No Problems with Insurers? That’s a Big Problem!

It’s always interesting when I hear a shop owner tell me that they have no issues whatsoever in their business. Given the whole new world we’re operating in and many insurers’ reluctance to accept the changing landscape of collision repair, I struggle to see how that can be reality because from where I’m sitting it means one of two things: 1. You’re doing the things you’re supposed to do and not being reimbursed, or 2.

You’re simply NOT doing the things you should be doing!

Are you making more money now than in past years? I recently talked to an insurance appraiser who said some shops must be making a killing. We all know that severity is increasing because of vehicle complexity, but insurers just see rising costs and are convinced that shops’ profitability is up by that amount. They disregard the fact that severity has increased

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by JERRY MCNEE

year over year; they feel like that extra $$ is going directly into our pockets and boosting our bottom lines. I’d venture to guess that it’s not. Not if you’re doing things right. Insurers have a very simple plan called the “zero sum plan;” in order for them to win, someone has to lose.

But the beancounters in upper management at the insurance companies have these local appraisers hung up like puppets on a string. They’re not allowed to have opinions or speak with their own voices; they simply do what they’re told, and our situation gets worse and worse as they write estimates and kick them back to their superiors who just naysay our blueprints. “No, no, no; we won’t pay for that.” Well, it’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback and squeeze us for all we’re worth when we’ve already done the job blue printing the repair

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Less than 15 percent of shops are controlling the other 85 percent. But imagine what could happen if that majority put their foot down, got involved and said, “Enough is enough!” The insurers’ position will always be “no,” so it may take thousands of negative responses before they finally say “yes,” but rest assured: If you get involved and educate yourself to learn how to utilize the programs AASP/NJ and other associations offer, you’ll start to see that other shops are getting paid for doing the right thing…so, why shouldn’t you? I read a great win where the judge said and accepted the VRS as the real prevailing competitive price / labor rate.