MN Court Awards $157K in Progressive Ins. Underpays
GlassBYTES has reported that the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld a decision that gave Rapid Glass, an automotive glass repair and replacement company, $157,851.46 for 580 underpaid and unpaid claims from Progressive Insurance. The court ruled that the glass company’s charges were fair, reasonable and competitive. Rick Rosar, president of Rapid Glass, told GlassBYTES. “The windshield has become an integral part of the vehicle’s safety system. It is not a place to cut corners when a windshield needs to be replaced…” The court said the dispute was whether Progressive satisfied the contract by paying “the amount necessary to repair damaged property to its pre-loss condition.” “[Progressive] was not required to interpret the term ‘necessary’ because the contract provided the definition…,” the court wrote in its decision. “Under the terms of the contract, ‘necessary’ means ‘a competitive price that is fair and reasonable within the local industry at large.’”
AAIA and ASE Recognize World Class Technicians
Of the more than 759,000 automotive technicians working in the United States, 20 outstanding individuals have qualified for the prestigious 2012 World Class Technician Award. The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) work together to recognize these professional technicians who have tested and obtained ASE certification in 22 specialty areas during the 2011 test administrated by ASE. “The AAIAWorld Class Technician Award is for automotive diagnostic and repair professionals what the Super Bowl is for professional football players or what the Stanley Cup is for hockey players,” said Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO. “Just imagine the knowledge and skills needed by a technician to pass 22 ASE tests. These folks are truly the best of the best and we are proud to be associated with them through our annual recognition in conjunction with ASE.” “This recognition partnership between AAIA and ASE goes back 26 years and represents the most significant achievement award available to our ASE-certified professionals,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO.
Women’s Industry Network Adds New Boardmembers
The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) welcomes Jessica Voss-Kehl, Senior Product Development Supervisor, 3M and Melissa Perez, District Sales Manager, FinishMaster Inc. as the newest Directors to its Board. The WIN Board consists of various industry segments including but not limited to: shop owners, jobbers, suppliers, consultants, paint companies and insurance companies. As an all volunteer organization, WIN Board members, serving 3 year terms, work together to guide the organization as well as foster an environment that encourages the education, recruitment, retention and networking of women in the collision repair industry. New board members will be introduced and officially welcomed by seated Directors and WIN members-at-large at the annual WIN Educational Conference, Be The Change, being held May 6–8 at the Intercontinental Buckhead in Atlanta, GA. To learn more about WIN, please visit www.WomensIndustryNetwork.org or for information on becoming a member, please contact Denise Caspersen at denisec@asashop.org.
CARSTAR & Mitchell Inc. Join Efforts on Store Management
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts has developed a proprietary store management system that integrates its technology solutions with the Mitchell RepairCenter Shop Workspace to deliver technology tools to its store owners. The system is the culmination of significant technical investments to realize the vision of a tightly integrated system that will significantly improve CARSTAR store performance, the company said. It enables the capture, processing and delivery of key data elements and metrics to help stores better manage their key performance indicators. The system also will provide the information required to forge strategic industry partnerships, CARSTAR said. Reporting to support both insurance relationships and purchasing will benefit user shops.” “The information gathered by using the CARSTAR Solution Software and the reports available are invaluable to our store and to the entire CARSTAR network in helping analyze our numbers and in selling to our local and national markets,” said Jan Combs, of Auto Body Specialists CARSTAR in Billings, Montana.
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