Hammer & Dolly December 2022

Educational. Informative. Enlightening, even. These words come to mind when thinking of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC). But comical, entertaining, witty? Well, the Estimating and Repair Planning committees really broke the mold when they teamed up to play act the claims process at the most recent CIC…and nearly split attendees’ sides as we giggled at the all-too-apt depiction of the frustrations many claimants experience after an accident.

As the skit opened, Princess Erin Solis (Certified Collision Group) entered the stage wearing a tiara and a t-shirt that read “I belong in a castle” as she approached her “dad,” King David Willett (SPARK Underwriters), to confess that she crashed her Mercedes the previous night…while she and her friend were making a TikTok video. “We’re fine, but my TikTok is ruined!” she lamented to the crowd’s laughter.

Confirming his daughter was fine, King David expressed no qualms about calling his “good friend, our insurance agent” but quickly grew frustrated with the automated process before finally reaching a Zalinsky Insurance Company representative (WMABA’s own Jordan Hendler), who encouraged him to download the insurer’s app to submit photos, rather than wait a week or two for an appraiser to come out. After the photos were submitted, an insurance adjuster called King David, recommending a shop that could complete the repair within three days (but also indicating they could choose another shop).

“This place looks kind of shady,” Princess Erin complained when they pulled up to Time Bandits Auto Body, and although King David acknowledged the vehicles outside the network shop were a bit older, he forged ahead with Zalinsky’s recommendation.

Donning a flannel shirt, the “shop owner” (played by Andrew Batenhorst of Pacific BMW) promised delivery in three days because “Our goal is to get your car back to you as fast as humanly possible.”

He even agreed to absorb the cost of the deductible since he “knows a guy who can give me the bumper assembly for half the price.” Chiding her dad’s frugality since “the deductible is less than my Starbucks allowance,” Princess Erin ultimately convinced her dad to check out a Mercedes-certified shop around the corner, though King David warned “they’re going to have to live up to these standards.”

At Lean & Clean Autobody, Batenhorst removed his flannel, revealing a uniformed shop owner, who welcomed his customers, even offering a latte to the coffee-fiend Princess Erin. He expressed empathy for the accident, acknowledging they can be traumatic and the insurance process may be difficult. Although he anticipated that the repair would take several weeks, he explained that he only used OEM parts, discussed the possibility of time delays related to supplements and even warned there could be out-of-pocket expenses as he transparently set realistic expectations for the claims process, ultimately earning King David’s trust: “It’s reassuring to have it explained so well!”

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Find

BY JORDAN HENDLER

Borrowed Wisdom on Team Leadership, Part 3:

FINDING THE CHILL

This is the third in a series on Leadership, borrowing from the messages I receive while living life, and from even the unlikely places. If you haven’t read the first two, make sure you catch up to add onto it with this month. Or just keep reading on!

Have you ever worked for or with someone who is always panicking? Wait: or is it you who always feels like you’re in a constant state of internal blender? I’ve been that person and was that person for most of my life. Then one day, I just couldn’t take it anymore. My spin out of anxiety over performance-orientation had my heartrate regularly over 200 bpm, and I was still sitting at my desk. I couldn’t keep control of my thoughts, and my responses to disruptions were over the top. I just wanted to get stuff done!

This type of emotional rollercoaster sucks. And, even though you think you’re going places, you just want to get off but don’t really know how.

The worst part of it is you become strangled and cannot help others. Your brain doesn’t know clearly how to delegate and empower those around you to help. Then you look like you’re doing all the work, and others are just waiting for you to give them something to do.

I see this in our shop owners/managers, who have fixation on perfection (like I do, or did). They run around trying to fix everything for everyone. These people are so busy running around that I bet they never have a second to read something like this… But I’m hopeful, so I’ll continue on.

The dramatic change for me – and cut the drama, pun intended – was giving up. Yeah, I said it. I had to give up my idea of perfect, after hearing a catchy and buzzy phrase that literally changed my life: Perfect is the enemy of Done.

We want perfect repairs, perfect estimates, perfect communications, and perfect customers so we can pretend we have perfect output. That’s a big fat farse.

What we really want is a perfect process which yields results as perfect as a human can get. I would repeat this saying to myself constantly. I was so tied up with going over my employees’ work, I was making the other buzzy mistake:

When you are working IN your business, you cannot be working ON your business.

My dad – Jeff Hendler – would tell shop owners and managers back in his workshop days to take a caution tape and put it on the threshold of the doorway between the office and the shop floor and

say, “The second you cross that line, you are no longer working on your business.” Many shops still come up to him to this day, as recently as a couple weeks ago at SEMA, even, and say they still have the tape line to remind them.

When we step on top of people’s work and fix it for them, we aren’t teaching them how to problem solve. I’m going out on a short limb to say I’m sure they are a grown person, capable of being their own leader if you give them the problem and ask them to solve it. See how they do, help them along the way with questions. But get out of their way as much as you can.

Once I stopped trying to do everyone else’s job, I had so much more time to get my own things done. I took the approach of letting my team problem solve for themselves, and gave them critique where needed and helpful. I became chill.

It’s not always easy, but I’m constantly reminded to Stop, Breathe, Think, THEN React.

These things saved my life, literally. If you’re struggling in this area, and want a friendly ear, always feel free to give me a shout –anytime!

The best leaders look like they aren’t doing anything at all!

Jordan Hendler

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

Porsche

In this ever-changing world of collision repair, the more knowledge one possesses, the better positioned one can be toward success. WMABA consistently strives to be at the forefront when it comes to providing its members with the best tools and resources around.

Join the association on Thursday, December 15 at 6pm at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) for a night of education and networking. Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to tour the facility’s collision program and see how tomorrow’s technicians are learning how to succeed in this industry. The tour will be followed by dinner and an opportunity to interact with your peers. After dinner, K. Michael Bradshaw (K&M Collision; Hickory, NC) will deliver the eye-opening feature presentation, “Repairer to Repairer: Stop Estimating and Start Repair Planning.”

Bradshaw will set out to show repairers the night-and-day difference between estimating and repair planning. Estimating is roughly calculating and/ or judging the related costs and steps

needed, whereas a repair plan actually establishes a detailed course of action for the repair.

He’ll review available resources and tools for building a proper repair blueprint, how to find OEM procedural information, how to identify structural components and operations and why they are vital to occupant safety. ADAS and related safety inspections will also be covered in this

BY ALANA QUARTUCCIO BONILLO

discussion. Repairers will walk away from the discussion knowing all the required steps and documentation needed to ensure a safe and proper repair.

If you are committed to safe and proper repairs and getting compensated fairly for it, be sure to not miss this gamechanging discussion. Be sure to register to reserve your seat. Visit wmaba.com to sign up. H&D

Superior

vice starts with superior

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER WAY TO BUY THE WORLD’S BEST ENGINEERED PARTS.

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:

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

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

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

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

©️2022 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

Unparalleled education, first-rate exhibitors, unlimited networking and so much more! The most recent iteration of the SEMA Show was packed with fun, frills and fantastic experiences for attendees, proving the collision industry is back in action and ready to move forward into the future. Continue reading to check out our exclusive coverage of SEMA 2022!

BY CHASIDY RAE SISK

RECAP

Meeting and exceeding the standards set in previous years, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ (SCRS) Repairer Driven Education (RDE) series once again featured SEMA 2022’s best training for collision repairers, taught by industry leaders and experts who ensured that attendees left Las Vegas just a little wiser than when they arrived.

Three days packed with 21 educational seminars focused on “providing tangible solutions to real-world problems faced in the shop’s daily operations,” according to SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg.

During “Build Your Next Repair Planner In-House, from Scratch!” Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) tackled the workforce shortage with tips for building internal skilldevelopment programs to help broaden the pool of candidates for consideration.

“If you find the right candidate, how do you get them up to speed very quickly?” he asked. “I’ve always believed in hiring for attitude and training for aptitude.”

Noting that insurers are shifting more administrative work (such as KPI management, ARMS updates, OEM training and certifications) to shops, Anderson explained that collision repair facilities desperately need to grow their teams as

HIGHLIGHTS

the administrative staff in most shops is overloaded. Yet, this presents challenges for many employers who are competing against companies like Amazon that offer competitive compensation, vacation time, health insurance and a slew of benefits.

“We’re never going to attract the best of the best until we can pay a better wage. Something’s got to change,” Anderson warned, stressing that “five to seven years ago, it was about who could get the car… now, it’s about who can attract, train and retain skilled people. A shop’s number one competitive advantage is about getting – and keeping – the best people.”

Urging attendees to cross-train employees and to develop career pathing, he stressed, “When they just get thrown into it, the chances of success for someone in our industry are much lower. It’s not just about WHAT we do but WHY we do it. If we give our employee a lightbulb moment and help them understand the WHY, they’ll retain that knowledge.”

Demonstrating that he practices what he preaches, Anderson returned to the RDE stage with Danny Gredinberg (Database Enhancement Gateway) to help repairers understand the why in “Bulletproof Negotiation Tactics – Newly Revised!”

Negotiations occur when two or more parties disagree on a specific issue, Anderson explained, acknowledging that while those parties often shake hands on the outside, they’re actually ready to fight.

“But the fight doesn’t work,” he emphasized, indicating that negotiation isn’t about giving in, either. “Realize that the situation is your adversary, not the person. You need to present your evidence and tell your story. If you want to get reimbursed, you have to build a foundation of trust. Now, shops

will often claim, ‘That takes too long,’ but isn’t that easier than going back and forth five times? Sometimes, the long way is the short way. Can I get an Amen?!”

Gredinberg agreed that shops have to “use those photos and line notes. You’ve got to be able to tell your story. This is your evidence package.”

The dynamic duo shared three rules to negotiations: 1. Your opinion doesn’t mean jack. 2. Don’t take the bait. 3. Stick to the facts.

They also urged repairers to ask themselves the following questions while negotiating: Is it required to restore the vehicle back to pre-accident condition? Is it included in any other labor operation, or is it a separate operation? Is there a predetermined time in the database, and if not, what is it worth?

At the end of the day, “we as repairers don’t want to get paid anything more or less than we deserve,” Gredinberg said. “We just want to get paid for what we do.”

Getting paid for work performed is right up there with return on investment, and a perceived lack thereof often prevents shops from seeing the value in OEM certification. Exploring how to “Make OEM Network Tools Valuable to My Collision Repair Center” was the goal of a panel consisting of Tony

Young (International Technical Automotive Systems), Frank Phillips (Rivian Automotive) and Kelly Logan (Rivian Automotive), which was moderated by Brandon Laur (CCi Global Technologies).

“We really want strong relationships and a partnership with our shops,” according to Phillips who looks to build Rivian’s network with shops that “are willing and able and excited about participating in all facets of training.”

“It used to be easy to fix cars, but it’s not anymore,” Logan observed, acknowledging that certification requires “a big investment and a big commitment. It’s important that the shop gets a return on their investment. We also want to make sure we take care of our customers, and with the complexity of everything we’re involved in, it’s great that Rivian is able to reach out and connect with the customer to educate them.”

“The best customer journey is delivered by the body shop,” Young agreed, explaining the difference between commercial (tools and equipment) versus technical (training and personnel) certification requirements as he stressed, “You have to be able to interpret and apply it, and it’s the combination of those two things that gets you a safe and proper repair.”

Performing safe and proper repairs are important to shops for a multitude of reasons, and “Protecting Your Business Against Liability Exposure from Evolving Technology” is absolutely one of those reasons. SPARK Underwriters’ David Willett and Shaughn Kennedy were joined by shop owners Tracy Lewis (Richie’s Collision Center; Hattiesburg, MS) and Jason Mundy (Mundy’s Collision Center; Lawrenceville, GA) in a discussion about some best practices that collision repair facilities can implement to mitigate risk during the repair process.

Lewis and Mundy cited some of their top liability concerns related to electric vehicles, OEM procedures, photo estimating and throughput. They expressed particular fears related to subletting ADAS calibrations since the liability of any malfunction during a future collision always falls on the shop – not the sublet vendor.

“You don’t know whether or not they’re doing the job right,” Lewis noted. “You’re putting your customers back in that car and telling them, ‘We’ve signed off on this. Everything’s good. You’re safe now.’”

That’s the main reason that Mundy decided to bring calibrations in-house. “If you’re subletting something out and you don’t know the procedure, shame on you because you get that vehicle back and you don’t ask the dealer or a mobile guy, ‘Did you do these procedures?’ Then they probably didn’t do them.”

Willett recommended ensuring that vendors’ insurance coverage is up-to-date. “Just because they have insurance doesn’t mean they have it at all times,” he said. “Their insurance can run out or it can get canceled at times or lowered, or changed or altered. And so it may sound ridiculous but this is something that your insurance provider should be very knowledgeable about and be able to help you administer a certificate tracking to make sure that you do have a backstop to put it through.”

If you missed these sessions live, SCRS will be releasing RDE virtually for purchase, typically available by the end of the calendar year. For further information or to purchase these sessions, visit rde.scrs.com H&D

Executive Director’s Thoughts

The level of education at the Repairer Driven Education series was phenomenal, and it’s what we hope to meet for our Southeast Conference coming to Richmond in April. We want for our area what most have to travel cross-country for. SCRS has done a stellar job of squeezing talent into every minute of the program! - Jordan Hendler

Becoming better than you were.

RECAP

OEM TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT: AN EYE ON THE FUTURE

The world of collision repair is changing at lightning speed, and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) remains at the forefront of keeping the industry informed of what’s coming down the pike.

“We want to look at what’s going to drive this industry forward,” SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg welcomed attendees to the 2022 OEM Technology Summit, which he described as a way of “looking at how emerging trends in technology affect repairability, repair businesses and their capability of working on the very advanced technology that’s on the vehicles we’re facing. How can we shift with these trends and technologies to ensure that our businesses are prepared, capable, skilled up and equipped to serve the motoring public well?”

As moderator for the first session of the summit, “OEM Repair Procedure Accessibility,” Schulenburg welcomed a panel that included Mark Allen (Audi), Benito Cid (Mercedes-Benz), Kevin Earlywine (Toyota), Wayne Weikel (Alliance for Automotive Innovation) and Amber Alley (Barsotti’s Body & Fender) and identified the goal as “leaving with a better understanding of how to access the right resources.” The three OEM representatives began by emphasizing their organizations’ commitment to sharing repair information with repeated references to OEM1Stop.com, which provides links to 39 manufacturers’ information portals.

“It’s available if you just do a little bit of research,” Allen pointed out as he demonstrated where to find various information in Audi’s erWin. “It’s not that hard. It’s out there.”

“Who has access? Anyone who wants to get the information has access, though there are some different ways of getting it,” Cid agreed, acknowledging that each OEM’s site is different. “The information is available; you just have to find out where to get it. Understanding how to use them is very different than, ‘They’re not available,’ or ‘I don’t get paid to search for them.’ That’s not the conversation we need to be having. If you have the car in the shop, you need to have the procedures for doing the repair that you’re doing. Are you using the information that’s available?”

repair since manufacturers are constantly updating their documents.

“Isn’t it comforting to know that we’re putting that customer back into a safe and quality repair?” he asked. “That’s what we’re all striving for. It’s not only about the shop’s liability; it’s also about our customers’ safety.”

Alley agreed that OEMs have done a great job of making OEM repair procedures available, stating that the biggest challenges she sees with accessing information is related to “technician hesitation. People like figuring it out, but things have evolved to the point where it’s easy to break something because even though you ‘know how to do it,’ something may have changed so now a different glue is being used. The other problem is getting compensated for it. It’s not that the information is unavailable; shops justify [neglecting to access repair information] because ‘I’ve done this before and know what I’m doing’ and ‘I’m not going to get paid to do this and don’t have time to fight for it.’ But we need to be looking at doing it right, not easier and quicker.”

“Let’s stop making excuses and start making progress,” Earlywine suggested, and Allen agreed, “We want shops to evolve with us!”

“It’s easy to feel beat up in this industry,” Alley acknowledged. “But we have access to associations that are doing amazing things. Get involved, and you’ll know you’re not the only one struggling. Getting involved builds a culture that makes the industry a better place!”

During “Managing Scan Tool Choices While Ensuring Safe & Proper Repairs,” Chris Chesney presented the findings of Repairify’s recent study which indicated that aftermarket scan tools do not always yield the same results as OEM tools, sharing five case studies that resulted in frightening failures when aftermarket parts were used.

“At the end of the day, are they all the same? No, they aren’t. The difference is completeness and accuracy,” Chesney emphasized, acknowledging that some aftermarket tools work on certain vehicles; however, it’s “not every year, make, model and trim. It’s not every module. It’s not every DTC. We have to agree that the OEM factory tool is the gold standard…that will never change.”

Some things do need to change, though, such as the perception of the collision repair industry. Few topics tie into the industry’s future as strongly as the ongoing workforce shortage, and during “Tackling the Technician Crisis Together,” Dara Goroff (I-CAR), John Helterbrand (Collision Engineering) and Jennifer Maher (TechForce Foundation) joined forces with moderator Chad Walker (Carlisle & Co.) to discuss the challenges collision shops face when it comes to attracting and retaining the human talent needed to safely repair modern vehicles.

Expressing a concern related to those who are “making a conscious decision NOT to use it, whether we have that knowledge or not, Earlywine explored why shops should use repair information, stressing that it’s a matter of ensuring customer safety and emphasizing that OEM procedures should be consulted by everyone who touches the vehicle on every single

Sharing data gathered from Carlisle’s annual technician survey as well as the TechForce Foundation’s 2022 Transportation Technician Supply & Demand Report, Walker indicated that there’s a need for more than 80,000 new technicians each year from 2022-2025; however, the problem runs much deeper than that.

“When we asked how satisfied they were with their careers, only one in four said they’re satisfied with their job,” Walker shared, further explaining that Carlisle’s survey indicated a 30 percent turnover rate and

noting that often, “If they make the decision to leave, they’re leaving the automotive space. They’re going to do something else, and they’re never coming back.”

Shops that have invested in those technicians are now faced not just with a vacancy but also with the cost of lost productivity and recruitment, an estimated lost revenue cost of $172,000 per technician. The source of the problem lies in both recruitment and retention, and when it comes to recruitment, Walker identified that there are large untapped pools of potential candidates in an industry that is 98.8 percent male and 72 percent Caucasian. “We need to change our recruiting platforms to target some of these untapped resources,” he urged.

On the retention side, research indicates that the two primary factors negatively impacting retention are compensation and culture.

“The small things count. Recognition and appreciation go a long way, and collaboration is key to fostering strong relationships,” Walker

stressed, welcoming the three panelists whose involvement with collision students allowed them to offer perspectives on recruiting the younger generations. “It’s about meeting people where they’re at but also changing how our programs teach,” Helterbrand insisted. “We’re no longer the ‘putty buddies’ of the past. This industry is extremely advanced, and we need to promote that.”

“Gen Z is a gaming generation,” Maher added. “They want to know how to play the game and level up. They’re excited about the rising STEM, and they know today’s vehicles are computers on wheels. They’re excited, but they need more information, and that’s where our industry is letting them down.”

Goroff also addressed how perceptions of the industry may inhibit recruitment.

“Shops are dependent on having talent, but they don’t necessarily have the power to change the perception of an entire industry by themselves,” she pointed out. “We need to pull together. New talent pouring into this industry can only benefit all of us. We need to work together to raise awareness of what an amazing industry this is to work in.”

“How do you build a culture where people want to work?” Maher asked. “In reality, most companies don’t. But we need to understand that technicians like helping people, and Gen Z is the most socially conscious generation since World War II; they want to work for an employer who’s doing much more than turning wrenches. So, what do you stand for? I encourage you to stand for techs. That’s your differential.” H&D

IDEAS Collide on Culture, Calibrations and Chicken RECAP

“What would it take to actually challenge the aspects of your business culture?” Jeff Peevy (I-CAR) wanted to know as he kicked off SCRS’ IDEAS Collide Showcase on the last day of SEMA 2022 by encouraging attendees to examine their patterns of learned assumptions, which he defined as those beliefs that are accepted as true without proof based on what one has been exposed to.

Using the Aztec practice of human sacrifice as an example, he acknowledged that it’s “easy to live in a culture based on a pattern of learned assumptions without even realizing it,” yet he stressed the need to challenge that culture based on fact. “The strongest business cultures have a strong element of learning: Put people first and share what they know with one another. It’s okay to challenge our ways of thinking and mold the way we perceive things. That’s the key to being successful in a dynamic, healthy culture.”

repair procedures to the nth degree; they’re non-negotiable. And every time we neglect to perform those safety inspections, we’re not packing our customers’ parachutes properly.”

In today’s high-tech world, it’s important that a shop’s practices recognize the importance of calibrations, but offering those services presents a unique set of challenges.

“The car often can’t tell you if it’s been calibrated or calibrated correctly, and getting into the calibration business is definitely challenging,” admitted Greg Peeters (Car ADAS Solutions). “There’s a ton of rules to get the floor, walls and lighting just right. Each manufacturer has their own idiosyncrasy that essentially requires perfection to ensure the accuracy and success rate of your calibrations.”

Peeters identified 12 components to a successful calibration center: market evaluation, pro forma business plan, real estate location

When it comes to a healthy business culture, few industry leaders offer the knowledge and insights that can be gleaned during even a short 10-minute presentation from Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) who dove into why shops need to “Make Safety Inspections a NonNegotiable Item.”

Recounting a personal anecdote related to his father’s lifelong pain and suffering after his parachute failed to open during his military service, Anderson followed up by sharing that his father passed away earlier this year…after he was not sewn up properly during a medical process, resulting in internal bleeding and a massive heart attack.

“Dad’s parachute didn’t open because someone didn’t pack it properly. My dad had his life impacted not just once but TWICE because someone didn’t do the job properly. That’s why quality is so important to me,” Anderson explained, emphasizing that “All OEMs have requirements, and we have a moral and ethical obligation to follow those

assistance, calibration center certification, technician recruitment and screening, technician certification, marketing, proprietary management software, equipment and tools, on-site support, technical support and development and continuous quality control.

“You have to get the right people doing the job,” he stressed the most important puzzle piece. “This is a geeky, car nut kind of group that would rather work on a tablet than do physical labor. And then you have to continuously develop your team.”

But how do you identify the right people? Dave Gruskos (Reliable Automotive Equipment) looks for people who are smart with numbers and skilled with analytics. He explained that “will” is just as important as “skill” in many cases.

“Our industry is exciting and evolving, and our pool of personnel is going to increase exponentially. What skill sets do you look for? Honesty and integrity are important. Teamwork. These core values are key. A

great employee doesn’t have to start in our industry, but if they have math and science skills, make them feel relevant by training them to do things the right way and treating them well.”

So, what’s chicken got to do with any of this? Mike Wandrey (Shop Fix Academy) began his presentation, “I’d Rather Be Eating Chicken Sandwiches in Fancy Shoes Than Getting My Car Fixed,” by identifying three of his favorite things in the world: Chick-FilA’s spicy chicken sandwich, buying new sneakers at Nordstrom’s and hot, buttery popcorn.

“These are three relatively simple, inexpensive products that aren’t hard to execute, but three companies have mastered using them,” he explained how Caliber Collision offered hot popcorn in every lobby because they recognized how this product makes people feel. The smell calms them down, makes them feel nostalgic and builds trust. “People don’t want to come to a shop; their life is disrupted because of an accident, and they’re skeptical because they don’t trust us, so we need to do something cool that sets us apart. Being caring and compassionate is free, but having a business culture of servant leadership makes the customer service experience because you cater to the way people feel and comfort them.”

Additional IDEAS Collide Showcase speakers included Ryan Mandell (Mitchell International), who covered “Modern Glass Replacement” and 3M’s Brady Haislet, who provided insights into “Spray Gun Science.” Scott Broaddus (Irongate Capital Advisors) dove into “The Psychology of Money,” while Thomas Allen (Condition Now) offered advice on “Vehicle History Reports: How to Turn the Tables and Make Them Work to Your Advantage.” H&D

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2022 COLLISION INDUSTRY RED CARPET AWARDS BREAKFAST WINNERS!

BodyShop Business

Single-Shop Executive of the Year Award: Michael Bradshaw (K&M Collision) Multi-Shop Executive of the Year Award: Matt Ebert (Crash Champions)

Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA)

Outstanding Contribution Award: Dan Webster (Enlyte)

Outstanding Contribution Award: Andy Bober (Entegral)

Outstanding Contribution Award: Mike Hastings (Car-Part.com)

Chairperson’s Award: Gene Lopez (Seidner’s Collision Centers)

Chairperson’s Award: Frank Terlep (Auto Techcelerators)

Company of the Year: Enterprise Holdings

Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF)

Fueling the Future Award: Rod Habel (Sherwin-Williams)

Thomas Greco Publishing

Industry Icon Award: Mike Anderson (Collision Advice)

I-CAR

Jeff Silver Memorial Award: Bill Condron (Sawgrass Ford Collision Center) Russ Verona Memorial Award: Eveland Brothers Collision Repair, Inc.

Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS)

2022 March Taylor Kina’ole Award: Danny Gredinberg (Database Enhancement Gateway)

Doing it right…in all aspects of business.

L-R: Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) and Thomas Greco Publishing Senior Vice President Alicia Figurelli

L-R: Barry Dorn, Dale Matsumoto, Toby Chess, Danny Gredinberg, and Aaron Schulenburg

RECAP

SCRS Blend Study Steals the Show at

“More innovation happens in challenging times than in good times,” Outgoing Chair Darrell Amberson opened the most recent Collision Industry Conference (CIC), held in conjunction with the 2022 SEMA Show last month.

It’s impossible to deny that the past few years qualify as “challenging,” but it’s also pretty evident that these have been pretty innovative times as demonstrated repeatedly by industry leaders who presented on topics from safety inspections to data access to solving the workforce shortage and everything in between…including a hilarious encounter of the claims process variety (flip to page 4 for a recap on the Estimating and Industry Relations Committees’ Mission Possible? skit). But the highlight of the November 1 meeting came at the end of the day, attracting the largest attendance (standing room only!) ever seen at CIC!

What was so exciting? Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg, who also serves as Chair of CIC’s Parts & Materials Committee, unveiled the results of the highly-anticipated blend study conducted in collaboration with AkzoNobel, Axalta, BASF, PPG and Sherwin-Williams!

Since SCRS announced in July that it would be conducting research to evaluate the time needed to perform a full refinish on a panel, compared to the time required to blend the same panel, collision repairers have waited with bated breath for evidence of what they knew to be true: that it takes nearly the same amount of time – and more skill! – to blend versus simply applying refinish. And the results of the study didn’t disappoint.

While the three major information providers (IPs) define refinish times differently, Audatex, Mitchell and CCC all utilize a uniform blending formula of 50 percent of the refinish time on two-stage refinish, and with CCC and Mitchell utilizing a 70 percent formula when

blending three-stage colors…values now proven to be grossly underestimated, as expected by those who actually perform this difficult task.

“The industry has largely felt that 50 percent formula is not reflective of what’s experienced on the shop floor in comparing what it takes to blend versus fully refinishing a panel,” Schulenburg noted, explaining that the research included three paint variations as part of the test protocol: a solid, a silver metallic and a tri-coat.

Although the IPs’ estimates are based on the performance expected by an “average” technician, “we didn’t use average technicians; we used the individuals who are responsible for teaching, training and directly developing curriculum,” Schulenburg explained. The six painters who participated in the study possess an average of 32 years’ collision experience.

Ford Motor Company donated the 2018 Ford F-150 panels which were used in the study since those are the most common blend panels according to data from Mitchell. For the sake of environmental consistency, all studies were conducted at the Global Finishing Solutions Center for Excellence in Osseo, WI in August, and to ensure accurate results, SCRS enlisted the aid of DEKRA North America to monitor the research and audit the findings.

The findings ultimately confirmed the common belief that blending takes significantly more than 50 percent of the time needed for

refinishing applications; in fact, blending takes much more time than merely refinishing a panel!

“Looking at the overall percentages captured by each company during the study, “All five companies were greater than the full refinish value,” Schulenburg revealed. “The average on the solid white was 29.61 percent greater than the full refinish value.

Blending takes an average of 131.59 percent as much time as a full panel refinish, SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg revealed.

On the metallic, the average was actually 42.69 percent greater, and on the tri-coat, the average percentage was 24.6 percent greater than full refinish.”

Demonstrating the consistency of the overall average which reflected a variance of less than six percent between all five participating companies, he shared the overall average when looking at all colors, companies and variations was “31.59 percent greater than the full refinish value. That’s certainly different than 50 percent less than.”

In keeping with the way that IPs report blending as a percentage of the estimated refinish time, the study was conducted as “a comparative analysis between the two operations, rather than a refinish time study seeking to refute or validate the published refinish time established by each company,” according to SCRS’ whitepaper (available for download at scrs.com/blendstudy).

Where does the industry go from here?

“That’s up to you,” Schulenburg said. “Our goal was to capture this data, present it in a transparent manner and share it with the industry so you can have the dialogue that you need to have. It’s up to the industry

Incoming Chair Frank Terlep challenged attendees to get more engaged with CIC.

to determine where or how that occurs, but we’ve uncovered a big disconnect between what exists today and what the study reflects.”

Since the results were released, CCC and Mitchell have indicated that they are in the process of reviewing the blend study.

Following completion of the study, the panels and other materials used were donated to Chippewa Valley Technical College (Eau Claire, WI) to use in educating the next generation of repair professionals, an important topic that was covered by the Talent Pool & Education Committee and was among the many interesting presentations delivered during the meeting. Stay tuned to next month’s Hammer & Dolly for additional details. In the meantime, presentations from the November 1 meeting, as well as registration information for the next meeting (scheduled for January 19, 2023 in Palm Springs, CA), can be found at ciclink.com H&D

Executive Director’s Thoughts

With standing room only, the CIC room was riveted by not just the result of the study, but the care, caution and commitment to see the result come forward with validity and integrity. SCRS’ presentation of this was the biggest announcement of the year. The IPs will have no choice but to respond in some way, and I only hope their fear of legal retribution won’t stop them from doing what is now proven to be the right thing and address these times. -Jordan Hendler

Does it take more, less or the same time to blend vs. refinish a panel?

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

continued from pg. 4

During drop-off, Princess Erin remembered that she spilled her latte during the accident, asked if the insurer would pay for clean-up and requested that the shop take special care of her sparkly steering wheel cover. The OEM-certified shop owner guaranteed it would be taken care of and promised her “sparkles will remain intact.”

The penultimate scene depicted the Lean & Clean shop owner’s frustration as he submitted several supplements to the insurer, struggled to reach a live person (who unprofessionally yelled at his kids while working from home), returned damaged parts and was forced to download an app to avoid additional delays. Yet, throughout the process, he kept his customers updated, causing Princess Erin to astutely observe, “How could that other shop have gotten our car fixed so fast? I hate to think what would have happened!”

The final scene offered vehicle delivery scenarios for each of the shops, beginning at Time Bandits where Princess Erin observed several new scratches and chips. Flannel-shirt shop owner handed over the keys, and prompted for instructions, he warned, “Your paint’s a little tacky since we didn’t have a lot of time to cure it, so just don’t touch the part we painted. That’s all part of the process here…five stars on Yelp please.” The car wouldn’t start.

Alternately, at Lean & Clean Autobody, Andrew provided warranty documentation and walked his customers around the car, showing them what was fixed and why, explaining the calibrations that were performed

and assuring them that a road test was performed to ensure they won’t encounter any surprises. He even sent Princess Erin off with a latte, as she expressed surprise that “You can’t even tell anything happened to it!”

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Here’s hoping that CIC can keep up that level of real-world infotainment in the future! H&D

WMABA

HIGHLIGHTS October 13, 2022 Oak Creek Golf Club UpperMarlboro, MD

Team 2: Mark Pitts, Robert Sumner, Raymond Sanchez, Rafael Ochoa

NCS

BASF

BASF Team 2: Paul McGrath, Thad Green, Sean Jennings, Bejan Modarressi Norton Team: Charles Lipford, Jeff Steinbach

BAPS

COVER STORY

Sherwin-Williams Team 2: Valerie Riley, Brandon Meyer Axalta Team: Sam Aronson, Chris Aktalay, Steve Dunton Axalta Team 2: Tim Kouneski, David Fisher, Jr., Kyle Middleton, Jacob Autrey Hertz Team: Joey Angyelof, Mike Flamand, Steve Cairo, Mike Derosa

Chesapeake Automotive Equipment Team: Craig Fisher, Paul Fagan, Mike Dorsett, Steve Christesen Chesapeake Automotive Equipment Team 2: Pat O’Neill, John Ryder, Riley Robey, Steve Dawson Chesapeake Automotive Equipment Team 3: Steven Davis, George Feys, Bill Winegardner AkzoNobel Team: Steve McMahon, Evan Rafferty

NOMINATE AN INFLUENTIAL WOMAN FOR THE WOMEN’S INDUSTRY NETWORK’S 2023 AWARDS

Who is the most influential woman you know in the collision repair industry? Maybe you know several…and now’s the time to sing their praises by nominating them for the Women’s Industry Network’s (WIN) 2023 Most Influential Women (MIW) awards. Nominations will be open through Friday, January 6, 2023, and winners will be celebrated during WIN’s 2023 Annual Conference, scheduled for May 1-3 in San Antonio, TX.

Women working in any segment of the collision repair industry across the US and Canada can be nominated for the MIW award; neither nominators nor nominees are required to be WIN members to be eligible. Nominees will be reviewed and interviewed by an independent selection committee which is comprised of past WIN members and MIW who are currently uninvolved with WIN leadership, and selection decisions are based on established criteria, including industry influence, professional accomplishments,

Established in 1999, the MIW award recognizes women whose leadership, vision and commitment to excellence have enriched the collision repair industry. Over 100 impressive women have been recognized to-date for their contributions.

Celebrate a strong woman in your organization (or within your network) by nominating her today at bit.ly/MIWnominees

Greco Publishing has successfully served the automotive repair industry for over 30 years in print, online and as an association liaison, handling all pre-press production in-house, from ad design to editorial layout. Greco

also provides a variety of different services to cover the needs of our clients, helping to facilitate day-to-day business.

ADVICE INDUSTRY ASK MIKE:

What are SCRS’ New “Consumer Tip”

Videos All About?

This month, we “ASK MIKE” to tell us more about the exciting new series of “Consumer Tip” videos that he is producing with Danny Gredinberg of the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) for the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). We at Hammer & Dolly hope you find the 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 future issue.

Hammer & Dolly: You’ve worked with SCRS for quite a while now in producing videos for the industry, but what led to this new direction in creating content that’s more vehicle-owner-facing with the debut of the “Consumer Tips” series?

Mike Anderson: Unfortunately, we’re living in a world today where some insurers want to reimburse shops for safe and proper repairs, but other insurers make that a challenge. These days, we’re seeing more customers pay out of pocket to get their vehicles repaired. So, it all begins with building a relationship with that customer and educating them. Ryan Taylor from BodyShop Booster said that people are more afraid of making the wrong decision than they are of spending money. It’s not just about customer service; it’s about the customer experience. Part of that customer experience is getting an educated and informed vehicle owner. That is why SCRS asked me if I would be willing to do some consumer tips. I said, ‘Absolutely!’ I think we’ve probably received more emails, compliments and kind posts on social media for the ‘Consumer Tip’ videos than for the ‘Quick Tip’ ones we’ve done for shops! People are really excited about this. We recently went to I-CAR’s new facility in Chicago and shot a bunch of these videos. People really should subscribe to the SCRS YouTube channel by going to youtube.com/ SCRSCollision or using the QR code in this article.

H&D: The first “Consumer Tip” video was on estimates versus repair plans. Why was that topic a great one to lead with?

MA: We really want to educate customers that a repair is not about price. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true. We’re working to educate consumers that price isn’t as important as their families’ safety.

H&D: What are some of the other topics that we can expect to see as this series moves forward?

MA: OEM versus aftermarket parts and why it’s important to have a diagnostic scan are just a couple we have coming up. We’ll also be explaining some things on ADAS. We have a lot of great things coming up, so people really need to subscribe to the SCRS YouTube channel to make sure they get all the videos and share them with their customers.

H&D: You ran body shops in the past, and you’re working with shops all over the country now through Collision Advice. What are some of the biggest misconceptions that consumers have that you experienced all the way back when you were a shop owner that still persist today?

MA: Danny and I have done seminars for WMABA and at the NORTHEAST® Automotive Services Show regarding vehicle owner’s manuals. These manuals are critical. For example, almost all owner’s manuals state that you need to check the seatbelts. A lot of times, shops aren’t doing that. They need to perform these safety inspections and also discuss what it says in the owner’s manual with the customer so that they understand why it needs to be done. Obviously, the differences between OEM and aftermarket parts is another important conversation to have with the vehicle owner.

H&D: You’ve collaborated with SCRS for years. What do you think SCRS brings to the industry that makes you want to work with them so frequently?

MA: They’re the biggest voice in this industry. They are the association to belong to. They have shops’ best interests at heart; they are a voice that reaches out to insurers without shops having to worry about repercussions. The value of any association – whether it’s WMABA or SCRS – is that they can reach out on your behalf when there’s an issue. SCRS’ benefits are also amazing. Look at what they’ve done with healthcare and 401(ks). Members are saving thousands and thousands a month through some of

SCRS YouTube Channel

SCRS’ benefits! When they came out with the DEG, I thought, ‘What can they do to top this?’ Then, they came out with the health benefits program and the 401(k) plan. They also do these videos for consumers and the industry. SCRS is just on it. There’s nobody in the industry who provides more value to shops than SCRS. H&D

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).