonecroft Center Court Chantilly, VA 20151 703.956.2100 Fax: 703.956.2139 www.audichantilly.com

Audi Bethesda 5206 River Road Bethesda, MD 20816 Parts Direct: 240.762.5636 Parts Fax: 301.718.1847 www.audibethesda.com

Rockville Audi 1125 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 Parts Direct: 301.296.2870 Parts Fax: 301.762.5055 www.rockville-audi.com

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June 2020

Audi Silver Spring 3151 Automobile Boulevard Silver Spring, MD 20904 844.413.6929 Fax: 301.890.3748 www.audisilverspringparts.com

Audi Owings Mills 9804 Reisterstown Road Owings Mills, MD 21117 Parts: 877-411-6825 Parts Fax: 410-372-3380 www.audiowingsmills.com

June 2020

17

Steps for future success.

NATIONAL

NEWS

WHITE HOUSE PROVIDES “OPENING UP” GUIDELINES

Note: The following update is based on information available as of our May 11 press deadline. We urge you to follow your state’s specific orders and guidelines for the re-opening process in your area.

With various states taking initial steps to gradually reopen following a weeks-long lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House has issued a proposed three-phase state/regional process for officials to follow for the safety of employers and individuals. According to the proposal, the “phased comeback” should only be implemented once a state/region can demonstrate a “downward trajectory of documented [COVID-19] cases within a 14day period” or a “downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period [flat or increasing volume of tests].”

Throughout all phases, employers should “develop and implement appropriate policies in accordance with federal, state and

6913 Ritchie Hwy #2, Glen Burnie, MD 21061 410-689-8066 Fax: 410-689-8008 subparts@wilkinsautomotive.com www.wilkinssubaru.com

18

June 2020

local regulations, and guidance and informed by industry best practices,” regarding: • • • • •

social distancing and protective equipment; temperature checks; sanitation; use and disinfection of common and high-traffic areas; and business travel.

Additionally, the proposed guidelines urge employers to monitor employees for symptoms and not allow symptomatic individuals to return to work until they are cleared by a medical provider. The guidelines also call for employers to “develop and implement policies and procedures for workforce contact tracing” following an

Continued on page 29

Genuine Volkswagen Collision Parts Are a Call or a Click Away.

The best repairs start with the best shop-supplier relationship. Contact the following Authorized Volkswagen dealers by phone, fax or email to get the parts you need, when you need them.

Alexandria Volkswagen 107 West Glebe Rd. Alexandria, VA 22305 703-684-7007 Fax: 703-684-4138 e-mail: parts@alexandriavw.com

Karen Radley Volkswagen 14700 Jefferson Davis Hwy. Woodbridge, VA 22191 703-550-0205 Fax: 703-643-0081

Ourisman Volkswagen of Bethesda 5415 Butler Road Bethesda,MD 20816 301-652-2452 Fax: 301-652-2589

Fitzgerald Volkswagen of Annapolis 34 Hudson Street Annapolis, MD 21401 Phone: 410-224-4636 Fax: 410-224-4264

e-mail: vwwholesale@ourisman.com

www.fitzmall.com

e-mail: rockvilleparts@ourismanautomotive.com www.ourismanvolkswagenofrockville.com

Fitzgerald Volkswagen 114 Baughmans Lane Frederick, MD 21702 Toll Free: 800-545-4745 Fax: 877-696-1841

Ourisman Volkswagen of Laurel 3371 Ft. Meade Rd. Laurel, MD 20724 Phone: 301-498-6050 Fax: 301-498-0157

e-mail: parts@fitzmall.com www.fitzparts.com

www.laurelvolkswagen.com

“Volkswagen“ and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. ©2020 Volkswagen of America, Inc.

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June 2020

Ourisman Volkswagen of Rockville 801 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 Parts Direct: 301-340-7668 Toll Free: 855-417-4511 Fax: 240-499-2488

NATIONAL

NEWS

Continued from page 14

Trustees asks you to please donate and help us to help as many impacted collision repair professionals as possible.”

Tax deductible donations to the fund - or requests for support can both be made at collisionindustryfoundation.org.

With automotive vocational schools facing new hardships as a result of the pandemic, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) has established a COVID-19 School Recovery Fund that will work to identify and assist schools that have been severely impacted by the lockdown. According to a national CREF survey, 65 percent of collision schools will see reductions in their budgets for the 20202021 school year. More information on the COVID-19 School Recovery Fund is available at collisioneducationfoundation.org.

H&D

Executive Director’s Thoughts There is no other foundation in our industry that swoops in to help when a disaster, even an economic one, occurs. Supporting the CIF during and after the COVID-19 crisis is an important and direct way we can keep relief in our industry for our people.

— Jordan Hendler

HYUNDAI IS PROUD OF ITS REPUTATION FOR QUALITY AND SERVICE. SO ARE THE DEALERS AND BODY SHOPS WHO RELY ON GENUINE HYUNDAI PARTS. TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU GET THE RIGHT HYUNDAI PART, ASK FOR A HYUNDAI WHOLESALE PARTS SPECIALIST.

For Genuine Hyundai parts, contact an Authorized Hyundai Dealer.

Fairfax Hyundai 10925 Fairfax Blvd.

Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 703-273-5188 FAX: 703-352-3115 E-mail: parts@fairfaxhyundaiinc.com

June 2020

21

COVER STORY

The Dangers of

“Disinfecting”: Staying Legally Safe in a COVID-19 World “Don’t promise something you cannot perform.”

When WMABA Executive Director Jordan Hendler said these words during a recent webinar hosted by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), she summed up the many potential dangers that exist as shops throughout the country race to provide a safe repair environment for consumers as the COVID-19 pandemic carries on.

In late April, almost 500 industry members logged on to “Ask the Experts: How Professional Restorers Deal with ‘Disinfecting’ Vehicles,” a two-hour Zoom presentation created to help shop owners and employees better navigate the unchartered waters of COVID care and protection. Panelists included Hendler (who, in addition to her role with WMABA, administers the Property Insurance and Restoration Conference [PIRC]), shop owner and Past SCRS Chairman Kye Yeung (European Motor Car Works; Costa Mesa, CA), restoration industry expert Kris Rzesnoski (vice president of business development for Encircle) and Restoration Industry Association (RIA) instructor Norris Gearhart. Hendler, whose direct experience with the property restoration field enabled her to see how those professionals were addressing current circumstances, developed the webinar with SCRS to offer these insights to repairers who are working to provide services and comfort to the vehicle owners during this time.

A past SARS survivor, Yeung explained that he has been taking a proactive approach to protecting his staff, customers and family since the very start of the pandemic.

“We did as much research as we could online, we used products that we had on hand or could get our hands on and we started offering pick-up and delivery. We did as much online paperwork as we could to minimize interaction. We scheduled drop-offs and pick-ups so we would have no more than one customer in the office.”

Naturally, existing in and surviving the age of coronavirus demands a considerable emphasis on ensuring a shop’s daily activities are performed with safety and potential legal exposure in mind. “[Shops] need to take a look at what their liability coverage is and what their [workers’ compensation] exposure is,” Gearhart observed.

“The requirements for requiring a safe workplace under OSHA don’t go away.”

Hendler cautioned webinar listeners that terminology is just as important as the repair process these days, stressing that proclamations from a shop that it ‘disinfected’ a vehicle should be avoided in all conversations and documentations with the motoring public.

“Shops are using the terms ‘disinfecting’ and ‘sanitizing,’ and that was a concern for us; they should be saying, ‘I applied disinfectant; I used this chemical.’ But after that, no guarantees.”

“That condition of ‘cleaned with a disinfectant applied to the surface’ is a moment in time,” Gearhart warned. “The minute someone touches that vehicle, walks up to it or opens it, all bets are off. It’s completely changed again. That’s something that has to be made clear. There is no warranty or guarantee; you’re going to document up front what your process or procedure is and document that you executed it the way that you outlined it.”

Gearhart advised shops to consult with their legal representatives to gain a better understanding of their possible risk exposure.

“It’s really important with any of these documents that you put together – and your existing documents – that you have an attorney take a look at them [from another] perspective. If you say you’re going to

Critical information for confusing times.

BY JOEL GAUSTEN

‘disinfect’ or ‘sanitize’ the car, how are you validating that you did that?

All that you can really say is, ‘We have applied the disinfectant per the EPA-registered guidelines.’”

While litigation is certainly a valid concern, the greatest obstacle facing every shop in 2020 (and very likely beyond) is doing the very best to keep everyone involved in the repair experience virus-free. In Rzesnoski’s mind, communicating with consumers is more critical than ever – especially with respect to the various chemicals being used to hopefully reduce the spread of coronavirus. This is not a time for flashy salesmanship with catchy slogans; this is a time to clearly define and explain the standards performed at the shop so no ambiguities exist in a customer’s mind.

“Not all cleaners are built the same. When you’re using a disinfectant, is it on the EPA list? Does it meet those requirements?

Then, you have to follow the instructions on the product…The customer has to have a choice in that, because you’re putting products inside that vehicle that may affect them differently.

“If there is a risk coming into the shop, you have to decide how you’re going to mitigate that risk,” he added. “The fact is, every customer coming in is a potential COVID patient right now with the high volume.”

Prior to the discussion, Hendler noted the importance of reaching out to outside industries for perspectives and practices that could aid in both stopping the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring that shops can operate with greater confidence and security.

“In my work with administrating [the Property Insurance and Restoration Conference], it’s been really interesting to see how they’re responding to this crisis and how their businesses are pivoting to address all of these issues. In those discussions and hearing the concerns they’re raising, I was seeing a lot of issues for my collision repair friends. Their industry knows a lot about this – more than we do. It just made sense to me that we could put this together.”

Readers are strongly urged to view the complete webinar available online at scrs.com/covid19-resources for additional information and discussions beyond those included in this story. H&D

Executive Director’s Thoughts There is such complexity around our industry providing this unprecedented service of infectious disease control. The tripod of the customer-employee-business, when looked at for measures of safety then liability, brings many questions.

I highly recommend shops consult with infectious disease specialists like Norris to come up with personalized protocols based on this same tripod. The liability for contact tracing is something that we need to take seriously. Cleaning a business the size of our shops after known COVID-19 issues is so expensive that a hit like that should be another concern for bringing any additional exposures outside the employee group. — Jordan Hendler June 2020

23

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June 2020

WMABA THANKS

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A WMABA Member Roundtable

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June 2020

With the WMABA region one of many areas in the country severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, we reached out to WMABA Board members Don Beaver (Ourisman Chevrolet; Bowie, MD), Kris Burton (Rosslyn Auto Body; Alexandria, VA), Steven Krieps (Greg Cline Automotive; Winfield, WV) and Danny Szarka (Dynamic Collision Services; Baltimore, MD) to discuss how they are adapting to the situation while planning for a hopeful future.

Hammer & Dolly: As shop owners in addition to your work with the association, what are some ways you’re making things work in your business at this time – from in-shop processes to dealing with the motoring public?

Don Beaver: Things are going okay; we’re here working every day. Business has definitely fallen off; I had to let some support staff go, but all of my technicians are still here, still working and doing the best they can.

First and foremost, we’re treating all of these cars with disinfectants, steering wheel covers and what have you when those cars arrive. Most insurance companies are allowing us to bill for this, which is a big plus. The big thing is that I haven’t seen an insurance adjuster in weeks now; they’re all basically handling things by phone and photos. With technology nowadays, it’s fairly easy to process the claim without them actually being here. I’ve never been a fan of the photo claims that are done directly with the insurance company, but when you’re dealing with an adjuster who deals with the vehicles on a daily basis, is familiar with the shop and has a rapport with us, it’s a little bit easier just because you’ve got that level of trust.

Kris Burton: Business is more than half down, so we have a lot of time to work on our to-do list. We’re fortunate that we have enough space to where nobody is on top of each other; everybody can work in their own areas in the shop. We’re cleaning cars as best as we can when they come in, and we clean them as good as we can

Thoughts on challenging times.

BY JOEL GAUSTEN when they come out. Everybody on our staff is still here, and it’s up to us to keep morale up and show leadership.

Steven Krieps: We’ve pretty much locked the front door and are only allowing a single customer in the building at a time. In between people going in and out, we wipe everything down. As far as staff goes, we really haven’t had any changes. We’ve had a few people who, due to the situation, had to take some extra days off for family reasons, especially with daycare not being open. We’re lucky in that our workload has been lowered but hasn’t gone away. We’ve stayed busy enough to come to work every day and have things to do.

As far as cars coming in, I’ve never been a big proponent of documenting and charging for something that I am in no way, shape or form an expert at, so I let people know that we’re wiping their cars with Lysol wipes and Isopropyl alcohol – no different than the way we clean our homes. We know our customers trust us, and we don’t want them to think that if we cleaned it they have nothing to worry about.

That’s just not true.

Any time we get into a customer’s vehicle, we have some sort of facial covering on, just to be safe. We’ve started doing photo estimating through CCC Carwise. Customers send us photographs, and we write an estimate to the best of our abilities. We did have a few where we could see, just from a photo app, that the vehicle was a non-drive. In these cases, we set it up so that a tow truck could pick that vehicle up at the customer’s house and bring it to us and we could set up a rental. Enterprise has been pretty on point with making sure that everybody is taken care of.

Danny Szarka: The biggest thing we’ve done is expand our advertising budget with our agency, Moon38, and really went hard. We knew that more people were going to be on their phones and in front of their computers and would have more time to do their homework and make a decision on where to

take their car. We wanted to make sure we stood out. We added some things to our website, dialed up our search engine optimization [SEO] to make sure our pay-perclick was on point and tracked leads. Before this, we thought, ‘Okay, we have work coming in, and we have a backlog.’ Now, every time the phone rings, we’re doing cartwheels to see who could answer it the quickest!

As far as our waiting room, we don’t let any customers in. They check in at the front door, and we meet them outside. We have an authorization that is done online, so that saves the pen and paper and the scanning and touching.

H&D: How have you used the unexpected downtime to make your shop stronger for when things eventually return to normal?

DB: We’re catching up on training, and the shop is certainly clean. We’ve been spending a little more time actually scrutinizing each of these cars as they go through to make sure guidelines are being followed – as we always do. But when you’ve got the extra time, it helps with making sure your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed.

KB: Reorganizing and cleaning the shop. We also have my grandfather’s old truck – an ’88 Ford F-150 truck that’s been sitting in the back – and we’re working on that. It hasn’t run for a couple of years, so we’re doing a tune-up on it, changing the fuel pump and all that type of stuff. We’re throwing away stuff that should have been thrown away a long time ago and are doing maintenance on our compressors and other equipment. Everybody has a little work here and there to do. This situation is what you make of it, so we see it as an opportunity to pause, reset and get ready for when the good times come back around.

SK: We have been working on some of our ICAR training for our Gold Class, and we’re taking any other courses we think are relevant,

along with working to add on additional OE certifications. We have a guy here who is interested in paintless dent repair, so we started having him take some of the PDR courses that I-CAR has so he could get a better feel and understanding for it. Also, cleaning whenever we can take a break is always something we’re taking advantage of.

DS: Since we feel that things are going to come back around, we’ve asked our staff, ‘What do we need?’ They came back and said we might be due for a new spot welder and some other things. So, I’ve been working closely with jobbers, since this is a good time to get equipment because interest rates are low and everybody is looking to make a sale.

When you’re an owner, you obviously want to buy low and sell high. I think this is a good time for us to optimize on new equipment we have been putting off getting.

H&D: What are some ways you and other shops you know have been helping the community? How can shops help moving forward?

DB: We haven’t been doing a lot of donations, but we have been doing a lot of social media work. We offer pickup and delivery service, and we allow for all types of touch-free communication. If a customer wants a curbside estimate, all they have to do is call us; we’re more than happy to write an estimate when they pull up.

KB: We haven’t done any mask donations; we don’t keep a stockpile here. But we’ve been working harder to reach out to the community through Facebook. We added an online repair authorization to our website, and we added photo estimating through CCC Carwise. We’ve also been talking about providing payment options online.

Continued on page 32

June 2020

27

USI of North America 566 Commerce St. Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 PH: 201-405-7761 EMAIL: s.moretto@usius.com www.usius.com

18 USI Italia Booths and Still Counting at No. 1 Collision

When anyone has a technical question for No. 1 Collision regarding any piece of equipment from a car rack all the way to a paint booth, they ask Facilities and Equipment Manager Milford Cumberland is the person to ask. At the age of 66, he is the old wise man that holds the cards and is the information gatekeeper on every facility, as well as all of its training, tools and equipment.

One of Cumberland’s job at No. 1 is overseeing the acquisition, installation and ongoing maintenance for 18 USI Italia booths. It’s an enormous investment that keeps paying for itself over and over again, and as a result, Cumberland is likely North America’s #1 expert about these Italian-made high-end spray booths.

The No. 1 Collision Centre in Richmond, British Columbia invested $19 million in an impressive 70,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art location on two acres that is over the top in every way. “We call our facilities the superstars of the industry and our largest one definitely has that ‘wow’ factor,” Cumberland said. “Other shops and many of the OEMs request tours of this shop all the time and fly here from the U.S. and Europe just to see what we’re doing. When they see a dozen USI Chronotechs here set up side-by-side and full of high-end luxury vehicles, they are impressed, no doubt.”

If you walked into any of the No. 1 Collision locations, you’d find primarily Teslas, Land Rovers, Jaguars, Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes, Audis, Volkswagens, MINIs, Ferraris, Maseratis and even a few Rolls Royces being repaired. Certified to work on this impressive assemblage of 10 OE certifications, No. 1 Collision works hard to stay current with the training and equipment required to make this list.

CEO Rob Walker and his brother COO Scott purchased a shop in 1993 and today No. 1 Collision repairs a total of more than 1,0000 cars every month. The Walker Group of Companies have built an impressive business that includes four collision centers in Canada and one in the U.S. This MSO has invested approximately $1 million in its USI booths after acquiring their first one in 2009. When it comes to acquiring any tools, equipment or training, Walker isn’t afraid to pay for value, “We learned rather quickly that trying to cut costs isn’t the best way to go,” Rob Walker said. When we started looking at paint booths, we realized that the European ones were superior and that USI was the best.

Our Chronotechs are like BMWs while some of the others are more like KIAs. We will never buy another type of paint booth, because these have proven to be superior across the board. The technology is unmatched with incredible lighting, better air movement and sturdy construction.”

Cumberland agrees with Walker and is more than willing to expound on the capabilities and advantages of using USI booths, he said. “We are very impressed with the USI direct drive system and their powerful motors (15hp), and everything is tunable on-site. Some paint booths contain cheap components and in the end they’re nothing more than just cargo boxes with lights. A great booth is something you can install and then not worry about it for 20 years and that’s what we have with USI.”

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June 2020

Refinish Technician Ben Yi paints primarily high-end vehicles in a USI Chronotech spray booth at No. 1 Collision.

Whenever he purchases anything, Cumberland makes certain that the support that is both accessible and accountable. “We made sure that the support from USI was going to be strong, and that was one of the many things we considered before acquiring the booths,” he said. “At the very beginning, all of the USI people gave me their phone numbers, which has turned out to be a real blessing. They’re very responsive and you can tell they love what they’re doing. When I call them, especially their tech people, they are more than willing to answer all of our questions. We can’t afford to be down at any time if we want to maintain our reputation. I tell people the sign says No. 1, not No. 2.”

“I always tell people that to succeed in this industry, you should never skimp on things such as air compressors and paint booths,” Cumberland said. “We’ve been very fortunate with USI and now they’re an integral part of everything we do here.”

When it comes to maintenance and upkeep, Cumberland has a huge calendar that tells him what to replace and when with every USI booth. “With 18 of these babies, we have to stay on top of it, so that they will perform at a high level all the time. With USI, we don’t have to replace the filters or the intake and exhaust cubes as frequently as we would with another brand, which gives us another advantage over the competition.”

Chesapeake Automotive Equipment 857 Keith Lane, Owings, MD 20736

800-604-9653 www.chesautoequip.com

NATIONAL

NEWS

Continued from page 18

employee’s coronavirus test.

Phase One of the proposal calls for employers to continue to encourage telework whenever possible, return employees to work in phases if possible, keep common areas closed or enforce “strict social distancing guidelines,” minimize non-essential travel and strongly consider special accommodations for personnel who are part of the “vulnerable population” (defined by the White House as the elderly or “individuals with serious underlying health conditions, including high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma and those whose immune system is compromised such as by chemotherapy for cancer and other conditions requiring such therapy”).

Phase Two calls for employers to “enforce moderate social distancing protocols” in addition to continuing to keep common areas closed or enforce “moderate social distancing guidelines,” encourage telework and strongly consider special accommodations for personnel who are part of the “vulnerable population.”

Phase Three calls for employers to resume “unrestricted staffing” at worksites.

The complete proposed guidelines are available at whitehouse.gov/ openingamerica/#criteria. H&D

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It is fascinating to me the layers of precaution in every phase that businesses are to carry out, unseen in any communicable illness before. If you’re sick, you were supposed to stay home even before this. People violated that policy previously, and what if they do that now because they fear for their employment and financial stability – just like when they’d get the flu? I know several people who say, “I can’t not go to work; how would I pay the bills?” It places the trust in the collective and the individual.

Regardless of how we feel, these protocols are a “new normal,” and how we deal with them is sticking together and finding solutions as a community!

Executive Director’s Thoughts

— Jordan Hendler

June 2020

29

INDUSTRY

ADVICE

Do you have a question for Mike? Contact Hammer & Dolly Editorial Director Joel Gausten at joel@grecopublishing.com or (973) 600-9288, and we’ll ask him in a future issue.

ASK MIKE: How Can Shops Prepare for Life after Lockdown?

This month, we “ASK MIKE” for his thoughts on how shops can position themselves for success once things return to normal. We at Hammer & Dolly hope you find this following exchange useful, and we encourage you to reach out to us if you have a question for Mike on this or any industry-related matter that he can answer in a subsequent issue.

Hammer & Dolly: There will come a time when things in the industry will resume a more normal schedule. As shops inch towards that, what are some things they should be doing to make sure the transition back to day-to-day business is as smooth as possible?

Mike Anderson: I’ve done quite a few webinars for a variety of industry publications, organizations and trade associations. What I’ve been telling everybody is that I think this has given us insight into what our industry would have looked like 15 years from now. If you look at statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the Information Providers, they say that claims count declined by two or three percent last year because of ADAS. Nobody really felt the pinch of that two percent accident reduction rate last year because their severity was up. Unemployment was also at a low, so people were driving a lot. The severity and unemployment rates kind of masked and covered up the decreased claims rate. I use the analogy that if you had a pot of boiling water and you drop a frog in it, the frog would jump out because the water’s hot. But if you put a frog in a pot of water and gradually crank the heat up two degrees every day or every hour, eventually the frog would boil to death.

The statistics I just mentioned went on to say that it would probably be 15 to 20 years before ADAS impacted claims count by 35

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June 2020

to 40 percent. But what COVID-19 has done is really given us insight into what the future was going to look like. In order for shops to thrive and not just survive, they need to be working on capture rate, which is doing everything they can to get cars through the door so they can still be in business when the car count drops off. Now is the time to start building best practices on some of the things that most of us probably did when we first went into business. We were aggressive in getting every job that came through the door and spending extra time with the customer to convince them they needed to get their car fixed with us.

Some shops became extremely busy, and they developed bad habits.

If they made a customer mad, they didn’t care because they had five other customers lined up. Now, those bad habits have been exposed through COVID-19, and that has increased the need for best practices for capture rate.

For DRP shops, that means following up on assignments properly and not thinking, ‘Well, I’ve got a lot of work, so I don’t need to follow up on this right away.’ For non-DRP shops, one problem could have been they were not invested in strategic marketing options to ensure they had more work coming through the door to offset the decline in accidents. We need to build best practices right now so that when a customer reaches out to us because they need our services, we get in touch with them ASAP. I also think we need to develop best practices for following up so when we write an estimate and they don’t schedule, we reach out to them in a timely manner to capture a car.

Based on statistics, the majority of accidents occur on a Saturday. Prior to coronavirus, Friday was the second-most common day for accidents; the third day was Sunday. We have to look at having a digital presence where people can reach out to us for our services outside of normal business hours. We need to make sure our Google My Business listings are claimed and we have the ability for a

Best practices for tomorrow.

customer to text us from that listing if they need services outside of normal business hours. We need to have best practices to make sure we have the ability for customers to schedule appointments online.

There are shops that haven’t gotten around to doing that, and the shops that did are doing pretty well right now. Having a digital presence where people can reach us multiple ways after hours is critical. I also think there will be some best practices coming out of this in regard to people following up on their receivables and closing their repair orders in a timely manner.

On the bright side, when we get through COVID-19, people are going to be so pent up and stir crazy that I believe we’re going to see people hit the roads in unprecedented numbers. That’s going to lead to more claims. When people get out of this, I also think they’re going to avoid ridesharing and public transpiration. People are going to drive their own vehicles more, so that’s going to mean more miles traveled and more accidents. Financially, a lot of people are going to have to play catch-up when they get out of this. They may need to take on a second job just to build their nest eggs, which will also mean more miles traveled. People have put off weddings, funerals, birthdays and graduation parties. That means people will be out on the road.

If you’re a DRP, everybody’s score is pretty much going to be reset after this. It’s a fresh start; the people who fell behind will have a chance to catch up. This is a great time to focus on how to streamline processes.

There are things that our industry can embrace that it has been pushing aside. This industry will look a lot different 18 months from now. We’re still going to fix cars safely and properly – that’s not going to change – but I think the whole claims process is going to change. I think the shops that embrace that and take positive and proactive measures are going to be just fine.

Mike Anderson is an Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) and the former owner of Wagonwork Collision Centers, two highly acclaimed shops located in Alexandria, VA. He has served as a member of many industry organizations throughout his career, including the WMABA Board of Directors, the Mitchell Advisory Board, the MOTOR Advisory Board, the ASE Test Review Committee, the National Auto Body Council, the Collision Industry Conference and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists. Additionally, he is a past Virginia SkillsUSA chairman, serves as a facilitator for Axalta Coating Systems’ highly recognized Business Council 20 Groups in both the US and Canada and facilitates numerous courses for Axalta Coating Systems’ Educational Series. He currently offers expert industry consulting via his latest venture, Collision Advice (collisionadvice.com) H&D

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June 2020

31

FEATURE

Continued from page 27

SK: Through our social media platforms, we’re encouraging our customers to reach out to us for anything they need. Our company has always been involved with the local schools, so we’re just on standby right now for when everything gets back and rolling. Here at the shop, we’re buying lunch for the guys a couple of times a week to help those businesses that are keeping their doors open by doing delivery and takeout. We have donated some PPE and towels to some local business that couldn’t find these needed items.

DS: We did donate masks; we went to our jobber and purchased what we were able to buy. We had an employee here whose wife was able to make and sew up a bunch of masks that we were able to also donate.

We sent out 2,500 emails inviting our customer database to have us clean, sanitize

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June 2020

and ‘attempt’ to disinfect their car. We made sure to include the word ‘attempt’ in there. We also said that we would ‘spray disinfectant’ and not actually ‘disinfect’ the car. That way, they don’t think they’re getting the car perfect. We have an ozone machine, and we offer an ‘ozone package’ where we’ll ozone the car.

We’re not charging our returning customers for this.

H&D: What are some resources – online or otherwise – that you’ve been using for assistance or new ideas right now?

DB: I’ve had a chance to catch up on a lot of reading, including Hammer & Dolly and all the different newsletters that come out from our vendors. We get a lot of stuff through the manufacturers, because we’re a multi-line dealership facility. We’re also following the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention [CDC]. We run a production meeting every morning, and the first thing we do is reiterate to our staff to remain vigilant in what they’re doing.

KB: We read as many industry-related publications and online news sources as we can. We’re also looking at how businesses outside of our industry are operating so we can pick up things here and there.

SK: Every time we go to NORTHEAST®, CIC or SEMA, we always make a list of things that we pick up, but we rarely have time to get to it.

Right now is the time for us to look into these things and make the most of them. We’re also working to tidy up on some services that we have that maybe aren’t as efficient as we need them to be. Now, we have the opportunity to maybe explore some different options.

DS: As a business owner and a father of two, I’m at the age where I watch the news. I’ve downloaded a lot of news apps to read more of what’s going on. I’m ‘following’ our Governor, which I never did before, to see what’s being shut down and what’s still open. Everything is changing by the day.

H&D: What is the best advice or message you would offer a fellow member who is really struggling to stay positive and productive these days?

DB: Stay in the public eye. I think the best thing shops have going for them right now is any type of social media they can get on. Get the message out to the customers that you’re still here, still open and practicing social distancing. Make sure that people know you’re there. Also, car washes have shut down. There’s an opportunity there; people can drop off their cars and pick them up at a later time.

KB: Like I said earlier, this is what you make of it. It’s a chance to get yourself right, get organized and get ready for when things get back to normal at the shop. Our guys and gals in our shops look to us as leaders to see what we’re going to do.

SK: This business has its ups and downs. It always has; it always will. If there’s one lesson that I think should really hit home for a lot of owners, it is to remember who your customers are and take care of them. As long as you do that, they’ll take care of you. The same thing goes for your people.

Also, get involved in with your associations, such as WMABA and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists [SCRS].

Those are invaluable resources to be a part of.

DS: You’ve got to keep your team motivated and morale high, because there’s nothing without that. Stay positive and let them know that you’re there to listen to them and that you’re going to try to get them paid and taken care of no matter what. When you look at the 2008 recession, the body shop and service industries survived. That’s why Berkshire Hathaway bought the Van Tuyl Group dealership chain. In an interview, Warren Buffett explained that he did that because when everything hit the fan, people still had to get their cars fixed. I always think about that.

One of my team member’s in-laws actually had coronavirus and beat it. It’s not real until it hits someone you know. She’s in her eighties; when we found out she was released, off the ventilator and healthy, that was a huge boost in morale for the entire staff. There are people out there who have it worse than us right now. I think that’s how you’ve got to look at it. H&D

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Honda collision repair parts are engineered and manufactured to Honda standards. In the collision-repair business, time is money, and you can’t waste time on parts that almost fit properly. Use Genuine Honda replacement parts. Your reputation depends on it.

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