New England Automotive Report April 2019

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PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY

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Estimating Then & now

Chapter meeting

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2 April 2019

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CONTENTS

April 2019 • Volume 17, No. 4

DEPARTMENTS

COVER STORY

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By Molly Brodeur

28 | Seeking Truth in Numbers: AASP/MA Responds to Lowball Allegations against CCC By Joel Gausten

8 | Vendors and AASP/MA: Navigating the Tsunami Together

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

By Evangelos “Lucky” Papageorg

10 | Learned Helplessness

LOCAL NEWS By Joel Gausten 22 | AASP/MA Explores the Future of Estimating, OEM Procedures

INDUSTRY ADVICE: ASK MIKE By Mike Anderson 32 | How Has the World of Estimating Evolved?

LEGAL PERSPECTIVE By James Castleman, Esq.

36 | The CCC Controversy: Are Insurers Engaging in Unfair Claims Settlement Practices?

AASP/MA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT By Alana Bonillo 43 | D&S Auto Works, Inc.

ALSO THIS ISSUE 11 | WHERE’S LUCKY? 16 | AASP/MA VENDOR AFFINITY PROGRAM SPONSORS 18 | AASP/MA VENDOR AFFINITY PROGRAM BENEFITS 42 | AASP/MA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Accudraft Paint Booths ................................OBC Akzo Nobel......................................................7 Audi Group ..................................................44 BASF ............................................................19 Best Chevrolet/Best CDJR ..............................IFC BMW Group ..........................................................14 BMW/Mini of Warwick ..................................27 Colonial Auto Group ........................................6 Empire Auto Parts ..........................................15 Enterprise ....................................................26 First Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram......................26 First Ford ......................................................26

First Hyundai ................................................26 Ford Group....................................................34 Honda Group ................................................40 Hyundai Group ..............................................33 Imperial Ford ................................................34 Ira Subaru......................................................13 Ira Toyota of Danvers ......................................12 Kelly Automotive Group ................................IBC Kia Group ......................................................13 Linder’s, Inc. ................................................46 Long Automotive Group ..................................9 Mazda Group..................................................17 McGovern Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram ................11 Mopar Group ................................................20

Nissan Group ................................................39 PPG................................................................3 Reliable Automotive Equipment ......................21 Sarat Ford Lincoln..........................................30 Sentry Group ................................................35 Spanesi ........................................................25 Subaru Group ................................................41 Tasca Group ....................................................4 Toyota Group ................................................31 Volvo Group ..................................................37 VW Group ....................................................45 Wellesley Toyota/Scion ..................................25 Wheel Collision Center ..................................46 ZB Negotations ..............................................33 new England automotive Report April 2019 5

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We provide the highest level of customer-friendly service through our knowledgeable and helpful personnel!

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CITY SIDE SUBARU 790 Pleasant Street Belmont, MA. 02478 Phone Number: 617-826-5005 FAX Number: 617-489-0733

COLONIAL FORD 147 Samoset Street Plymouth, MA. 02360 Phone Number: 800-233-8109 FAX Number: 508-830-1658

NORTH END SUBARU 757 Chase Road (Rte. 13) Lunenburg, MA. 01462 Phone Number: 800-548-8887 FAX Number: 978-582-9843

COLONIAL CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE-RAM 24 Coolidge Street (Rte. 62) Hudson, MA. 01749 Phone Number: 978-568-8000 FAX Number: 978-562-1213

COLONIAL FORD OF MARLBOROUGH 428 Maple Street Marlborough, MA. 01752 Phone Number: 888-460-1125 FAX Number: 508-460-3464

COLONIAL SOUTH CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE-RAM 42 State Road (Rte. 6) Dartmouth, MA. 02747 Phone Number: 508-984-1900 FAX Number: 508-996-5801

COLONIAL CADILLAC 201 Cambridge Road Woburn, MA. 01801 Phone Number: 781-935-7009 FAX Number: 781-933-7728

NORTH END MAZDA 757 Chase Road Lunenburg, MA. 01462 Phone Number: 800-322-1241 FAX Number: 978-582-9841

COLONIAL VOLKSWAGEN COLONIAL SOUTH CHEVROLET 89 Turnpike Road (Rte. 9) 361 State Road (Rte. 6) Westborough, MA. 01581 Dartmouth, MA. 02747 Phone Number: 888-322-6570 Phone Number: 508-996-6266 FAX Number: 508-616-0445 FAX Number: 508-979-1219 COLONIAL VOLKSWAGEN OF MEDFORD 162 Mystic Avenue Medford, MA. 02155 Phone Number: 781-475-5200 FAX Number: 781-391-3506

WELLESLEY VOLKSWAGEN 231 Linden Street Wellesley, MA. 02482 Phone Number: 800-228-8344 FAX Number: 781-237-6024 Contact: Dan Bettencourt / Wholesale Parts Manager

COLONIAL CHEVROLET 171 Great Road Acton, MA. 01720 Phone Number: 800-787-2787 FAX Number: 978-263-8587

COLONIAL WEST CHEVROLET 314 John Fitch Highway Fitchburg, MA. 01420 Phone Number: 978-345-5532 FAX Number: 978-345-1152

• We carry over $2,000,000 in collision & mechanical parts • Daily UPS shipping available • Servicing Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire • We build our reputation on providing you the best SERVICE!!

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new England automotive Report April 2019 7

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Vendors and aasP/ma: navigating the tsunami together

MOLLY BRODEUR

We’ve had a busy start to 2019 here at AASP/MA. With the first quarter wrapped up, we’ve held 12 chapter meetings with presentations by EstimateScrubber and Ed Rachwal of Designer Office Systems, filed two pieces of legislation, participated in ADALB meetings and met with the I-CAR Committee to discuss the changes to the I-CAR and Gold Class curriculums. We’ve also rounded things out with more added content to our Members Only searchable portal on aaspma.org – which is chock-full of content that shops need daily to improve negotiations and ensure a proper, safe repair for consumers – and we’re just getting started.

As you know, the technical tsunami (as coined by I-CAR) is upon us. If you’ve heard me speak before, you’ve likely heard me refer to it as the technical hammer that has come down. You are either in or you’re out – we cannot bury our heads in the sand and hope this too shall pass. It won’t, and it’s going to continue to get more complex as vehicle technology continues to explode.

AASP/MA is at the forefront in delivering content to our members through New England Automotive Report, Damage Report (our exclusive members-only newsletter), our weekly chapter meetings and the launch of our weekly tip email to members only.

My call to action in this message is to the vendors that operate in the collision industry. What are you doing to add value and differentiate yourselves? How are you marketing your products to your existing and perspective clientele? Are you at the table with collision repairers who are achieving OEM certifications, have made significant equipment investments and have streamlined their repair processes? Repairers at the forefront of the tsunami are looking for vendor partners that are able to step up and provide the level of service and expertise required to repair the N

E

W

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N

vehicles of today and tomorrow. Why not partner with an organization that is educating and informing on a consistent basis and holding court with repairers across the Commonwealth – whether in person or through our multitude of communication channels? Don’t sit back and let your competition capture that market share.

AASP/MA has robust offerings for vendors that want to stand out and support the collision industry in Massachusetts in our Vendor Affinity Program. If you’re looking for exposure, we have programs that include recognition and attendance to our 40 chapter meetings annually, Golf Outing and Fall Industry Meeting. If you are interested in networking, we have chapterspecific sponsorships. If you are looking to promote a specific product, we have sponsorships that allow for content in our members-only Damage Report publication. If you’d like regional exposure to the industry at-large, there are discounted advertising offerings as part of sponsorship packages in New England Automotive Report. AASP/MA has these and many other options available as part of our VAP. We need each other to weather the technical tsunami. We’d love to see you be a part of our growth and momentum as we move into the second quarter of 2019. For more information on our VAP offerings, please reach out to Executive Director Lucky Papageorg or our administrator extraordinaire, Alana Bonillo.

PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY

MASSACHUSETTS

AASP/MA PRESIDENT MOLLY BRODEUR is the chief operating officer of Al Brodeur’s Auto Body in Marlborough, MA. She can be reached at (508) 485-1082 or molly@albrodeur.com G

L

A

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D

AU M TIVE AUT T TI TIV STAFF

AASP/MA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PUBLISHER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Thomas Greco - thomas@grecopublishing.com

Lea Velocci - lea@grecopublishing.com

SALES DIRECTOR

EDITORIAL/CREATIVE COORDINATOR

Alicia Figurelli - alicia@grecopublishing.com

Alana Bonillo - alana@grecopublishing.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

PRODUCTION

Joel Gausten - joel@grecopublishing.com

Donna Greco - donna@grecopublishing.com Christopher Rizzi - chris@grecopublishing.com

PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. 244 Chestnut Street, Suite 202, Nutley, NJ 07110 Corporate: (973) 667-6922 / FAX: (973) 235-1963 www.grecopublishing.com

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS New England Automotive Report is published monthly by TGP, Inc., 244 Chestnut Street, Suite 202 Nutley, NJ 07110. Distributed free to qualified recipients; $48 to all others. Additional copies of New England Automotive Report are available at $5 per copy. Reproduction of any portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written permission of the publisher. The opinions and ideas appearing in this magazine are not necessarily representations of TGP Inc. or of AASP/MA. Copyright © 2019 by Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. Images courtesy of www.istockphoto.com

PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY

WWW.AASPMA.ORG MASSACHUSETTS

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new England automotive Report

TREASURER Matthew Ciaschini LEGISLATIVE CHAIR Peter Langone IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Paul Hendricks

PRESIDENT Molly Brodeur VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Gallerani SECRETARY Gary Cloutier

AASP/MA STATEWIDE DIRECTORS COLLISION DIRECTOR Rob DelGallo

AT-LARGE DIRECTOR Adam Ioakim

AASP/MA DIRECTORS Ray Belsito Alex Falzone Rick Fleming

Joshua Fuller Kevin Kyes Frank Patterson

Mike Penacho Dana Snowdale Bill Spellane

AASP/MA ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE Evangelos “Lucky” Papageorg: AASP/MA Executive Director

Alana Bonillo: AASP/MA Administrative Assistant P.O. Box 212 Marlborough, MA 01752 617-574-0741

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

EVANGELOS “LUCKY” PAPAGEORG

learned Helplessness During a recent conversation about the “woes” we face in our industry, the term “learned helplessness” was mentioned.

Without having to look up the meaning, I immediately knew that the term precisely explained how a very large portion of our industry feels. It is a notion at the very center of how many in our industry have been “taught” to act. They have resorted to just trying to survive and not upset anyone in the insurance world, especially here in Massachusetts, it would seem. Here are some common word tracks that are used: “Be good. Don’t stir up any issues.”

“We don’t pay for that, and don’t waste your time trying to get paid for it.”

“If the reimbursement rate goes up, ALL the cars will get totaled and you will have an empty shop.”

And one of my favorites: “Go ahead, put in a complaint and see where that gets you.”

For quite some time, I have felt that insurers keep as many psychologists on retainer as they do attorneys. All you need to do is listen to the word track in the “negotiating” process regardless of which insurer or appraiser you are dealing with. It is basically the same - carefully chosen words meant to demoralize and put you in your place. The same can be said for all the insurance advertising targeting the less-thanknowledgeable John Q. Public. They take advantage of “John,” who has been taught and conditioned to always seek the lowest-priced insurance premium without understanding the true effects of such poor decision-making criteria.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I did look up the Wikipedia definition of “learned helplessness,” which is as follows: learned helplessness is the behavior that occurs when the subject endures repeatedly painful or otherwise aversive stimuli which it is unable to escape from or avoid.

After such experiences, the organism often fails to learn or accept “escape” or “avoidance” in new situations where such behavior is likely to be effective. In other words, the organism learned that it is helpless. In situations where there is a presence of aversive stimuli, it has accepted that it has lost control and thus gives up trying, even as changing circumstances offer a method of relief from said stimuli.

Such an organism is said to have acquired learned helplessness. learned helplessness theory is the view that clinical depression and related mental illnesses may result from such real or perceived absence of control over the outcome of a situation.

By way of an explanation, the “organism” referred to in the definition is those of us in the collision repair industry and/or those who must put in an insurance claim. The “adverse stimuli” is the insurance appraiser and/or adjuster who simply states they don’t pay for something with the expectation that it becomes the rule once it is uttered enough times. This pat answer along with the true lack of enforcement of the laws, rules and CMRs are the foundation of our “learned helplessness.”

No one can be blamed for throwing up their hands and saying, “What’s the point!?” after being repeatedly stonewalled, misinformed and, dare I say, lied to. Whether you are a collision repairer or a consumer, the tactics employed by the insurance industry can’t help but be demoralizing and wearing. I do not profess to be a psychologist; however, for all intents and purposes, the collision industry and our customers are in a state of “clinical depression” and “mental illness.” This is brought on by the unrelenting abuse from an insurance industry whose only apparent goal is saving money at the potential cost of loss of life or catastrophic injury, which is in and of itself a complete contradiction to many of their advertisements that say, “Trust us. We are here to protect you.”

It is indeed psychological warfare.

Back in 2000, during testimony about aftermarket/generic parts before the ADALB, Dr. Frederick Jennings made this point very clear. Speaking as an insurer would if they were being candid, Dr. Jennings said, “If I can win your trust [by convincing you that “you’re in good hands” or are being treated “like a good neighbor…”], I can then cheat you by giving you less than what you think you’re getting [and] less than what you paid for and I agreed to provide.” Dr. Jennings made the war plan of insurers abundantly clear. They will do whatever they can to avoid their responsibilities under the indemnification policy they sold with the sole purpose of generating higher profits for their stockholders.

I’ve been told the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly over and over and expecting a different result.

The great news is we and our customers have many tools available to us that can be used to achieve a positive result by not constantly doing what is expected of us. In the Wikipedia definition, there is a reference to the possibility of a positive turnaround. In part, the definition states “the organism often fails to learn or accept ‘escape’ or ‘avoidance’ in new situations where such behavior is likely to be successful …even as changing circumstances offer a method of relief from said [adverse] stimuli.” This means that if we don’t give in to the feeling of “helplessness,” we have the opportunity to come out on top. The rapidly changing circumstances in our industry are continued on page 13

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AASP/MA Executive Director Lucky Papageorg is on the move!

Read below for his stops this month.

3

In the third week of April, Lucky will be visiting the Western region and will host a chapter meeting on April 17.

(Location TBD.)

4

During the fourth week of April, he will be in the Boston/Northeast region and will host a chapter meeting on April 24. (Location TBD.)

2 41

He will be spending the first week of May visiting shops in the Southeast region and will host a chapter meeting on May 1. (Location TBD.)

april 15 - may 10

2019 Keep an eye out for future meeting dates and locations!

During the second week of May, he is visiting shops in the Midstate region and will host a chapter meeting on May 8. (Location TBD.)

PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY

MASSACHUSETTS

Lucky can be reached at (617) 574-0741 or lucky@aaspma.org.

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE continued from page 10 almost too many to count.

These changes should and will be what ultimately saves us as collision repairers. OEM position statements are being developed regularly to assist in substantiating the proper repair methods required to return a vehicle to “crashworthy” condition. The information, which is readily available to repairers who take the time to research – which is a billable expense – assists us and our customers in reversing the misinformation and propaganda being issued by insurers. An educated and knowledgeable customer, along with an equally knowledgeable collision repairer, is a force to be reckoned with. Together, they can reverse the “learned helplessness” psychosis afflicting the industry.

A key factor to reversing the long and well-established methods of the insurers is to

not knuckle under. We must utilize the support teams that are long and well-established as well as those who are new in the battle. SCRS, I-CAR, OEMs and other industry associations such as AASP/MA are allies.

They are your support group.

You may feel that you are all alone and “helpless,” but let me assure you that there are thousands of individuals across the country who sacrifice on your behalf. They ask for little in return.

Here in Massachusetts, there are hundreds doing so, and all they ask is that you don’t give up. Even when you feel completely defeated and feel like throwing your hands up and becoming a victim of “learned helplessness,” AASP/MA Board and association members are working tirelessly on your behalf. You must support them, even if from the

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continued on page 46

new England automotive Report April 2019 13

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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 West Springfield 1712 Riverdale St. West Springfield, MA 01089 PH: 413-746-1722 FAX: 413-304-9009 bmwwestspringfield.com

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BMW of Sudbury Wholesale Parts 68 Old County Road Sudbury, MA 01776 PH: 800-338-3198 FAX: 508-881-7578 bmwofsudbury.com

14 April 2019

new England automotive Report

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16 April 2019

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Support through membership in the Vendor Af nity Program!

For more information or to become a sponsor please call (617) 574-0741 or email admin@aaspma.org

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• Link to website • Quarterly copy of paid member list • AASP/MA logo for your collateral -Bi-Monthly digital advertising in Damage Report Newsletter -Up to 9 Brands, 6x/year -Your copy due to AASP of ce on the 1st of Feb, April, June, Aug, Oct, Dec -NEAR Article -1 per year -Company logo on AASP-MA website and published monthly in NEAR -Promotional yer email blast to membership -3x/year -Copy due to AASP of ce on 1st of Feb, Aug, and Dec -25% discount on advertising in NEAR

-Bi-Monthly digital advertising in Damage Report Newsletter -Up to 3 Brands, 6x/year -Your copy due to AASP of ce on the 1st of Feb, April, June, Aug, Oct, Dec -NEAR Article -1 per year -Company logo on AASP-MA website and published monthly in NEAR -Promotional yer email blast to membership -3x/year -Copy due to AASP of ce on 1st of Feb, Aug, and Dec -20% discount on advertising in NEAR

-Bi-Monthly digital advertising in Damage Report Newsletter -Up to 2 Brands, 6x/year -Your copy due to AASP of ce on the 1st of Feb, April, June, Aug, Oct, Dec -NEAR Article -1 per year -Your company logo on AASP-MA website and published in monthly edition of NEAR -Promotional yer email blast to membership -2 times per year -Copy due to AASP of ce on 1st of Feb, Aug, and Dec -15% discount on advertising in NEAR

-Bi-Monthly digital advertising in Damage Report Newsletter -Up to 1 Brand, 6x/year -Your copy due to AASP of ce on the 1st of Feb, April, June, Aug, Oct, Dec -Your company logo on AASP-MA website and published in monthly edition of NEAR -10% discount on advertising in NEAR

-2 complimentary attendees for all chapter meetings -scheduled meetings 40x/year (4 per month/10 months) -2 complimentary golfers at annual golf outing - June 26, 2019 -5 complimentary tickets to Fall event - October 2, 2019

-2 complimentary attendees for all chapter meetings -scheduled meetings 40x/year (4 per month/10 months) -2 complimentary golfers at annual golf outing - June 26, 2019 -5 complimentary tickets to Fall event - October 2, 2019 -Hole sponsor at golf outing - June 26, 2019

-1 complimentary attendee for all chapter meetings -scheduled meetings 40x/year (4 per month/10 months) -2 complimentary tickets to Fall event - October 2, 2019 -Hole sponsor at golf outing - June 26, 2019

-1 complimentary attendee for all chapter meetings -scheduled meetings 40x/year (4 per month/10 months) -Hole sponsor at golf outing - June 26, 2019

-Sponsor of 12 weekly tip email blasts per year to membership -Recognized sponsor at all regional chapter meetings -4x/month/10 months -Recognized sponsor at golf outing - June 26, 2019 -Recognized sponsor at Fall event - October 2, 2019

-Sponsor of 12 weekly tip email blasts per year to membership -Recognized sponsor at all regional chapter meetings -4x/month/10 months -Recognized sponsor at golf outing - June 26, 2019 -Recognized sponsor at Fall event - October 2, 2019

-Sponsor of 8 weekly tip email blasts per year to membership -Recognized sponsor at all regional chapter meetings -4x/month/10 months -Recognized sponsor at golf outing - June 26, 2019 -Recognized sponsor at Fall event - October 2, 2019

-Recognized sponsor at all regional chapter meetings -4xmonth/10 months -Recognized sponsor at golf outing - June 26, 2019

-Your promotional materials can be distributed to attendees at all AASP/MA events

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18 April 2019

new England automotive Report

-Company name listed on AASP/MA.org

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20 April 2019

new England automotive Report

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RAE is North America’s premier supplier of OE certified repair equipment.

Our OE approved systems and products are the “preferred choice” for use in collision repair because the system or products have already been prescreened by the car manufacturer.

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[LOCAL] NEWS By Joel Gausten PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY

MASSACHUSETTS

Explores the Future of Estimating, OEM Procedures

very collision repair operation in America is in business to make money, but this isn’t always easily accomplished in Massachusetts. Thankfully, AASP/MA is here to help.

For its February 27 Northeast Chapter meeting sponsored by DB National Warehouse Supply, Inc. and held at the Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in Marlborough, the association welcomed Ed Rachwal of Designer Office Systems, Inc. for a presentation on how various Mitchell International products and services are assisting end-users in determining more realistic values and promoting the industrywide use of OEM repair procedures.

Throughout his presentation, Rachwal (with technical support by his brother, Scott) showcased a variety of ways that Mitchell is working with OEMs to deliver real-world information to the shop floor. These include the recently launched Mitchell Cloud Estimating, which provides end-users with position statements and other OEM-specific information.

“When you put in the vehicle [into the system], the position statements will be available for that vehicle,” he said.

Another product, the Mitchell Refinish Materials Calculator

E

AASP/MA Executive Director Lucky Papageorg discussed OEM repair documentation and other procedures at the meeting.

Ed Rachwal of Designer Office Systems, Inc.

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The February 27 meeting drew members eager to learn about various Mitchell estimating services.

(RMC), provides what the company calls an “unbiased method of calculating paint material costs based on Mitchell’s material studies.”

With one in five vehicles in America manufactured by General Motors, the automaker has launched a new Collision Repair Network of certified shops. Mitchell is working with GM to administer the program.

“GM really wants to get their cars fixed by facilities that have the tools, equipment and training to get it done,” shared Rachwal. “Every estimate has to be written in Mitchell Cloud Estimating, and GM is supplying all of their procedures…Any procedure that GM has, Mitchell has within one week of them having that procedure come out.

“GM’s stance is they want you to look up the procedures every single time,” he added. “They don’t care if you fixed that door two weeks ago; their stance is it could be different this week.”

Rachwal detailed another OEMrelated Mitchell endeavor, Toyota Recommended Repair Procedures, which provides direct access to the most current content needed to restore Toyota vehicles to crashworthy condition straight from the

manufacturer. This value-added feature is now included free with a Mitchell Estimating subscription.

“Part of what drove [this program] is Toyota did some studies as to what’s happening when their cars don’t get fixed properly. They found that if cars don’t get fixed properly by shops – it doesn’t matter if it’s a Toyota shop or an independent shop – people are upset with the brands and are leaving that brand. It’s not a good business model for us to continue to ignore this and let things happen…If we can get out in front of this and help shops get the tools they need and certified and fix cars properly, our customers are going to be happier and are going to stay with us.”

In an industry still feeling the aftermath of the multimillion-dollar verdict against John Eagle Collision in Texas, he opined that now is not the time for technicians to ignore how the entities responsible for actually making the vehicles say they need to be repaired.

“You want to be following OEM procedures more than ever before, and you want to be documenting that you’re following OEM procedures.”

Additionally, Rachwal updated attendees on the news that Mitchell

Diagnostics and Bosch have teamed up to create a new collision-friendly scan tool that helps to “make doing the scans and getting paid for [them] a little bit easier.”

Following Designer Systems’ presentation, AASP/MA Executive Director Evangelos “Lucky” Papageorg stressed the critical role that OEM repair procedures play in negotiations between shops and insurers.

“If the appraisers are writing in Mitchell for the insurance company, they click on a fender or door and all those procedures come up and then they deselect one item, they’ve changed the estimating procedure – which is against the regulation and against their license…We can make that an issue and say, ‘When I wrote it, I used this template; here’s everything that came up as a nonincluded and included item. If you’re not going to follow the estimating system, I’m not going to negotiate with you. You’re not following what your license mandates you to have to do as an appraiser in Massachusetts.’

“The OEM’s recommendations and requirements are right there,” he continued. “Rather than having to go search for it, it comes right up. Take new England automotive Report April 2019 23

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[LOCAL] NEWS By Joel Gausten advantage of that. Print it out and hand it the appraiser right during the negotiating process before you hear the word, ‘No.’” Papageorg also noted that insurers that cut corners on estimates put the repair facility at risk and shortchange consumers on the policies they’ve purchased from those carriers.

“The policy that the insurance company sells your customer to protect that vehicle is an indemnification policy. That means they’re going to make them whole; there’s no ‘only do this’ or ‘only do that’ in parentheses. They are obligated to pay the full amount of the repair of that vehicle.”

In addition to better ensuring safe repairs, facilities that utilize OEM repair procedures have stronger documentation to defend their position to insurers and inform consumers of the proper way of preserving the crashworthiness of their vehicles.

“A lot of shops are giving that [OEM] information to the owner of the vehicle, and the owner is being educated that this is how the vehicle is supposed to be repaired and that their insurance company is indemnifying them to fix the vehicle properly. We’re constantly being told we have to prove that we’re right…What you’re really trying to do is justify your position.”

Of course, not all estimating systems are perfect. When shops encounter a labor time discrepancy or something else that doesn’t seem right, they can turn to the Database Enhancement Gateway (degweb.org), a free service funded by AASP National and other collision industry entities that investigates end-user inquiries and communicates directly with the Information Provider in question on a solution. A record of thousands of solved database inquiries is featured on the DEG website.

“One of the things that came out on the DEG is that if it’s a high, tall vehicle and you have to build some 24 April 2019

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kind of a staging in order to work on it, that’s not included in the times in the books,” Papageorg advised.

“That’s something that you should consider putting on your estimates to negotiate with.”

With vehicle technologies changing at a rapid pace, it is an undeniable fact that OEM repair procedures constantly change. In order for shops to protect themselves against liability, Papageorg urged attendees to print out and use the most current OEM information available at the date of the repair.

As made clear at the February 27 meeting, the success of AASP/MA’s

revamped chapter structure has allowed association members to better seek out important information and move forward with greater industry camaraderie.

“Everybody in this room, in years gone by, may have looked at one another as a competitor. We’re actually colleagues,” Papageorg said.

“We’re all in this together, and we’re looking to make the whole industry better for everyone.”

Information on upcoming chapter meetings and other AASP/MA events is available at aaspma.org.

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[COVER] STORY By Joel Gausten

28 April 2019

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Trust is a difficult thing to achieve in this business.

Information Providers are supposed to be there to help industry personnel have access to accurate data throughout the repair process. But a new lawsuit has many questioning the legitimacy of one of the industry’s most notable and widely used entities.

According to a recent report by Boston, MAbased WBUR, the Massachusetts Division of Insurance intends to investigate allegations against CCC Information Services that the Chicago-based company shorted Massachusetts drivers out of thousands of dollars in total and/or stolen vehicle claims.

CCC is one of three main industry Information Providers used by insurers and auto body repair facilities to estimate what totaled cars were worth before being wrecked or stolen. Insurers use the appraisals to help determine how much money to pay policyholders to cover the costs of replacement cars. A complaint filed against CCC by Norwell, MAbased lender Source One Financial Corp. claims that CCC appraisals routinely lowball the amounts paid to insurance customers.

“On a regular basis, we see [CCC] making claims regarding the sales price of motor vehicles that aren’t substantiated,” Source One’s chief financial officer, Michael Parsons, told WBUR. “In fact, Source One has sent out private detectives to make sure that the prices [CCC] give are fair. And what we’re finding is, on a regular basis, those prices are not the right price, either because they are discounting the price available [or] taking unreasonable condition adjustments against the consumer’s car.”

Encouraged by these developments, AASP/MA Executive Director Evangelos “Lucky” Papageorg is confident that the complaint against CCC will draw greater attention to the discrepancies that exist between the shop and insurer versions of estimating platforms.

“It is about time that a spotlight of this nature is shone on the Division of Insurance and on what is an obviously flawed system that only serves to condone the systematic defrauding of the consumers by insurance companies. The fox is truly watching the henhouse. All one has to do is call the DOI and see what it means to be stonewalled on any issue. This situation reinforces my belief that the service providers are there to sell to insurance companies. I feel they create packages that are advantageous to insurers. They are their biggest customers, but at the same time, the motoring public is at a disadvantage.”

“It’s all sided for the insurance company; it’s as simple as that,” adds AASP/MA Collision Director Rob DelGallo. “I’ve seen them actually put six hours to prep the car for auction deducted from the valuation in total loss jobs. We could never get six hours to clean a car.”

AASP/MA Treasurer Matt Ciaschini feels the information featured in the WBUR report will be of tremendous value to Massachusetts motorists.

“I’m going to use the WBUR article as part of the total loss package we give our customers.

When a customer’s vehicle is totaled, we help them with finding the true value of their vehicle while making sure they know to do their due diligence to get paid out properly. Ninety-five percent of the time when we’re dealing with customer totals, they’re getting badly lowballed. This is not just a CCC issue; this is an industry issue.”

Speaking with New England Automotive Report, Parsons was pleased to see the Massachusetts automotive community respond so quickly to his efforts to address valuation issues with CCC. “We’re very appreciative of the position of the association. We’re very appreciative of any support that we receive from anyone regarding these issues, because we think what’s occurring to consumers in the Commonwealth is pretty unfair.

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[COVER] STORY “While I’m very pleased that people are beginning to take an interest, I’m still amazingly shocked that the Division of Insurance hasn’t done anything here,” he adds. “We have filed complaints with the Division of Insurance for a couple of years.

We have been in communication with them; at one point, we delivered to them a bunch of files related to bad CCC ONE reports, and we never heard back from them again. We were told that the issue was under investigation almost a year ago, [but] we still have not heard a single thing from a single investigator from the Division of Insurance.”

Parsons also expressed his concern for the financial impact of CCC’s alleged activities.

“Source One Financial has about 35 to 50 totals a month. We are a subprime auto loan company. If we don’t get paid by the insurance company on a totaled car, our chances of getting paid by the consumer are not all that great.”

Parsons says he is being aided in his efforts in regard to CCC by an unexpected occurrence:

A rear-end collision experienced by his son last year.

Because he has been able to use his son’s negative experience with CCC to now pursue the matter directly from a consumer angle, he is able to share information he couldn’t with previous claims due to legal restrictions.

“For the very first time, I got to go in public and talk about these things with a beautiful case file on a perfectly innocent individual who got cheated.”

AASP/MA strongly urges its members to read the complete WBUR article available in the Members Only section of aaspma.org. Members who have not renewed their AASP/MA memberships are urged to do so to continue having access to valuable industry information such as this that assists you in helping and retaining your customers.

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[INDUSTRY] ADVICE

ASK MIKE

How Has the World of Estimating Evolved?

expectations in regard to service is greater than in the past. I recently wrote an estimate for a Nissan quarter panel replacement, and it literally took me five hours to research all the OEM repair procedures, calibrations and one-time-use parts. Writing an estimate today is much more laborintensive than it ever was back in the day. Eight years ago, we could write a $20,000 job in four hours. Today, it’s not just about taking the car apart and New England Automotive Report: In punching everything in.

In regard to human resources, I your current role as an industry had someone – my assistant, Tiffany – consultant, you occasionally work as an estimator at your client shops. doing all my bookkeeping, accounting and HR. Today, there are many more A lot has happened in this industry things that you have to worry about. since you sold your shops almost nine years ago. What are the biggest You need to make sure your employees aren’t posting pictures of a things you experience now as an client’s car on Facebook. You have to estimator that are surprising when make sure you’re abiding by all the compared to the way things were laws in regard to pay plans. There’s so back when you ran your much more time in human resources businesses? now. Today, there are so many more I-CAR classes and OEM training Mike Anderson: When I was in courses. KPIs were always important, business, we always did quality but today there are three times as repairs. I know everybody says that, but we truly did. But today, the amount many of them that you need to manage as a business owner. of time that it takes to research repair Things have changed a lot in the procedures, and the amount of sales past eight years. You really have to that an estimator can handle now work smart and utilize technology to versus even five years ago, has be efficient and effective. It’s not cut changed greatly. The amount of time and dried anymore; it’s much more that it takes to meet customers’ This month, we “ASK MIKE” to share some of his recent experiences working as a part-time estimator as part of his industry consulting business, Collision Advice. We at New England Automotive Report 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 subsequent issue.

32 April 2019

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labor-intensive on the administrative side.

NEAR: What is your impression of current shop-insurer relationships?

Have you seen improvements in that over the years, or are there still major issues that haven’t been properly addressed?

MA: Back then, the friction points were things like feather, prime and block or finish, sand and buff – stuff that you really wouldn’t have liability over.

Today, the friction points are more over things that have a huge amount of liability. Today, the friction points are following OEM repair procedures to a ‘T,’ scanning, calibrations and more. Also, I think the entry-level costs for somebody to open a body shop today are much higher than they were 10 years ago for the different welders, rivet guns, aluminum stalls and certification fees. The overhead expenses are much greater. It was easier to make money 10-15 years ago. You can still make money today, but you’ve got to work harder to get it.

NEAR: Based on your consulting work, what are some of the primary issues or areas of concern that you’d like to see shops make more of an effort to address this year?

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MA: Before, you could run a business by your gut. Today, everything you do has to be strategic and well thought out.

You need to decide what your return on investment is going to be. In some cases, you almost have to become a specialist in certain vehicle brands. You can’t be all things to all people today; you have to determine where your focus is going to be in the future.

We use computers so much today, and you need to worry about firewalls, spam and privacy. While they should have been a concern back then, they were not as important then as they are today. There is a higher financial commitment today for IT infrastructure as opposed to 10 years ago.

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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).

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[LEGAL] PERSPECTIVE by James A. Castleman, Esq.

“an unfair claim settlement practice shall consist of any of the following acts or omissions:…Failing to effectuate prompt, fair and equitable settlements of claims in which liability has become reasonably clear.” That is what Section 3(9)(f) of Mass. General Laws, Chapter 176D says. This is a key section of the Massachusetts Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act, a statute that specifically defines various “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance.”

In relation to the cover story in this issue of New England Automotive Report, radio station WBUR has reported that the Massachusetts Division of Insurance is investigating allegations that CCC Information Services has issued numerous faulty total loss motor vehicle appraisals that lowball vehicle valuations and regularly cost drivers hundreds or thousands of dollars in insurance claims.

These allegations are not new, and they are not applicable just to Massachusetts. In fact, they have been the basis of significant class action lawsuits, including one in Illinois and another in Nevada, that have resulted in multi-million dollar settlements. There are also suits currently pending in Florida, Washington and Louisiana.

Yet, in Massachusetts – and elsewhere – auto insurers continue to accept CCC total loss valuations as gospel.

Why? Because, as one insurance broker told WBUR, “Insurance companies like CCC appraisals because they are generally lower than [the National Automotive Dealers Associations’] …[Insurers] obviously are reducing claims because they’re coming up with lower values.”

What is particularly troubling about the WBUR report is that it appears that CCC may be issuing total loss valuation reports that they obviously should know are unfairly low, whether as the result of intentional action or as the result of just plain sloppiness. In one case cited by WBUR, CCC had actually taken a condition deduction on a stolen vehicle that had never been recovered, i.e., a vehicle that CCC never had the opportunity to inspect.

Also troubling is what was noted by the auto finance company that hired a private detective to investigate CCC valuations and which then filed the complaint that resulted in the investigation by the Division of Insurance: “On a 36 April 2019

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regular basis, we see [CCC] making claims regarding the sales price of motor vehicles that aren’t substantiated…What we’re finding is, on a regular basis, those prices are not the right price, either because they are discounting the price available [or] taking unreasonable condition adjustments against the consumer’s car.”

Based on all of this, it appears that CCC intentionally may be lowballing total loss valuations, and insurers knowingly may be using those valuations to avoid effectuating “fair and equitable settlements of claims” in which liability has become clear. Such conduct would constitute a clear violation of the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act. What Are Insurers’ Obligations in Determining True Total Loss Valuations?

Determining an accurate actual cash value (ACV) of a totaled or stolen vehicle is critical when insurers are paying claims. As stated in the standard Massachusetts auto policy, when a covered loss occurs, “The most we will pay will be either the actual cash value of the auto or the cost to repair the auto, whichever is less.” Further, under 212 CMR 2.04(1)(f), an insurer cannot declare a damaged vehicle to be a total loss unless “the appraised cost of repair plus the estimated salvage may be reasonably expected to exceed the actual cash value of a vehicle.” But once this determination is made, 211 CMR 133.05 mandates that the insurer determine the ACV of the vehicle.

Regulation 211 CMR 133.05 also sets out the factors to be used by an insurer in determining ACV and requires the insurer to consider all the specified factors. The factors are:

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[LEGAL] PERSPECTIVE the retail book value for a motor vehicle of like kind and quality, but for the damage incurred; the price paid for the vehicle plus the value of prior improvements to the motor vehicle at the time of the accident, less appropriate depreciation; the decrease in value of the motor vehicle resulting from prior unrelated damage which is detected by the appraiser; and the actual cost of purchase of an available motor vehicle of like kind and quality but for the damage sustained.

Insurers supposedly rely on CCC to utilize all of these factors. But based on the cited reports, either CCC does not use them all or neglects to use them properly.

Does CCC truly determine the “retail book value” of motor vehicles? All they would have to do is check the NADA values to do so.

Do they check the price paid for a car plus the value of improvements, less appropriate depreciation? According to the cited reports, they apparently often neglect to add appropriate value for improvements and routinely embellish appropriate depreciation. As previously noted, in at least one case, CCC took depreciation for defects that they never actually saw and had no way to know whether they existed.

Further, they apparently usually reduce value by a prep or clean-up fee, supposedly required to make a vehicle ready for resale. But why should this be an element of ACV? It certainly is not one of the factors specified in the applicable regulation.

Do they consider decrease in value based on prior unrelated damage? They probably do, but perhaps they exaggerate this as well. Do they properly determine the actual cost of a similar vehicle? According to the cited reports, they are abysmally bad at doing this, finding phantom cars that do not exist, arbitrarily reducing dealer retail prices without a basis for doing so and using vehicles that clearly are not of “like kind and quality.”

What Legal Remedies Are Available?

If in fact CCC is intentionally, recklessly or negligently lowballing total loss valuations, then there are various legal actions that could be taken against them. Although the Division of Insurance is investigating their practices, the Division may not have direct jurisdiction over them; after all, CCC is not an insurer. However, the Division could refer the matter to the Attorney General’s Office for action, perhaps by the AG’s Consumer Protection Division, or even perhaps by the AG’s Criminal Division if it were determined that CCC’s actions are intentional. And of course, there is also the possibility of a consumer class action lawsuit being brought against CCC seeking damages for individual consumers as well as multiple damages and attorneys’ fees

38 April 2019

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under the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act. How about the insurers that are using CCC total loss valuations when they apparently know that CCC is acting improperly? The players in the Massachusetts auto insurance industry are sophisticated businesses with appraisers, auditors and economists on staff, and it would seem to be beyond belief that they would not know what they are doing or what CCC is doing. To think otherwise would be naïve.

Based on conversations that I have had, most people in the collision repair industry in Massachusetts have known what CCC has been doing for many years; it would seem preposterous to believe that Massachusetts insurers have not known as well.

While they may not be able to act directly against CCC, the Division of Insurance certainly has jurisdiction over Massachusetts auto insurers. If the Division’s investigation confirms what WBUR has reported, what the company filing the complaint against CCC has discovered, what class action settlements in other states have indicated and what the collision repair industry already knows, then the Division has the power to enforce the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act and assess penalties against the insurers.

Significant monetary penalties can be imposed, a ceaseand-desist order can be issued, consumer relief can be mandated and insurers could be prohibited from using CCC reports as a basis for paying total loss claims. In my opinion, it is time for the Division of Insurance to do the job that they are charged with: To protect the auto insurance consumers of Massachusetts and to stop insurers from reaping unfair profits off of the backs of their insureds. Hopefully, that will happen.

Even if it doesn’t, the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act allows individual consumers – or a class of consumers – to bring lawsuits against insurers based on violation of the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act. While an individual insured may have a relatively small monetary loss as the result of an unfair CCC valuation used by an insurer as the basis of a total loss payment, the insured may still be able to collect multiple damages and attorneys’ fees if they are successful, and they also may be able to get a court to issue an injunction against an insurer prohibiting that carrier from using CCC valuations. A successful class action lawsuit, however, could yield millions of dollars in penalties – as well as multiple damages, attorneys’ fees and injunctive relief. Perhaps it will not be until this occurs that insurers finally get the message that they owe a duty of good faith and fair dealing when settling total loss claims with their insureds.

PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY

MASSACHUSETTS

Attorney James Castleman is a managing member of Paster, Rice & Castleman, LLC in Quincy, MA. He can be reached at (617) 472-3424 or at jcastleman@prclawoffice.com.

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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: Mastria Nissan 1305 New State Highway Raynham, MA 02767 Direct Toll Free: 800-248-2458 Direct Fax: 508-802-6118 E-mail: parts@mastrianissan.com Web: www.mastria.com

Kelly Nissan of Lynnfield 275 Broadway (Route 1) Lynnfield, MA 01940 Toll Free: 1-800-698-9280 Fax: 781-598-8026 E-mail: BSherman@Kellyauto.com

Kelly Nissan of Woburn 95 Cedar Street Woburn, MA 01801 Phone: 781-835-3510 Fax: 781-835-3580 E-mail: mbosma@kellyauto.com www.kellyauto.com

new England automotive Report April 2019 39

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It Takes Genuine Honda Collision Repair Parts To Achieve a Genuine Honda Fit. 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.

For Genuine Honda parts, contact these Authorized Honda dealers.

Bernardi Honda 960 Worcester Road Natick, MA 01760 Parts Direct: 800-247-3033 FAX: 508-651-1220 www.bernardihonda.com

Lia Honda of Northampton 293 King Street Northampton, MA 01060 Toll Free: 800-369-7889 Direct: 1-413-586-6043 FAX: 1-413-585-0502 www.liahondanorthampton.com

Honda North 382 Newbury Street Danvers, MA 01923 Toll Free: 800-882-9797 FAX: 978-774-9483 e-mail: eadams@iclautos.com www.hondanorth.com

Kelly Honda 540 Lynnway Rt. 1A Lynn, MA 01905 Parts Direct: 800-779-7466 FAX: 781-595-2898 e-mail: mpsomosjr@kellyauto.com

Honda of Enfield 20 Palomba Drive Enfield, CT 06082 Toll Free: 800-222-6632 FAX: 860-253-5419 www.liahondaofenfield.com

Schaller Honda 1 Veterans Drive New Britain, CT 06051 Toll Free: 800-382-4525 Direct: 860-826-2080 FAX: 860-826-2083 e-mail: jkiniry@schallerauto.com www.schallerauto.com

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Lundgren Honda of Auburn 525 Washington Street Auburn, MA 01501 Toll Free: 800-777-2044 FAX: 508-721-0872 e-mail:pmccarthy@lhonda.com www.lhonda.com

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Genuine Replacement Parts For the Road Ahead.

Avoid problems down the road that will cost you time, money and customers. Choose Genuine Subaru Replacement Parts, engineered to fit better today, and perform better tomorrow.

For Genuine Subaru Body Parts, contact an Authorized Subaru Dealer.

Long Subaru 7 Sutton Rd., Webster, MA 01570 800-982-2298 Fax: 508-879-1212 tschube@longauto.com new England automotive Report April 2019 41

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PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY

MASSACHUSETTS

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[AASP-MA MEMBER] SPOTLIGHT by Alana Bonillo Left to right: Jordan, Dana and Tyler Snowdale of D&S Auto Works, Inc.

D&s auto Works, inc.

Dana snowdale has been fixing cars since before he even had a driver’s license.

The owner of D&S Auto Works of Abington first developed an interest in automotive repair thanks to a course in high school. At 15, he rented a neighbor’s garage and started working on vehicles. It took off from there.

A few years of putting in 70- to-80hour workweeks at an area auto body shop gave him enough experience to feel ready to go into business for himself. In 1988, D&S Auto Works opened its doors and has continued to provide quality collision repair services to the Abington community and beyond.

Always looking towards the future, Snowdale hoped D&S Auto Works would become a family business.

“That was my thought process, and it all came to fruition,” he happily shares.

Snowdale went on to have three sons who all have become a part of the auto body shop. His oldest son, Jordan, is the most heavily involved and is

poised to take over one day. Jordan is the shop’s lead painter, has I-CAR training and is currently focusing on his appraiser’s license. Younger sons Zachary and Tyler work at the shop part time.

“It’s a relaxed atmosphere with each job being a group effort; we aren’t micromanaging each other’s work. Over the past 31 years, we have learned how to streamline our business and space, allowing us to incorporate expansion and functionality of operations throughout.”

D&S Auto Works consistently keeps on top of OEM requirements and stays up to date with training. This leads to tremendous benefits to each of the shop’s customers.

D&S Auto Works has maintained its success thanks to Snowdale being personally involved with each job that comes into the facility.

“We have a better handle on the quality of the work that goes into each job, and working closely with my sons ensures that nothing gets overlooked.”

Knowing that effective communication can bring about positive results, Snowdale believes strongly in working with others to address today’s complex and ever-evolving collision repair world. He discovered the value of being a member of what was then the Massachusetts Auto Body Association (MABA) at a time when shops were at a crossroads as handwritten estimates started being replaced by computergenerated documents. Dana learned a lot about it from working with other shop owners; soon, he got more deeply involved with the association and joined the Board of Directors to serve as treasurer.

With family obligations and running a business eventually taking a greater priority, Snowdale had to put his involvement with the association aside after several years.

“I still had some involvement; I kept up with what was going on in the industry.”

After a 10-year hiatus, Snowdale came back to AASP/MA and is looking forward to the future ahead. For him, the greatest value of being a part of the group is having the opportunity to communicate with other shop owners firsthand.

“AASP/MA’s focus is with industry involvement, as most shop owners are having the same problems. We are all trying to maximize production.”

Snowdale is positive about AASP/MA’s work and hopes the association can encourage the younger generation to become collision experts through its alliance with vocational schools. He believes that students should have the opportunity to learn more about the collision repair industry along with its regulations and procedures.

Above all, Snowdale calls for greater collaboration among all members of the Massachusetts automotive field.

“In order to make industry progress, we all need to come together.”

PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY

MASSACHUSETTS

new England automotive Report April 2019 43

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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 toward improved cycle time that helps make 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 Natick 549 Worcester Street Natick, MA 01760 www.bernardiaudi.com 800.247.3033 Fax: 508.651.6841

Hoffman Audi 700 Connecticut Blvd East Hartford, CT 06108 860.282.0191 Fax: 860.290.6355 www.hoffmanauto.com

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new England automotive Report

Audi Peabody 252 Andover Street Peabody, MA 01960 800.774.8411 Parts Direct: 978.605.2182 email: pwalke@iramotorgroup.com www.audipeabody.com

Mattie Audi 80 William S. Canning Blvd.

Fall River, MA 02721 800.678.0914 Fax: 508.730.1283 www.mattieaudi.com

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE continued from page 13

Wheel Collision Center

sidelines. If you cannot participate directly at meetings such as the ADALB or our local chapter event, be a financial supporter of AASP/MA as we work to “protect the consumers and the collision industry of Massachusetts.” Join and pay your dues so that the good work can continue. Pay attention to and use the helpful information we are providing to you and your customers through social media, our website and direct emails to your shops.

In case I have not explained the concept of “learned helplessness” well enough, consider the following: When a circus obtains a very young elephant, they would control it by chaining it to a stake in the ground. As the elephant matured, nothing changed as far as the gauge of the chain or the thickness of the stake – only the ankle ring around its foot was made larger. The adult elephant never tests his ability to break free!

DOn’t BE tHE “DUmBO” in tHE ROOm!!!!

Patent assures

PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY

MASSACHUSETTS

AASP/MA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EVANGELOS “LUCKY” PAPAGEORG can be reached at (617) 574-0741 or lucky@aaspma.org

46 April 2019

new England automotive Report

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