FENDERBENDER.COM / FEBRUARY 2024
FINE-TUNE YOUR REPAIR PLAN
PAG E 20
ATTTRACT AND RETAIN NEW TALENT
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Growing through the Generations Robert and Richard Daku are the third generation to operate Daku’s Auto Body Shop in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania.
LOOKING TO
THE FUTURE
THIS 75-YEAR-OLD PENNSYLVANIA SHOP EMBRACED OEM CERTIFICATIONS AND ADAS CALIBRATIONS PAG E 28
GET PAID FOR PAINT AND SUPPLIES
PAG E 3 8
VEH01I / 03 27 35LB
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PERFECT REPAIR WITH AUTO DATA LABELS!
TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION SEATING CAPACITY
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REAR 0
The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 505 Kg or 1114 Lbs.
COLD TIRE PRESSURE SEE OWNERS 303kpa 44psi MANUAL FOR 303kpa 44psi ADDITIONAL 303kpa 44psi INFORMATION
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CONTENTS
FEBRUARY 0 2 . 2 4
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V O L U M E
2 6
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N U M B E R
FEATURE
0 2
PROFILE
20 FINE-TUNE YOUR REPAIR PLAN
28 75 YEARS AND STRONG
Are you missing out on capturing these commonly missed items?
OEM certifications and ADAS calibration business build upon the Daku family’s legacy
BY JAY SICHT
BY LINDSEY GAINER
FenderBender (USPS Permit 25614), (ISSN 1937-7150 print) is published monthly by Endeavor Business Media, LLC. 201 N Main St 5th Floor, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FenderBender, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscriptions. Subscription prices: U.S. ($90 per year). All subscriptions are payable in U.S. funds. Send subscription inquiries to FenderBender, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. Customer service can be reached toll-free at 877-382-9187 or at fenderbender@omeda.com for magazine subscription assistance or questions. Printed in the USA. Copyright 2024 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopies, recordings, or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the publisher. Endeavor Business Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person or company for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. The views and opinions in the articles herein are not to be taken as official expressions of the publishers, unless so stated. The publishers do not warrant either expressly or by implication, the factual accuracy of the articles herein, nor do they so warrant any views or opinions by the authors of said articles.
February 2024
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CONTENTS
FEBRUARY
STARTER
07
DRIVERS SEAT
Pondering an electrified future
08
PAST THE PAGE Bringing ADAS calibrations in-house
QUICK FIX
09
BREAKDOWN
Louisville Collision Center Responds to Employee’s Tragedy
18
NUMBERS
How many OEM certifications do you have?
13
16
LIGHT HITS
Fire at Mass. body shop, SATA acquires U.S. distributor, and more
16
SNAP SHOP
Superior Auto Body’s expansions have enhanced workflow and customer service
STRATEGY
COLUMNS
35
THE SOP
40
Adjust your lean production processes to combat rising cycle times BY STE VE TR APP
36
SALES+ MARKETING
How to attract and retain new talent long-term
38
CASE STUDY
Focus on the details to get compensated for paint and materials
40
FINANCE + OPERATIONS
Before EVs roll into your shop, make sure you’re equipped to handle them
19
SHOP PROFITS
Part 2: Use written processes and visual systems for blueprinting BY G REG LOB S IG E R
42
COLLISION COURSE
A lesson in handling an unruly customer BY TIFFANY ME NE FE E
44
DUE PROCESS
Maintain customer service standards with phone call audits BY DRE W B RYANT
February 2024
4
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How Does Your Shop Measure Up? HOW ATI SHOPS PERFORM*
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CONTENTS
ONLINE EXTRAS
CL ICK ON THE L OGO BEL OW F OR PRODUC T INF ORMATION
EDITORIAL
Accudraft
Automotive Training Institute
LKQ Corporation
asTech
Axalta Coating Systems
MyAirbags
Matt Hudson Content Director Jay Sicht Editor-in-Chief Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa Associate Editor Kacey Frederick Assistant Editor Emily Kline Special Projects Editor Leah Marxhausen Special Projects Editor Drew Bryant Contributing Writer Tiffany Menefee Contributing Writer Greg Lobsiger Contributing Writer Noah Brown Contributing Writer Lindsey Gainer Contributing Writer Todd Kortemeier Contributing Writer Steve Trapp Contributing Writer
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Jordan Beshears Steve’s Auto Body Sheryl Driggers Collision Advice Frank Rinaudo Industry Consultant Jason Mundy Mundy’s Collision Center Stan Medina Certified Collision Works
SALES
AUTEL
Buy Auto Supply
Polyvance
Auto Data Labels
Fix Auto USA
Yatu Paint
Andrew Johnson Associate Publisher ajohnson@endeavorb2b.com Mattie Gorman-Greuel Associate Sales Director Cortni Jones Director of Business Development Diane Braden Account Executive (National Accounts) dbraden@endeavorb2b.com Marianne Dyal Account Executive (National Accounts) mdyal@endeavorb2b.com Chad Hjellming Account Executive (National Accounts) chjellming@endeavorb2b.com Lisa Mend Account Executive (National Accounts) lmend@endeavorb2b.com Martha Severson Account Executive (National Accounts) mseverson@endeavorb2b.com Kyle Shaw Account Executive (National Accounts) kshaw@endeavorb2b.com Sean Thornton Account Executive (National Accounts) sthornton@endeavorb2b.com Ryan McCanna Administrative Assistant
ART AND PRODUCTION
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LET TE RS TO THE E DITOR editor@fenderbender.com
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February 2024
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DRIVER’S SEAT
PONDERING AN ELECTRIFIED FUTURE
EVs are not going away. Are you tooled up to accommodate them? In Noah Brown’s article this month, he talks with Shop Owner Kye Yeung, president of European Motor Car Works in Costa Mesa, California, one of the founding shops for Tesla, and noted EV expert Dirk Fuchs, owner of Electric Mobility Consulting, on some of what you need to prepare to safely work on them. Whether you can afford to turn them away or not is a business decision based on your current and projected market. But if you decide to repair them, be sure your staff has the training to be safe. Too much is at stake.
READER REACTION TO THE FACEBOOK POST
from a popular new-car enthusiast magazine of an EV was predictable, with a majority responding with “laugh react” emojis. Even the blistering performance of the new GMC Hummer pickup was apparently not enough to sway the opinions of these supposed gearheads. Its three motors deliver 1,000 hp and turn the 9,000-lb. hulk into a 1.14 g-generating hot rod, with a 3.1-second 0-60 and 11.6-second quarter mile. It would outright spank any ‘80s or early ‘90s supercars that adorned my college dorm room walls. Every new technology has its share of teething problems, and EVs are no different. Slow cold-weather charging and reduced range, an immature charging infrastructure, and higher interest rates that discourage buying new vehicles are just some challenges preventing faster adoption. All OEMs have scaled back their previous production projections. Ford is shutting down one of two production shifts in April at its Dearborn, Michigan, plant that builds the F-150 Lightning. But it still expects a sales increase this year for that EV pickup and to build EVs at a rate of 600,000 per year this year. Despite missed sales projections, that’s still a lot of vehicles. EVs are not going away, and neither is the commitment to covering them by FenderBender or by the relevant brands in our publishing company, Endeavor Business Media. In addition to our twice-monthly Market Moves: Electric Vehicles E-newsletter, our latest multimedia brand, PluggedIn, includes experts from our brands that are deeply involved in the transition to electric vehicles, from manufacturing to maintenance and repair. Each month, different editors will tackle several pertinent issues. Check it out on LinkedIn.
February 2024
JAY SICHT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
jsicht@endeavorb2b.com
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VIDEOS
PA ST T H E PAGE
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PODCASTS
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WEBINARS
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NEWS
BRINGING ADAS CALIBRATIONS IN-HOUSE By JAY S ICHT
WHEN YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE CORRECTLY, you often have to do it yourself. In my
Jan. 24 CollisionCast, I talk with Andy Tylka, owner and CEO of TAG Auto Group and Midwest ADAS, about the three ADAS calibration specialty centers he added since May 2023 give him the confidence the job was done correctly after experiencing inconsistencies in quality. “There are some dealers that do it right, and there are some dealers that don’t,” he tells me in the CollisionCast. “I realized that it wasn’t being done the way people perceive these calibrations are being done. You would think that somebody at the dealership is the professional when it comes to calibration. But I realized a lot of dealerships don’t have technicians who are trained to do a calibration, or they don’t have the equipment. Or the equipment just stays in the box, and cars are initialized and verified, and that’s it. So I thought I’d just kind of take it on my own shoulders and and move forward and do it.” In our conversation, he talks about what was required to set up the facilities and what he looks for in an ADAS calibration technician. Find CollisionCast on your favorite platform, or scan the QR code below.
February 2024
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NEWS
Q U I C K
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IDEAS
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PEOPLE
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TRENDS
F I X
BREAKDOWN
LOUISVILLE COLLISION CENTER RESPONDS TO EMPLOYEE’S TRAGEDY
I T C A N B E E A S Y to see your co-workers, whether you’re in collision repair or not, as your secondary family. Just like your primary family, when tragedy hits, your work family comes together to help out. Louisville Collision Center, in Kentucky, is no exception.
After Collision Repair Technician Gary Noble was severely injured in a car accident, his co-workers got together to help him out. By ABDULL A GA AFARELKHALIFA
February 2024
LOUISVILLE COLLISION CENTER
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QUICK FIX
Gary Noble, who works as a collision repair technician at Louisville Collision Center, was in a car accident on November 16. The accident left him with a broken ankle, two fractured ribs, and a ruptured sternum. His doctors told him that he would not be able to work for three to four months, which is even more devastating news since Noble is the sole breadwinner for his family.
‘Everyone sees each other as one big family’ “I was there when we got the phone call originally, from his wife,” Production Manager Timmy Meredith said. “You never want to have that phone call, whether it’s your kid, or even someone you work with.” It was difficult for Steve Olson, who manages the collision center, to learn
about this. Olson had known Noble since 2010, when they had the same positions but at a different collision repair center. Olson went to work at Louisville Collision Center in 2015, Noble told FenderBender, and in 2018 Noble followed, mostly because he knew Olson was managing it. “We’re a tight-knit group of employees,” Olson said. “Everyone sees each other as one big family.” Another collision repair technician, who works alongside Noble, Derek Faulkner, said he was devastated to hear what happened to Noble. As word got around, action began to take place. One employee decided to donate their worked hours to Noble and did so consistently. Other co-workers began to do the same. “This just really shows the true nature of the people
you work with.” Despite the wave of support, Meredith felt more needed to be done. Meredith came to Faulkner with an idea to do a raffle, as Faulkner is no stranger to fundraising. Aside from being a collision repair technician, Faulkner is also a podcaster/YouTuber who co-hosts Stix_N_Sips, a show that reviews bourbon and cigars. His side career in content creation recently led him to raffle off a bottle of bourbon on Facebook to raise money for someone in need, aiming to provide their kids with a great Christmas experience. “I went down to him (Faulkner) and I said, ‘Hey, man, do you think maybe we can get some people to donate some bourbon or baskets and raffle them off?’” Faulkner agreed and they both decided to organize a fundraiser event, which
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Olson supported. The event was held at Brownies the Shed Grille and Bar on Saturday, January 6. Co-workers, their families, as well as other members of the community attended. Kentucky bourbon and other items, including gift cards and tools filled up twelve gift baskets which were then raff led off. “It was a no-brainer to pull this off,” Olson said.
‘You never know what they’ll do for you’ The initial goal was to raise $1,000 for Gary and his family, but that goal was surpassed by raising nearly $9,000 instead. “We didn’t do this to get recognized, we did this because we love Gary,” Faulkner said. Something that many people agree on
in Louisville Collision Center, is that this isn’t unlike them to do. “They’re some good guys,” Noble said after the fundraiser. “They’ll do anything for you.” He also adds while laughing, “You never know what they’ll do for you.” According to Olson, the Louisville Collision Center has a history of community service. Some community service examples include donating a car annually through the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides program, hosting charity scrambles, and offering free meals to veterans or active service members at a local restaurant on Veterans Day, among others. “I think people like to do good things for others, inherently,” Olson says. Noble is expected to make a full recovery by March 1. “I am ready to go back (to work),” he said excitedly.
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QUICK FIX
LIGHT HITS
CREF ANNOUNCES 2024 GOALS
Just before 2023 ended, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) announced what their goals are for 2024 in a news release. The goals are: • Distributing $800,000 in grants to schools across the country • Reach and support 550 schools & 1,120 instructors through CREF programs • Help 10,000 students realize their collision repair goal dreams • Collect and distribute $10,000,000 worth of support across the U.S. According to their website, their mission is to support collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities.
CAPA ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA), an independent nonprofit standard-setting and certification organization for automotive crash parts, announced in a news release that Terry Fortner will succeed Clark Plucinski as CAPA executive director. For tner brings with him over four decades of leadership experience and an intimate knowledge of the automotive af termarket. After 32 years in leadership at Nationwide Insurance, Fortner joined LKQ Corporation in 2009. Over a 13-year tenure, he led industry relations and corporate accounts before serving as vice president of sales and marketing for North America. Alongside his position as CAPA executive director, Fortner is chief advisor for Fortner Advisory and Development, LLC, where he acts as a consultant and advisor, specializing in the automotive industry, auto physical damage claims processes, leadership, and executive coaching. Fortner has
February 2024
also served as chairman and chairman emeritus for the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) as well as other collision industry organizations.
TAG AUTO GROUP EMPLOYEES WILL GET ZERO-COST MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS
TAG Auto Group will be offering zero-cost mental health services to its employees as part of its commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace, according to a news release. Andy Tylka, owner and CEO of TAG Auto Group, has been very open with his employees about his struggle with mental health and understands that mental health is a critical aspect of overall well-being. He recognizes the automotive industry is highly affected. Mental health is multifaceted, and there are many factors that can hinder one’s mental well-being. TAG Auto Group’s mission for 2024 is to provide accessible and affordable resources to support employees’ mental health journey. Every employee, along with all members of their household, will be provided at no cost: • Mental health services, including counseling via phone, text, or virtual • Financial coaching • Legal consultation and assistance “By eliminating copays for mental health services and providing no-cost assistance for other stress triggers, the company aims to provide a way for their employees to seek the help they need without taking on additional financial burden,” Tylka said in the release.
QCG ACQUIRES UTAH-BASED MSO
Quality Collision Group (QCG), a syndicate of OEM-certified collision repair centers, has acquired Utah MSO Cascade Collision Repair, according to a news release. The addition of Cascade’s nine locations brings the total number of repair facilities under the Quality Collision Group banner to 62.
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Cascade’s nine locations, spread across Utah in Lehi, Provo, Orem, Spanish Fork, Park City, Eagle Mountain, Ogden, West Haven, and St. George, will continue to provide exceptional collision repair services to their communities under their existing brand. A tenth Cascade Collision Repair location, in Salt Lake County, is preparing to open soon. “This acquisition furthers our commitment to providing superior collision repair services while expanding our national presence,” said Jerod Guerin, CEO and Founder of QCG. Cascade Collision Repair, founded by the Nichols family, has a rich history dating back to 1978 when Terry’s Auto Body opened its doors. Over the years, the Nichols brothers, Brian, Dan, and Russ, have built a legacy focused on trust, honesty, and excellence in collision repair. According to QCG, the family’s dedication to creating customers for life, transparent pricing, and a written lifetime transferable warranty on every repair aligns seamlessly with QCG’s mission. “We see this acquisition as a natural progression in the evolution of Cascade Collision Repair,” commented the Nichols family in a joint statement from Cascade Collision Repair. “Joining forces with Quality Collision Group allows us to continue our commitment to excellence and ensures our customers receive the highest quality collision repair ser vices.” The MSO carries certifications from Ford, GM, Honda, Subaru, and Rivian, and every technician employed by the company is recognized by I-CAR. Additionally, the MSO offers repair and calibration of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
KAIZEN GLASS SOLUTIONS LAUNCHES GLASS TRAINING PROGRAMS
Kaizen Glass Solutions has introduced glass training programs designed to help technicians in the automotive service industry, according to a news release. The courses are taught by experienced professionals who have a comprehensive understanding of the
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industry and include auto glass removal and replacement, windshield repair, ADAS calibration, sales/ISR, flat glass, and tinting classes. They are offered in various formats, including online courses, onsite workshops, and inperson training sessions. “We are committed to helping individuals achieve their business goals and become one percent better every day,” said Shauna Davis, President of Kaizen Glass Solutions. “We want to be your premier source of auto glass expertise, and we are committed to providing better tools, business support, and training to set individuals on the path to success.”
CL ASSIC COLLISION S TART S 2024 WITH NE W L OC ATIONS IN ARIZONA AND VIRGINIA
Classic Collision has acquired Painters Collision Centers in Arizona, according to a news release. The locations are in Apache Junction, Chandler, and Queen Creek. “We believe Classic Collision is the right organization to keep our foundation intact,” says James Huard, the former owner of Painters Collision Centers. Painters Collision Centers has been family-owned and has served their customers for over 35 years. Classic Collision also announced the opening of a newly renovated facility in Hampton, Virginia. Classic Collision Aberdeen is located in the Hampton Roads area, five miles from their Hampton location. This newly renovated building is Classic’s seventh Virginia location within the past few months. Classic Collision is one of the largest privately held national providers of auto body repair services, with 260 centers in 16 states across the U.S.
EMERGENCY CREWS RESPOND TO AUTO SHOP FIRE IN MASSACHUSETTS
First responders in Springfield,
Contact Lori today if you want to learn more about joining at lori.kroeger@drivenbrands.com.
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Massachusetts, responded to a fire on Dwight Street on the morning of Tuesday, January 9. Firefighters were on scene for reports of a fire happening at the North End Auto Body Shop. Officials confirmed that the cause was a vehicle fire in the rear bay of the building that extended to the roof. The Springfield Fire Department said the roof and the bays are severely damaged, but there were no injuries reported.
GM POINTS TO REMAN HEADLAMP ADVANTAGES OVER AFTERMARKET
General Motors began its first remanufactured headlamp program in 2021. Since then, it has kept over 100 truckloads of headlamp parts from going into landfills, according to a press release. GM says its process replaces the headlamp housing and lens, reuses internal components such as integrated circuit chips, materials, and fans, and tests each assembly to ensure it meets OEM standards and specifications. The headlamps carry a two-year warranty and are cost-competitive with aftermarket headlamps, according to GM. In 2017, a cross-functional team from GM — including Customer Care and Aftersales, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, and Product Engineering — identified this as an opportunity and began developing the headlamp remanufacturing process with Llink Technologies. Four years later, the first remanufactured headlamp program launched with the 2016–2019 model year Chevrolet Silverado. That was followed by select 2018-20 Equinox models, and remanufactured headlamps will be available for additional vehicles in the future. According to GM, up to 80% less energy is consumed by remanufacturing compared to aftermarket manufacturing. “We set out to do something new in
February 2024
the industry that was good for business, and that helped drive us toward a more sustainable future,” said Tod Stump, manager of GM Global Remanufacturing. “Since 2021, more than 13,000 headlamps have been remanufactured, and there are plans to expand the program. We’re excited to be the first to create a headlamp remanufacturing program that can be a model for other programs in our industry.”
SATA ACQUIRES U.S. DISTRIBUTOR DAN-AM COMPANY
SATA GmbH & Co. KG, a major liquid paint application equipment supplier, announced in a news release that a joint agreement has been signed for the acquisition of the Dan-Am Company in Spring Valley, Minnesota. “This acquisition will enable us to continue providing our industry partners and customers in the USA and Puerto Rico with the top-notch equipment and exceptional service they have come to expect from SATA and Dan-Am, both now and in the future,” said Mike Carlos Wolf, CSO of SATA GmbH & Co. KG. According to the release, SATA is committed to maintaining and strengthening Dan-Am Company’s existing relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees. “We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for the decades of excellent cooperation with the Dan-Am Company team and the Jorgensen family,” said Florian Kaiser, COO of SATA GmbH & Co. KG. “Their dedicated partnership and trust have been instrumental to the success and growth of both companies. We greatly value the long-standing relationship and are grateful for the valuable contributions and support we have received from the Jorgensen family and their team.” The acquisition will be complete on Thursday, March 1.
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QUICK FIX
1
SNAP SHOP
SUPERIOR AUTO BODY
By ABDULL A GA AFARELKHALIFA Photos Courtesy of SUPERIOR AUTO BODY
L O C AT I O N :
RANSON, WEST VIRGINIA
OWNER:
DOUG BOWMAN
SIZE:
12,500 SQUARE FEET
S TA F F :
12
A V E R A G E M O N T H L Y C A R C O U N T:
50
ANNUAL REVENUE:
$3M
AV E R AG E R E PA I R O R D E R :
$4,200
Submit Your Shop Proud of your shop and want to show it off to your peers? Tell us about it at NEWS@FENDERBENDER.COM
February 2024
1. FROM AFTER-SCHOOL WORK TO BUSINESS
Bowman founded Superior Auto Body back in 1990 for one big reason. “I like cars,” he said. “I used to spend half the day at high school and the other half working at car dealerships at night.” He used to wash cars and work in the garage, where he received his initial training. He continued to work at other car dealerships until he decided to open his own business. “When I started, I did everything,” he said. “I did the estimating, the painting, the bodywork, the delivery, I did it all.” Bowman said that while he was doing things alone, much of his work was sublet such as alignment work, framework, and air conditioning. However, the number of cars he could fix in-house increased over time as he added staff and acquired more space. “I’m proud of my people. I’ve got a great front line, a great team.”
2. GROWING A BUSINESS
When Superior Auto Body started, it operated out of the back of the building of an existing towing company, which was what Bowman was able to get with the bank loan to start his business. After a few years, he bought the building from the towing company. Later, he bought a house next to his business and razed it to expand his operation even more. The property acquisitions more than tripled the amount of space he owns for Superior Auto Body, giving him more space not only for his crew to work on more cars, but to also improve the overall customer experience. Instead of customers having to use a small side entrance near a different business to be welcomed by someone behind a booth, they can now go straight to a desk in a much larger lounge with seats on a black and white checkered floor. Bowman takes pride in customer service.
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Bowman also has an above-ground shop conference room where he can host training and luncheons for his employees. He points out that having such a space is rare for independent shops but more common in MSOs.
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3. THE FRUITS OF GROWTH
Bowman shared that 99% of the cars his shop is taking care of are being fixed in-house, thanks to the ability to house more of the latest GYS spot welders, John Bean tire balancers, and other pieces of equipment on clean floors. He said he used old equipment for a time in the ‘90s, with “floor pot” pulling anchors. “That’s why I’m so passionate about my business,” Bowman said. “I know where I started from, and I know where I’ve come."
February 2024
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QUICK FIX
NUMBERS
HOW MANY OEM CERTIFICATIONS DO YOU HAVE? T H E R E C A N B E M U LT I P L E B E N E F I T S to OEM certification programs, including being a valuable source of repair information and training. And some shop owners and operators view them as a path to moving away from direct repair programs (DRPs.) Nearly half — just under 49% — of owners and operators responding to the 2023 FenderBender Industry Survey Report indicated they had at least one OEM certification. Those who have been succesful with them note that the shop needs to use the certifications as part of their marketing, not depend on the certifications to drive business by themselves. Others reported they didn’t find the ROI to be what they’d expected.
These figures are part of the 2023 FenderBender Industry Survey Report.
How many auto manufacturer certifications does your business have? None: 44.8% | None, but planning to become certified: 6.33% | 1: 12.22% | 2-3: 12.22% | 4-5: 7.24% | 6 or more: 17.19%
February 2024
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COLUMNS
SHOP PROFITS
Building a Waste-Free Repair, Part 2 Implement written processes and visual systems for blueprinting to reduce additional steps Last month, we discussed the origin — then the definition — of blueprinting, what a bad blueprint looks like, and finally, what ‘“hands on the car” means. Now, let’s dive in. Before a vehicle is brought into the Blueprint department, does it need a pre-wash? If so, do it. Owners/managers who tolerate techs working on dirty cars need to fire themselves, and besides that, it allows our people to document all the unrelated prior damage (UPD) & damage. The pre-wash needs to be done at drop-off ASAP rather than prior to pulling the vehicle into the Blueprint bay, as the tech will be removing liners/valances while water continues to drip on them. For years, we would just bring the car in and dive in with tools. That, my friends, was a recipe for disaster. Any shop operator who says he or she has a process for this or that, but it’s not written down, is really lying to themselves. As I was taught, “If it’s not in writing, it’s NOT true.” We run blueprint teams with one tech and one writer. They have a step-bystep written process on laminated sheets. One side has the steps for the tech and the other side has the steps for the writer, and one cannot get ahead of the other. Again, this is a team and even the way the vehicle is parked in the bay is crucial. Let’s say the car is hit in the right front; then the car is parked with the right front closest to the workstation and table. Remember, we cannot add a line on the estimate to charge for “excessive walking”! Sidenote: Two-person seasoned teams can blueprint around 80-90 estimate hours per day. Here is the first step in our blueprint process: “B.P. tech 1.1: Get next car. Determine if pre-repair test drive is required. If post is required, write on windshield. Pull into B.P. bay, complete check-in and pre-scan. B.P. writer 1.1: Fill out/complete information in CCC work file tabs. Inspection, vehicle tab, exterior/VIN/ODO photos, rates, repair plan, drop off date and repair start on every job.” I know some may be saying to themselves, “There is no way we could run a one-for-one team like this, as I have one writer for 3-4 techs.” I get it, trust me. But to eliminate “firefighting” downstream for additional supplements/parts orders etc. and missed delivery dates, this is what it takes. Here is a quote from one of my great mentors: “You
February 2024
know why most shops have those fancy mobile estimating carts, don’t you? They just roll them all over the place doing supplements all day!” Hmm... One thing we don’t want to skip over is, “Vehicle check-in.” If this is not done correctly or at all, regrets and firefighting will follow. Every vehicle we work on in our shop has a thorough check-in. Here is a short list of function tests: Turn lamps, headlamps, taillamps, license lamps, fog lamps, radio, horn, front and rear wipers/washers, power windows/locks, mirrors/folding, seats, sunroofs, keyfob, etc. A couple more crucial items from our experience: Test the battery, and if bad, notify the owner ASAP they have an issue at the beginning. I have bought many batteries over the decades, and this is 100% preventable! When it comes to UPD, the car needs to be walked with the customer at drop off and upsells discussed then. We still photograph all UPD at check-in just for insurance. Lastly, please note any preexisting dash lights at check-in! One of the next steps is how we handle parts carts, and they’re obviously handled differently in every shop. For my shop, we have an “R&I cart” and a “red-cart” for each R.O. We just label the R&I cart with the windshield tag from CCC. Our red-cart is smaller, and the only parts that can be placed on this cart are ones needing replaced. We do have ringed laminated cards that can be attached to the Red-Cart and labeled with parts that were missing on arrival, example: Grille emblem, LH foglamp, etc. Side note: Parts removed that need repaired get a yellow tag and are placed visibly on the R&I-Cart. As far as having a visual system, here is another example: When parts mirror-matching takes place, all the bad parts from the Red-Cart are matched to the new ones and then thrown away. If this cart is empty when done, we have just confirmed all the parts are here. No guessing, no finger-pointing, no whatever, as to whether we have all the parts or not. Next month we will jump right back into where we left off this month with what constitutes a proper dismantle, OEM procedures, displaying and photographing parts, etc. Here’s a quote from one of my great mentors: “When we focus on quality in everything we do, that outcome will be speed.” Otherwise, slow down to speed up!
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GREG LOBSIGER
Greg Lobsiger has owned Loren’s Body Shop in Bluffton, Indiana, for over 23 years. He has been a member of Mike Anderson’s groups for ten years and had extensive lean manufacturing training.
EMAIL:
greg@lorensbodyshop.com
ARCHIVE:
fenderbender.com/lobsiger
JOSIE SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY
fenderbender.com
TOPICAL
FINE-TUNE YOUR REPAIR PLAN
Are you missing out on capturing these commonly missed items? By JAY S ICHT
February 2024
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COURTSEY JASON WHITSON
I
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gnore, for a moment, EVs, aluminum-intensive vehicles, and advanced materials such as carbon fiber. Forget even ADAS. Without even those considerations, the modern vehicle has so many parts and various high-strength-steel alloys, the modern estimate or repair plan is no longer simple. It’s easy for your estimators/repair planners to forget some materials or labor operations for which you’re entitled to collect. Are you? “If your estimators are writing sheets and aren’t borderline mentally fatigued by the time they're done with [writing] a welded panel replacement, they're leaving a lot on the table,” says Will Latuff, president of Latuff Brothers Auto Body in St. Paul, Minnesota. “I think it takes a great amount of consideration to capture all these things.” That said, Latuff notes there are simple, obvious operations, such as prewashing or post-washing the vehicle, and topping off fluids, such as for when replacing radiators and oil coolers, that are “low-hanging fruit.” Is there a warning sign your shop may be missing many line items? “I think a good simple test to know where you are, aside from the length of your estimates showing the detail and the documentation, would be to look and analyze how many structural replacements you're performing in your business,” he says. “If you're putting lots of frame rails in, putting in lots of second and third layers of pillars, chances are you need to home in on your estimating. Once you start getting into those second and third layers deep in the sides of cars or full-frame rail replacements in the front or rear, you know if the estimate’s not written properly, you're fixing something that when written properly is probably a total loss. There are exceptions on very expensive vehicles, but for your average vehicles on the road, if you write them properly for everything it's going to take to restore it, it’s more than likely going to total.” Read on to see what items may be missing from your estimates or repair plans for which you can collect.
Jason Whitson, technician with Boyden Brook Body Works in Canton, New York, took this photo of a new OEM hood received with a poor fit. “Testfit for dimensional accuracy” is one labor operation for which a shop can collect .
fenderbender.com
F I N E -T U N E Y O U R R E PA I R P L A N
Battery Disconnect/Reconnect
February 2024
He notes that seemingly simple parts removals, such as removing a taillamp, often include OEM procedures that require disconnecting and reconnecting the battery. “When you disconnect and reconnect that battery, there’s a whole slew of other things that you have to look through. There are hyperlinks to that. Do we need to reset the windows? Do we need to document the customer's custom program presets? Do we need to do this/do that? None of that stuff is included.”
Beyond the Scan Regardless of what the shop charges for a preor post-repair scan, attaching battery support via a charger/tender to make sure the vehicle has a constant, proper “clean” voltage supply is not included as part of that operation, Motzkus notes. "That's a hugely missed item and is very easily explained." Neither is documenting and researching any of the diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) to see if they would have come
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Battery support during scanning, such as with this Pro-Logix PL6100 Flashing Power Supply from Clore Automotive, is a labor operation needed but not included as part of the scan.
from the collision damage or are unrelated prior trouble codes. “The problem a lot of shops have as they look at scanning as, ‘I'm just going to plug this in and see if I have any codes.’ And then they don't know what to do with those codes. They don't understand if they see a low-voltage code, that could have been from them not having battery support attached. Or, if it's a high-voltage code, what damages can be caused by grounds and all the irreversible damage that can be caused to the scan tool.” Motzkus inquired with the Database Enhancement Gateway, the free online resource developed to address inquiries to information providers (IPs) about collision repair es-
fenderbender.com
CLORE AUTOMOTIVE
So many repairs require the battery to be disconnected and reconnected anymore. And yet, only 34 percent who responded to a recent “Who Pays for What” survey from Collision Advice and Crash Network reported that they always research the OEM procedures required after reconnecting a battery, and another 22 percent admitted to doing it only most of the time. As Collision Advice President Mike Anderson notes, the reconnect procedures vary, but sometimes include initializing sensors or clearing diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). And of those shops that put these labor operations on the estimate/ repair plan, more than half reported they are regularly paid for them by the eight largest national insurers. As Anderson noted in a press release detailing the survey results, he looked at procedures for one Asian OEM and found 11 procedures required after reconnecting the battery, and disconnecting the battery will often set DTCs that won’t show without a post-repair scan. “The disconnect and the initializations after are very critical research components,” Latuff says. It’s easily the procedure he sees missed the most, says Kyle Motzkus, manager of Hunter Auto Body in St. Louis. His shop focuses on using OEM parts and following OEM repair procedures. He’s quick to chime in with helpful advice on the Facebook group Collision Repair Technicians United. And lately, he’s conducted a class on repair-planning for the Tennessee Collision Repairers Association, with another planned for a Missouri Auto Body Association and Kansas Auto Body Association meeting Feb. 17. “What most body shops don't realize is how the P-pages are actually supposed to work, “he says. “The pages were written in conjunction with what the manufacturer states needs to be done for repairs, period.”
The second new OEM hood fit correctly for Whitson.
COURTSEY JASON WHITSON
timating data, to confirm how limited is the operation of scanning. “The consensus with all the IPs on what scanning includes is walking over to the area in which my tool is located, grabbing the scan tool, attaching the cable to the scan tool, plugging it into the vehicle, turning the vehicle into the ‘on’ mode, or ‘usage’ mode (for Volvos), turning on the scan tool, and initiating the scan.”
Research for Repair Procedures For writing repair plans, Motzkus says companies like AllData, Sun Collision, and RepairLogic make things a little easier to break down. "I like those programs. My guys out in the shop use those programs,"
February 2024
he says. "But I rarely use them; I go straight to the source, the OEM.” “Obviously, the non-reusable [one-timeuse] parts are a big part of the blueprint,” Latuff says. “Make sure you're hitting all those and going to the parts catalogs and looking them up. As he notes, there is not yet a one-stop-shop that allows one to click on a part on the diagram for which it shows the procedure and provides the part number of all one-time-use parts. He offers an example of a curtain airbag replacement procedure that notes three bolts, six clips, and two spacers are required, but they’re not shown in the estimating system. “And so then you're going to go to a separate program, maybe CollisionLink Shop or
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Partslink24, and you're going to look up these parts yourself. Or if that's not available, you’ll use an online diagram or call your vendor and have them transmit their diagram so that you can pick out these critical safety parts.” The two agree that the time to research these procedures is not included and must be accounted for.
R&Is Removals and Installations (R&Is) are one of the most missed operations and biggest problems, Motzkus says. “The main thing you need to be worried about is what is your technician doing? And what are you not capturing for that technician, especially if they're flat rate? If they're
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F I N E -T U N E Y O U R R E PA I R P L A N
Labor for Adhesive Appliques As Latuff notes, the labor to remove adhesive moldings. emblems, nameplates and decals is not included. “In CCC, the time is for installation only. So, every time you have a repaired panel or a blend panel for which you have to remove a blackout, tape
February 2024
a stone tape or an emblem, the time is to install it only. You need to perform an onthe-spot evaluation for the labor required to remove that part and also remove the adhesive that's left behind.”
Welder Setup To join metals correctly so the vehicle will react in a subsequent collision the way the vehicle manufacturer has designed, there is more work to do beyond welding test coupons and checking for proper nugget tear-out. Many don't understand what welder setup is, Latuff says. “Some people think it's just the destructive test weld, but it could be changing out the manufacturer-required wire into the welder. And for squeeze type resistance spot welding, it could be changing the arms out or changing the electrode caps. When you're putting on a quarter panel or a roof, you will have multiple arm changes on your welder to do things properly, and that all takes time.” When the arms are switched out, it also affects other welder settings, he points out. “For the Car-O-Liner we have, you have to go back through the electrode test and everything before you can start squeezing again. Like [Collision Advice founder and industry trainer/consultant] Mike Anderson preaches, you're not just doing one test weld on a car; you're replicating the joints and the attachment methods that you're going to be using for that panel. And so it takes a lot longer than people think.”
Trial-Fitting Parts for Dimensional Accuracy As Motzkus previously discussed, the 1.5 hours of labor to replace the door includes the time to remove the trim panel and latch and bolt on the door. The latest CCC update does include one test-fit of a bolt-on component in the labor times, he says. “But that doesn’t include trial-fitting the door for dimensional accuracy,” he says. “That door may have looked good in the
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photo, but where was the vehicle wrecked? Was the door twisted? What happened [during shipping]?”
Feather, Prime, and Block The most commonly missed refinishing operation, Motzkus says, is feather, prime, and block. “The problem is a lot of guys don't think of it as refinish,” he says. But regardless of whether it’s the body technician or painter who does it, it’s a refinishing operation, he points out, so materials and labor on the repair plan (and invoice) should reflect that. “At the core of the operation, it is a painter's job to block down the work after it's been feathered, primed, and blocked,” he points out. “However, it needs to be blocked beforehand and all of the sandpaper that happens with that. It's all refinish-level sandpaper; anything
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CAR-O-LINER
flat rate, you should most certainly be back there with them looking at every R&I. And then that's where you should understand where the P pages come in with the OEM.” He notes a common scenario that can result in many missed operations. “When we take apart a door for just blending it, we're removing many things,” he says. “We remove anything to protect from overspray, like glass, door handles, and anything like that. Let's say a shop is replacing a door, and the replacement is a used door. Most shops don't understand that everything you're doing with that door, for the most part, is not included. Removal of any of the recycled components is definitely not included. When you're replacing a component, the basic understanding is that all you are removing is the trim panel and the latch, and you're bolting the door on. That is what that 1.50 to replace that recycled door covers. Everything else is not included. So you should have probably 30-plus lines just in R&I items when you're replacing that door.” When he recently audited files for a body shop in Seattle, Motzkus said he found $200$300 in missing R&Is on just one panel. Latuff agrees that a front-end estimator often has a preconceived notion of how the labor operations are done, and spending some time with the technicians will likely help his or her estimating accuracy. “A lot of people think they get all the R&Is. But unless you're at the car with your technician watching them take it apart and clicking and verifying, you're probably leaving a lot of money on the table for things that you're doing that are absolutely no contest to get paid for.”
180 [grit] and above is essentially refinishlevel finish sanding work, which is why CCC categorizes it as a refinish operation.” The question of what to charge for this operation is one that comes up frequently, but it depends on the shop, and again, who’s doing it. “Is your body guy going to be faster at feather, prime, and blocking than the painter is? I would think the body guy would be because part of his job all day long is to featheredge. prime it and block it. So I take all that into account when I do it.” Motzkus says although each shop’s repair planner should have a baseline knowledge of the P-pages and what’s included, that person should also be focusing on what the technician is doing or not doing. “Everything the repair planner does should be an open-ended conversation with
February 2024
the technician who’s actually doing the job so that everyone is on the same page,” he says. “There should be photos backing up all that work as well.” Rather than seeing how many not-included line items he can capture on a repair plan, Motzkus says he prefers “a modest approach” by paying attention to the things that my guys are really going through the paces and doing instead of going out of their way and wasting time to do.” As an example, he says, when applying seam sealer after a quarter panel replacement, although all conscientious technicians desire a factory-looking seam sealer width and texture, the paths two different techs take to get there may differ. Some technicians need a layout of masking, and it's going to look like a roadmap for an hour while they do all the seam-seal work.
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Welder setup goes beyond destructive weld tests. The installation of a roof panel or quarter panel may require multiple arm changes or the changing of electrode caps for squeezetype resistance spot welders, with a machine reset required for each arm change.
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F I N E -T U N E Y O U R R E PA I R P L A N
And then there are technicians who can go in there with a Teroson on the same application, and they don't need any tape at all. Now, as a repair planner, you have to be able to take into account which technician is doing what and adjust accordingly. For the guy who uses a Teroson, doesn't need masking, and has a steady hand, you wouldn't see, 'Mask for seam sealer' on my repair plan.” Body materials should be charged for on each job, too. "Those materials are expensive and they're used on every job. Why should you just be giving them away? No matter who does the job, materials should certainly be accounted for."
Other Refinish-Related Operations There are many refinish-related operations that can often be missed, Latuff says, such as backside-refinish, second or third-color setups and matte clear setups. Don’t forget to
charge to mask for priming, mask openings for body work, and mask openings for refinishing. Are you charging to wrap and mask the headliner when you take it out of the car to protect it? For denibbing and polishing? “Those sorts of things, I think, are kind of the low-hanging fruit.," he says. "And then you get down into the more technical and molecular level of estimating, where you're going through the OEM procedure and you're identifying a step in the procedure that's called out.”
Additional Resources for More Information There is help available to capture additional not-included repair plan items. The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) introduced its Guide to Complete Repair Planning in 2011 in print and free to the industry as a PDF download from its website. At more than
25 pages long, that document was designed to serve as a checklist of more than 1,000 operations that could be potentially overlooked. While that is still available, it has been updated and evolved into an automated software version, the Blueprint Optimization Tool, which launched about four years ago. Using machine-learning, it's designed to partially automate the process of identifying labor operations, line items, and customizable charges that could be overlooked on an estimate/repair plan. It works by importing a completeted estimate/repair plan. The Tool's screen overlays that of the estimate. Only relevant repair lines from the estimate are imported, and clicking on "Estimate Operations" presents only the operations that were missed on the estimate. Other companies also offer estimate-scrubbing tools. Check it out at scrs.com.
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SCRS
The 25-page Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS)’ Guide to Complete Repair Planning is available as a PDF download from its website.
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And Collision Advice (collisionadvice. com) provides an extensive library of helpful resources at no cost, including for estimating best practices, including lists and charts of not-included operations. In determining whether something should be added as a line item to charge for on an estimate or repair plan, Anderson advises shops ask themselves a series of questions: “Is it required to return the vehicle back to pre-accident condition? Is it included in any other labor operation? Are there predetermined times? What is it worth?” And as he noted in a previous FenderBender article, the key to writing an accurate estimate is time. "We believe it can take anywhere from one to three hours to write a proper estimate. If your people don’t have enough time to write up a full estimate, that’s where mistakes get made."
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75 YEARS STRONG & COUNTING Daku’s Auto Body Shop:
OEM Certifications And ADAS Calibration Business Build Upon The Family's Legacy
By LINDSEY GAINER
February 2024
Photography STEPHEN HALL
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Ahead of their time Through the generations, the Dakus have shared a passion and a technologydriven mindset.
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DAKU’S AUTO BODY SHOP: 75 YEARS STRONG AND COUNTING
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eventy-five years in business. Four generations of family involvement. Thousands of c u s t ome r s helped. The legacy Daku’s Auto Body Shop in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, has built is an incredibly impressive one, and they’re nowhere near finished. Now run by third generation brothers Richard and Robert Daku — and soon to be led by Robert’s son, Stephen, carrying it into the fourth generation — the shop was founded back when there was nothing more than fields surrounding the existing 12,000 sq. foot facility. An entire residential neighborhood has since grown all around them, serving as a constant reminder of the shop’s endurance. Getting to where they are today hasn’t been easy, say the brothers, but it’s certainly been worth it. Here’s a glimpse into what’s made Daku’s a success for three quarters of a century and counting.
Growing Through the Generations Known lovingly by Richard and Robert as “grandpop,” Elek Daku and his wife Elizabeth founded the business in 1948, after he had worked in New Jersey for a cousin fixing military vehicles during the war. It didn’t take long for the business to take hold and start expanding. Soon after opening, Elek added the first addition to the back of the original building — where he and Elizabeth also lived, and which now serves as the modern-day office — in the 1950’s. Elek’s son (Richard and Robert’s father), Alex, then added to the building again when he took the business over in the 1980’s. Those additions were both eventually removed to make room for the current state-of-the-art production facility that Robert and Richard built when they assumed ownership in the early 2000s. Both brothers agree the shop’s success stems from a shared passion and dedication among all generations, a willingness to take risks, and an innovative, technologyforward mindset. Taking the shop from 4,500 sq. ft. to its current 12,000 is a perfect example of that, they say. February 2024
“We knew we had to have a shop that was set up better,” recalls Richard. “We knew we had to invest this kind of money to stay alive, to stay in the business. We’ve always kind of stuck our necks out, and every day we make decisions that are a gamble…whether it’s with DRP relationships, buying equipment, or opening our in-house calibration company — OEM Calibrations and Diagnostics.” Richard says his grandfather shared the same kind of future-oriented mindset and was always curious about the latest technologies and where the industry was headed next. Change didn’t scare him. “My grandfather was always ahead of his time,” he says. “I think that's where we get it.” Not only did Elek do plenty of custom work in the shop, he fabricated his own tools and even patented a tool at one point. “He was an engineer, even though he never went to school for it,” Richard says. “He’d make and build things in the shop all the time. Back in his day, that was cutting edge. You didn't plug a computer in a car back then, you know? Even after he retired, he was still reading all the car magazines, still learning, always fiddling and building stuff in his basement.” “If he could see where the business is now, he’d have a smile on his face and he'd be very proud to see us keeping up with the times.” Alex, too, is in awe of what the business has become. “He’s amazed by what we do, by how the shop has grown,” Richard says. “And he’s incredibly proud, too.” The amount of work the shop takes in, the money that’s charged for jobs, the new technology…it’s all “amazing” to him, and he still loves to talk about the business at 83 years old during his daily visits to the shop. No matter who was in charge, each generation ensured that the business never went stagnant. “If you think where you’re at is good enough, then that’s where you’ll stay,” Richard warns. Daku’s forward progress has never stalled, Robert agrees. “You have to spend money to make money,” he echoed. “But I look at it this way…if we didn’t stay on top of this technology, we wouldn’t be able to fix today’s cars.” Another important takeaway from the previous generations? “You don’t get what you don’t ask for,” says Richard. “My 30
grandfather and my father both always said that, especially in reference to insurance companies and reimbursements.”
A Focus on Learning One of the largest investments the family has made in the business is equipping their shop with the latest OEM-specified tools and equipment and training their staff to achieve numerous manufacturer certifications — around ten of the “big” ones, to be exact. They’re also an I-CAR Gold-recognized shop, thanks to the heavy focus they place on education and training for the entire team. These certifications benefit the business in a myriad of ways, says Richard, with the ultimate benefit befalling the customer. “Safe and proper repairs are always our top priority,” he shared, saying that maintaining and pursuing certifications holds the shop accountable to the highest standards. Doing so not only builds confidence among customers; it also makes the shop attractive to insurance companies and differentiates them from competitors. “Our goal is to be as accurate as possible,” Robert says. “Around here we believe that if it’s not right, it’s wrong.” That’s a lesson the brothers — and their father — all learned from a young age. Every owner of Daku’s has mentored his predecessor, with each generation taking the next under his wing…even if it meant a young kid was “in the way” or mistakes were made. Daku’s is a place where mistakes can happen, says Robert. “You learn from them and do better next time. It’s an important part of becoming a leader.”
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“Just being here, you’re learning…you may not realize it, but you’re learning,” Robert remembers his dad and grandpa saying. “We were brought up in the shop,” Richard recalls. “I was around 11 when my dad started letting me sweep up on Fridays. He'd give me 50 cents, and it progressed from there. After school, we would sand a fender or something, or even get out of school early to work in the shop sometimes. We never thought of anything else other than taking the business over from my dad.” It’s been much the same for Stephen, who went to business school and has been learning around the shop for 20 years
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himself. He currently works as an estimator while being mentored by his dad and uncle to step into a management role in the next few years. Both brothers have high hopes for what’s to come, and full confidence in Stephen’s ability to carry the shop into the future. “He’s smart,” says Robert, “and he’s learning to look at the bigger picture. He’s been doing this for a long time, so he’s seen a lot. He’s got the personality to lead, too.” Outside the family, industry mentorship has been vital as well. The brothers credit their long-term involvement with 20 Groups as a big reason for their success.
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“I'm going to say we wouldn't be here today if we hadn’t joined our business group 25 years ago,” Robert says. From their laundry list of certifications to guidance during their expansion, leadership advice, continuing education, and more, there’s no part of the business that hasn’t benefited from mentorship. “It’s really what made us grow. It really put us on the cutting edge,” Richard agreed.
Anyone Can Fix a Car… The Daku brothers were taught that anyone can fix a car, but the successful shops are the ones that prioritize customer service
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DAKU’S AUTO BODY SHOP: 75 YEARS STRONG AND COUNTING
— and that’s exactly what Daku’s has done since 1948. “Taking care of our customers is huge… meeting their expectations,” Robert says. Customers are never just a number, he adds; everyone at Daku’s goes the extra mile for the customer and that leads to long-term, trusting relationships. “We've always had good customer service,” Richard says. “The biggest driver of our business is word-of-mouth. We want to make sure people leave recommending us, and our feedback is overwhelmingly positive.” Communication is “huge,” he continues, which is why Daku’s updates customers at regular intervals, regardless of what’s happening with their repair. “Just giving them a call means a lot.” This type of attention to their customers’ needs is what has kept Daku’s busy for nearly a century, with people still coming through the doors who remember Richard and Robert’s grandfather and father. “Who knows,” Richard muses, “maybe one day they’ll remember us, too!” Because Daku’s is so deeply entrenched in their community, they make it a point to give back whenever and wherever they can. “The community supports us, so it’s important to us to support them,” Robert says. The impressive list of sponsorships on their website is proof they do just that. It’s clear that their customers — and their community — are a top priority for the brothers. Daku’s customers aren’t the only ones who stick around for a long time, though — the shop has had many long-term employees, too, several of whom have been with the business for decades. Fair pay, good benefits, investments in continuing education, and a culture of appreciation are key…so is encouraging employees to enjoy a work/life balance, a lesson Robert learned from his father long ago. “‘Leave work at work; don’t bring it home,’” Robert’s dad told him. “I tell that to my son, too, and all of our employees.” Robert’s wife, Tina, also works in the business as an administrative assistant, so they’ve helped each other stay accountable to that February 2024
over the years. “Don’t let work consume you,” he advises other shop owners.
Looking to the Future During our conversation, Richard was sitting in his office at Daku’s second location, Gilboy Ford. After the dealership closed their body shop, they enlisted Daku’s help on auto body repairs. Richard spends his mornings there to avoid shuttling cars back and forth for estimates, and he says it’s a partnership that has greatly benefited both organizations. And while the brothers are landlocked now at their main location, both say opening another shop in the future somewhere else is always a possibility…but that will likely be under Stephen’s direction. For now, they want to focus on growing their calibration business, which they both agree will only continue to become more important with the introduction of autonomous cars and new, more advanced technology. “Cars are smarter than I am now, I like to say,” Robert quips. “They’re driving computers!” He wonders sometimes what his grandpa and grandma would think if they could see not only the technological advancements of cars, but more importantly the expansion of the business. And it’s clear they’d be excited and proud…incredibly proud, just as Alex is, and just as Richard and Robert both are of the success and longevity they’ve achieved.
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THE BIGGEST DRIVER OF OUR BUSINESS IS WORD-OFMOUTH. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE LEAVE RECOMMENDING US, AND OUR FEEDBACK IS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE. —Richard Daku, co-owner, Daku’s Auto Body Shop
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LEARN
THE SOP
HOW TO PLAN FOR LEAN PRODUCTION
By STEVE TRAPP
First, we need to draw upon insights from my previous article on scheduling. You need to calculate the daily hours to schedule. Follow the calculations below to get to total labor hours (TLH) to schedule or deliver per day. Lean practitioners use that daily goal to calculate the optimal work in progress. We take that daily goal times the repair cycle time day goal to calculate the optimal work in progress (WIP). At the end of each day, you measure the total work in progress compared to the optimal WIP and adjust the incoming schedule accordingly. If too much TLH WIP is in the shop, it slows down the incoming schedule. And if there is too little work, lean practitioners actively seek additional work (considering the size of jobs) needed to get back on track.
Level Daily Workflow It’s important to note that when tracking daily production output, lean practitioners should use the total labor hours (TLH). So, it’s important you track daily output of vehicles moved upstream per department per day. To achieve this, you can use CCC Floorplan (or another production planning tool) to track vehicle movements, but you will need a simple tracking grid to ensure you know how many TLH each
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WORK SMARTER
Production Huddle
Adjust your processes to combat rising cycle times
Adjusting Your Schedule Based on Optimal WIP
GROW
• Then, work with Parts to ensure parts are kitted and those vehicles are ready for body • Then, work with Repair Planning to get 59 TLH to pending parts • Finally, to ensure scheduling has considered optimal WIP and estimators adjust the schedule appropriately.
S T R A T E G Y
I N T H I S A RT I C L E, we will explore ideas used by lean practitioners to reduce repair cycle time to achieve a consistent level workflow. With North American cycle times growing longer, it’s important we explore enhancements (influenced by lean principles) to processes that are commonly used. This article will focus on slight adjustments to those processes.
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department needs to pass to the downstream department that day. You can do this using a form, or merely add the number of total hours completed for vehicles which move from department to department. Scheduling Department needs to sell and schedule 59 TLH per day. Repair Planning Department needs to estimate 59 TLH daily. Parts Department needs to fully kit 59 TLH daily. Body/Mechanical Department to get 59 TLH ready to prime. Paint Department to refinish 59 TLH and get ready for reassembly. Reassembly Department to prepare 59 TLH to get ready for post-scan/calibration/final quality check (QC). And finally, to Final Detail to deliver 59 TLH to customers.
Production Walk—Pull Versus Push Rather than starting in the front of the shop, lean practitioners start in the detail department and PULL work downstream, aiming to achieve the daily output goal for each department. Pulling sends a signal to the upstream department as to demand, and it’s the production manager’s goal to aid the technicians in planning for each department to achieve level output each day. That means: • Which vehicles will be post-scanned, calibrated, and ready to detail... and in what order? • That determines the sublet schedule and what sequence to perform calibration activities. • Then review which vehicles to reassemble and in what sequence. • Then review the paint plan to ensure vehicles can be moved to Paint. • Then go into Body and sequence each body technician’s work list.
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At some time in the middle of the day, gather the production team and review progress toward the daily output goal per department. These meetings also allow the leader and staff to reallocate resources to achieve level and consistent flow. If you are behind goal in reassembly, you may want to adjust the vehicle repair sequence. Or, if necessary, reallocate body or repair-planning staff to assist and then return to their primary task. If you are behind in prep or other paint functions, evaluate your paint booth plan or ask the painter or detailer to assist to keep the flow moving. In the office, if incoming scheduling is too slow, ask the CSR to help follow up on unsold estimates, or the general manager can visit agents or local businesses. This is another key area where lean practitioners are different. They stop for a minute, review the data, and engage in continuous improvement. They ask the big question, “WHY aren’t we achieving our goals, and what could we be doing differently?” They examine if it is work or quality standards, resource allocation, tooling needs or conditions, staffing needs, and more to get to the root cause of why these goals must be adjusted. Finally, lean practitioners build a culture of teamwork and adjust their internal reward structure to encourage teamwork, where the common goal is to consistently achieve level flow every day of the week.
Benefits for Implementing Lean Principles in Production Processes 1. Level workflow for the ENTIRE shop (less stress and better morale) 2. Full utilization of all resources so everyone makes more on performance incentives 3. Once a baseline is achieved, the team can agree to increase the daily output goal and grow top-line sales, and reasonably expect to produce the work with a high level of quality and customer satisfaction because we are not rushed.
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STRATEGY
EDUCATION+TR AINING
INSPIRE NEW RECRUITS WHILE CHANGING THE NARRATIVE
The more shops that run apprentice programs, the better it will be for everyone in the industry, say these two operators By L I N D S E Y G A I N E R
T H E S H O R TA G E O F T EC H N I C I A N S in the industry is nothing new — it’s been talked about at every industry event under the sun for the last 10+ years, says Sean Guthrie, chief operating officer at OpenRoad Collision. The solution, according to both Guthrie and John Gustafson, president of Gustafson Brothers, Inc. in Huntington Beach, California, is apprenticeship…and both men are passionate about championing programs that not only attract but retain new talent for the industry long-term. Here’s a look at how they’re doing it.
Responding to the Need “Every shop should have an apprentice, in my opinion,” Guthrie says. When structured properly and utilized correctly, he says, apprentices have a very minimal impact financially on a shop for the first year, “and then they start paying for themselves in year two.” It’s Guthrie’s goal to train one apprentice per OpenRoad location per year — a “lofty” goal, he admits, “and I also understand I
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may be training technicians for our competitors…but the industry needs technicians, and I won’t sit around waiting for the next guy to do it!” Gustafson felt much the same way when he decided to start his apprenticeship program to combat the tech shortage. It was a response to market pressure, he said, and his way to be a part of the solution both for his own shop and the industry as a whole. “It’s the same way we’ve operated for the past 52 years,” he says. “Whatever comes up, whatever issue comes up, we identify, discuss and solve it.”
Creating Opportunity for Growth The key to creating a successful program, says Guthrie, is engaging the apprentice, demonstrating growth potential, and setting clear expectations. “The apprentice has to be shown that there really is a ladder, a plan, to get them from where they are today to where they want to be tomorrow,” he explained. “It’s
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critical that when they are brought on, that path is laid out and a clear expectation of the timeline is agreed to by all parties.” Failure to do so, he says, can result in the apprentice feeling stuck, which can lead to a loss of motivation…and eventually may lead to them leaving the industry all together. Guthrie says he also stopped buying into the idea that this generation of apprentices needs to be treated differently than their predecessors — it’s the motivation and opportunity for growth that truly matters, in his opinion. “A car lover today is still the same as an older generation,” he says, although he concedes there are fewer people interested in cars nowadays than there used to be. “Hard workers today are the same as yesterday. It is about finding the right person and providing them the best opportunity to succeed. I think it is important for owners and managers to understand what motivates their employees.” Among the various books and research he’s read on the matter, one thing, he says,
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To recruit new technicians, OpenRoad targets car shows, drift events, drag races, and dirt tracks to identify people who already have an appreciation for the industry.
is unanimous across the board — challenging work that provides career growth always outranks compensation. “It doesn’t matter the age of the research group…if you provide people a career ladder in the field they’re interested in, they will be motivated, and motivated employees are good employees. As leaders, we must stop blaming ‘a generational issue’ and focus on being good leaders to the people.”
Building Sustainable Apprenticeship Programs To ensure that expectations are being met and apprentices are on track to meet their goals, a clear-cut plan with regular check-ins and progress assessments is imperative, Guthrie says. That’s exactly the approach Gustafson takes as he continues to build his program from the ground up. “We’re learning through every stage of the process,” he says. “We feel like the pioneers crossing the Plains and the Rockies!” Gustafson’s program begins with an internship phase, where students are introduced to the industry through coursework accredited by the local high school, or through automotive orientation classes Gustafson runs himself. Interns are unpaid, and the focus is simply on helping young adults determine whether a career in the industry is right for them. From there, those who are interested can enter the paid apprenticeship program, where they’ll progress from apprentice to mentee over the course of approximately two years. During that time, apprentices work through a “couple hundred” tasks, first observing the task then completing the task supervised, then unsupervised, and finally mastering it…at which time they could teach someone else how to do it. Mentors guide them through the entire process. Guthrie uses a very similar structure at OpenRoad, both of
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which are rooted in what’s now the I-CAR training model. Apprentices are paid minimum wage to start, then pay is increased at six-month intervals until eventually the shop and mentor split the mentee’s wage 50/50. Benefits are included as well. The program focuses heavily on “constant engagement” with apprentices to keep them invested in what they’re learning. Each morning starts with an hour of classroom instruction, and shop mentors work closely with each person one-on-one to develop their skills and knowledge. Apprentices also provide feedback every two weeks on what’s working and what’s not so processes can be refined. “We’re really attempting to prevent burnout — we don’t want to invest training time and money only to have people leave the industry. Like I said, we’re pioneering, experimenting. We don’t know if it’s going to work long-term, but we’re going down the path to see if we can make it work.” Gustafson’s ultimate hope is that the program will indeed be successful and can be disseminated throughout the industry to other shops who can model programs after his own. “The goal is to find other shops like us across the country, champion shops, that would do what we’re doing, and have a recruiter place those trained mentees in the end,” says Gustafson. The proof, he says, will come in seeing whether the apprentices can help the mentors make more money, even after they pay the apprentice’s share. The system would reduce cycle time in the long run, as the mentor and mentee work together as a team to complete more work, faster. Gustafson readily acknowledges that the cost to run a comprehensive program like the one he’s attempting is substantial at first, but he has high hopes that the payoff will be well
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worth it in the end. He even sees potential for grants and government assistance for shop owners if he can prove the concept. “We’re talking about a six-figure salary for these apprentices in five to seven years with no college debt…that’s a boon to society.” “If we prove the method and we get champion shops around the country—and maybe Canada and Mexico — then we continue to fill up our industry with the people we need to get the job done,” he says.
Finding Apprentice Candidates For both Gustafson and Guthrie — and anyone running an apprenticeship program — finding high quality candidates is key. Gustafson has had success through local schools and youth nonprofits, referrals from current employees, and marketing through the company newsletter. Guthrie says OpenRoad targets car shows, drift events, drag races, and dirt tracks to identify people who already have an appreciation for the industry. “If you’re passionate about what you do you, will never work a day in your life…those are the employees you want!” He even looks at the car a candidate drives in with, and their hands, to look for clues that they’re a car lover. “I can always tell who will be a good apprentice because they drive in with a car that’s being worked on and their hands are dirty,” he says. Another element Guthrie has found helpful in getting apprentices underway? Supplying them with tools. “That speeds up the process substantially, as most candidates for the program simply can’t afford the basic tools required to learn and begin growing,” he explains. However you do it, the important thing is to start, say both men…the more owners who run apprentice programs, the better it will be for everyone in the industry.
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STRATEGY
CASE STUDY
MAKE GETTING PAID FOR PAINTING LESS OF A PAIN
Compensation for paint and materials is like any part of running your business—be thorough and focus on the details. By TODD KORTEMEIER
I T I S N ’ T B R E A K I N G N E W S to anyone in the FenderBender audience, but getting fairly compensated for paint and materials remains a challenge in modern collision repair. Just like seemingly everything else in the industry, rapid changes have come to the way business is done. What often lags behind in that rip current of change is how shops are getting paid for their work.
There are signs shops are taking notice, however. As of the most recent “Who Pays for What” survey conducted by CRASH Network at the time of this writing, 32% more shops had begun invoicing for paints and materials than were doing so as of the 2021 survey. That showed that the increasingly antiquated multiplier method was on its way out. So how do shops move into the 21st century when it comes to getting paid for paint and materials? FenderBender spoke with Tony Adams, a business services consultant for AkzoNobel and former shop owner, for some examples from the field of what that modernization process looks like.
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The Problem
Adams has been in collision repair for a long time, but he can’t remember an era in which it wasn’t a challenge for shops to get compensated for paint and materials. “Maybe it worked back in the old lacquer days; maybe it didn’t. I don’t really know,” says Adams, who owned Weaver’s Auto Center in Shawnee, Kansas, for about 25 years. “But as technology has continued to advance and change, we’ve continued to move to a system that really requires pulling up those individual materials of what we use on every job every single time, especially with the complexity of the materials that we’re using today.”
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What used to be a simple process has given way to multi-stage finishes and limiteduse toners. The multiplier method, in which an estimated materials rate is multiplied by the hours of the job, largely fails to account for these advancements in complexity. While the more precise invoicing method is on the rise, inaccurate paint and materials estimating is costing shops money every day. “You’ve got some materials where that special effect toner might be [hundreds of dollars] a liter,” Adams says. “And just using a simple calculation of total hours by dollars is just nowhere near accurate.”
The Solution
As a longtime shop owner turned industry leader and business coach, Adams has seen many examples of shops that either don’t understand or don’t notice the gulf between what they’re spending and for what they’re being compensated. For Adams, properly
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By mixing all liquid materials on the scale, an invoice can be generated to compare to what the shop is collecting for those materials. Then a line-item adjustment can be made for any shortfalls.
invoicing for these operations is no different than ensuring accuracy in any other part of running a business. “The astute business operators really understand and get into the finite details of what it takes to repair this car that’s in my shop at this time because of this claim,” says Adams. “So what am I going to have to do to calculate that?” For starters, Adams says, shops should be using calculator tools at the start of a repair to produce a more accurate estimate of paint materials costs. There are numerous third-party solutions out there such as PMCLogic and EagleMMS that calculate accurate formulas for the paint operation in question and integrate with most paint company systems. That calculation then gets documented from the very start of the repair. Adams says one key mistake he’s seen shops make is looking only at paint material thresholds. Using the example of the product costing hundreds of dollars, even using a few ounces could greatly skew a shop’s estimate for a repair. Having an accurate estimate on the front end will give a better sense of what those costs are. “By the time the vehicle has been painted, the painter is hopefully mixing everything that he or she does across the scale,” says Adams. “We’re going to generate a liquid invoice for what those costs
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are, and we’ve got to take a look at that in comparison to what we’re actually collecting on the sale of that. And they have to do a line item adjustment, because even though we’ve not hit a threshold, we may be way above that.” Another forgotten aspect in this process is shop supplies such as filler, sandpaper, and welding papers. Shops often assume these supplies are included with paint materials, says Adams, as part of the refinish process. Instead, shops are missing opportunities. “It’s spelled out in the P-pages what’s included to do the refinish process,” says Adams. “To refinish typically starts around 400 grit sandpaper and above. So all of those items that we’re using, that’s paint materials. ... So a lot of those materials, because maybe a shop is not charging for feather, prime and block in order to get that back to that of a new, undamaged panel, we’re missing an opportunity on paint material capture there, and then everything that we do from a body shop supply perspective.”
The Aftermath
Adams has seen greater acceptance among shops in the need for paint materials invoicing, particularly with calculations on the front end of the repair. What makes that implementation easier is adding it to a
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shop’s growing book of standard operating procedures. Doing the same thing every time a car rolls into the shop is the best way to ensure that no cost gets missed. “We need to have a process,” says Adams, “that says listen, at the time of repair planning, when the vehicles come in, and it’s been 100% meticulously disassembled, and we’ve got the painter to come over and they validated color, and we know whether we’ve got, two-stage, three-stage, quadstage, whatever the situation may be, we’ve pulled up the formulas, we know how many ounces approximately it’s going to take to do this. And we can get all of those things into consideration.”
The Takeaway
In any business, defaulting to the way operations were done in the past can be a killer of forward momentum. In the collision repair business, it can be especially deadly as shops are battling new technology and new standards on a daily basis. Just as the way cars get painted has changed, so, too, has the way shops need to account for that process. “It’s important to understand what it takes to run your business,” says Adams, “what it costs to actually repair the vehicle back to the specifications as outlined by the OEM, and/or what it takes to be able to offer your customer a warrantable repair from your refinish company.”
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STRATEGY
FINA NCE+OPER ATIONS
PREP YOUR SHOP FOR EVS
Before EVs roll into your shop, make sure you’re equipped to handle them. By N O A H B R O W N
February 2024
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I T ’ S N O S E C R E T the onslaught of EVs that was predicted at the beginning of the decade by some auto manufacturers and public officials hasn’t exactly the electrified revolution they had hoped it would be so far, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared to repair them.
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According to data from a 2023 J.D. Power report, EVs still only account for less than 1 percent of all vehicles on U.S. roads today. “Because only around 17 million new cars are being built each year, changing the vehicles from gas-powered to electric will be a long process, especially as far as the government is concerned,” the report says. Still, despite the lack of overwhelming adoption, EVs are slowly working their way into the mainstream, and sooner or later they will make up a sizeable chunk of the U.S. car parc. A report from Cox Automotive in October 2023 shows that yearly EV sales were on track to surpass 1 million units for the first time ever. Electric vehicles will continue to grow in popularity, and although they may not be replacing ICE vehicles anytime soon like some OEMs have said, it won’t be long before you may see some start rolling into your shop’s bays. Because of that, your shops need to have proper procedures in place and your technicians need to know how to deal with the high-voltage systems of electric vehicles to work on them safely and effectively.
Know Before You Stow Kye Yeung, president of European Motor Car Works in Costa Mesa, California, is an expert in EV repairs. Currently certified to work on Lucid and Rivian, his shop was also one of the original founder shops for Tesla. Safe to say, he and his team know EVs. For the most part, Yeung says, working on an electric vehicle is very similar to working on an ICE vehicle. “They have similarities, obviously, as far as the drivetrains, suspensions, brakes; the construction methods are very similar,” Yeung says. “The only thing that’s different is the powertrain, and on an EV, properly trained, they’re not any more dangerous or difficult to work on than if someone had to rebuild a motor or transmission.”
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However, that one difference obviously plays a big role in how a shop goes about the whole repair process, especially following a collision. It’s critical that shops follow OEM protocol when handling EVs that have been damaged in a collision, even before the vehicle is brought into one of your bays. Most manufacturers recommend that damaged vehicles are kept at least 50 feet away from any structures to assess damage and power down the vehicle. Yeung says that even if an electric vehicle hasn’t caught fire immediately after an accident, there’s still a possibility that it could hours or even days afterward due to the chemicals used in the powertrain and battery. “The impact from the accident could have dislodged some of the components from the battery pack; it could be festering, and a couple days later it could start to react with itself and cause a fire,” Yeung says. “We always have tow-ins that are really hard hits that look like they may have some extensive damage towed to a specific area until they’re able to be checked out.” Dirk Fuchs, founder and owner of Electric Mobility Consulting and a leading expert in the EV space, shared a story of a dealership garage that left an EV overnight without going through the proper steps to make sure the vehicle was stable. Sure enough, the next morning both the car and the shop were on fire. “That was a manufacturer dealership. You can’t bring in a car with a major battery failure without isolating that vehicle and processing that vehicle,” Fuchs says. “If it takes you an hour and a half to take that battery out, you take the hour and a half before going home so that the car and your shop are still there the next morning.” Yeung says it’s crucial to follow OEM standard operating procedures on all repairs as soon as your shop gets a call about an EV that’s been in a collision.
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“In a nutshell, working on an EV is not dangerous if you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and procedures,” he says. “You always want to follow their latest updates because they can change. Following instructions is the safety rule of thumb.”
Stick to What You Know Making sure an electric vehicle is safe to be in your shop is just the first step in the repair process. “Before starting the repair, your technicians need to know and understand what the risks are so they can mitigate those risks,” Fuchs says. “They need to understand the architecture of the vehicle so they know what tools to use.” While there are very solid aftermarket tools used for scanning and other EV repair procedures, Yeung advises using OEM tools whenever possible for liability purposes. Making sure your techs follow every repair procedure to the letter and are using the recommended tools at all times will help ensure that a repair is done correctly. “If you’re a long-established shop, you’re that way for a reason. Don’t deviate from a repair plan. If it’s in writing somewhere, it’s available to you, and if you decide to circumvent that, liability can rise.” Yeung also says at this point in time, it’s practically impossible for shops to acquire every piece of equipment necessary to repair every EV. Instead, gaining a certification in the brand or couple of brands that your shop works the most on is the best way to go, maximizing your tech’s training time and your shop’s resources. “If an EV comes in that we’re not up to speed on, we’ll refer it elsewhere,” he says. “You don’t want to be the person doing the R&D in the shop if you’ve got other work in the shop that you can be more profitable at. We always stick to what we know.”
fenderbender.com
COLUMNS
COLLISION COURSE
A Lesson in Handling an Unruly Customer The toughest client can test a shop owner’s patience. Could you or your team members benefit from customer service training? er no one wants: the one who is unreasonable and unhinged. It took me a few months before I even wanted to write about it because I was so upset over this customer and how things transpired. The Scratch The customer's vehicle was hit by a roof shingle flying off a truck that left a scratch on the quarter panel of their vehicle. The insurance paid to buff the quarter panel with the standard directions that if the scratch did not come out to submit a supplement to paint the quarter panel. Long story short, we were able to buff out the scratch, but the customer said it was still there. The supplement was then denied because the scratch was gone, and the customer refused to take vehicle. The vehicle had been at the shop for over two weeks and the customer had been to the shop a handful of times and still refused to take the vehicle, even though we had already been paid and the issue was between her and her insurance company. We could not place a mechanic’s lien on the vehicle because we had already been paid by the insurance and due to other city regulations. We finally convinced the customer to come to the shop again to inspect the vehicle and see if she would take it, but she again refused. At this point, I was at my wit's end because she not only refused delivery of the vehicle; she added in berating us and throwing accusations at us. I gently tossed her paperwork with the keys resting on top about three inches onto the roof of her vehicle and told her “I’m sorry; you have to take the vehicle,” and explained this was between her and her insurance company. That is when all heck broke loose. She started screaming that I endangered her life by gently tossing her keys and called the police on me well over six times. In the end, she went off the deep end and the police arrested her. This was my takeaway from the incident. • I lost my cool, and that exacerbated the situation. • I did not know my rights and how to legally handle the situation for my area. In the Future I have talked about this situation with a number of other shop owners and managers, and the general consensus was we should have vetted the customer and never scheduled them in. In
February 2024
my office's defense, sometimes even with the best vetting you never know if the customer will turn out to be crazy. This customer was a middle school teacher who was very friendly and gave us no reason to think she would end up going off the deep end. The situation opened my eyes and showed me where I do have some weaknesses and where I need to improve on things. I will readily admit that I lost my cool. I have no shame in admitting I am not perfect, and this customer drove me to that point. Should I have gently tossed the keys on her roof? Absolutely not. Did it make me feel better in the moment? Absolutely. Did I exacerbate the situation and cause havoc on myself? 100%. Will I handle a situation like this in the future differently? Absolutely. Even though I know in the future I will manage things differently, I signed up for the Discover Leadership course by Mike Jones so that I can improve myself and my leadership skills. I hope that it will help me not lose my cool in the future. I also looked into how I could have handled the situation in a different manner legally. Generally, I would have put a mechanic’s lien on the vehicle, but since we had already been paid in full for the repairs that was not an option for me in my area. Our area has some very specific rules when it comes to body shops and storage fees also. I now know that what I could have done was notify them that the vehicle was complete, the invoice had been paid, and the vehicle would need to be picked up within a certain number of days. If it wasn’t picked up, it would be considered abandoned, and I could have an impound company tow it to their impound lot and off my premises. That way, the customer would be forced to deal with the impound company to get her vehicle back. Having a vehicle impounded or having to do a mechanic’s lien is never an outcome I want, but I learned from the incident that I need to be prepared because situations like this do come around every now and again. In all of this, I learned that I need to continue working on my team’s customer service skills, specifically when a customer is being unreasonable or out of hand. I also learned that no matter how well prepared you are, there is always a person or a situation that can best you. I don’t care how perfect a shop is or how excellent your customer service skills are. Each shop has a story about a customer situation that did not go as planned. So, give yourself some grace; you are not alone in this.
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TIFFANY MENEFEE
has more than 20 years experience in the insurance business and now runs a collision repair shop in El Paso, Texas.
EMAIL:
tiffanykaymenefee@gmail.com
ARCHIVE:
fenderbender.com/menefee
fenderbender.com
JOE GRETO
A few months back, I had the dreaded custom-
February 2024
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fenderbender.com
COLUMNS
DUE PROCESS
Maintain Standards with Phone Call Audits How incoming and outgoing calls are answered and handled can make or break your customer experience collision repair industry, it’s crucial to stand out from the competition, and the first impression of your business often starts with your phone call-handling process. The way you answer and handle incoming and outgoing calls can either make or break your customer experience. That is why implementing a call auditing process that is regularly reviewed by the administration against defined standards is essential. The lack of phone handling standards in today’s market can lead to lost opportunities and revenue for your business. Customers want to feel valued and appreciated, and if your team fails to provide exceptional customer service over the phone, the chances are high that they will take their business elsewhere. Your phone call technique should be professional, easy to understand, and concise. The calls should be answered in a timely manner, and you should provide the callers with relevant information. Standardizing your phone call handling procedure will lead to big benefits such as increased conversions, greater customer loyalty, and more consistent positive reviews. At our shops, we found we were still using dated call-handling practices that we simply overlooked by rapid growth. Our team members were following our provided standard diligently, but the message was incredibly inconsistent with what we wanted. How is this possible? Growth. We had added 11 team members to our staff since the last review, and naturally, the business had evolved. This revelation made us
February 2024
understand how we were failing to capitalize on an integral part of our current customer acquisition because we hadn’t been actively implementing call audits. This situation was a valuable lesson for us. It showed us how vital it is to consistently check our team’s performance and ensure they understand and adhere to our set standards. By providing regular constructive feedback to our team, we fostered communication and provided opportunities for growth instead of reprimanding them. This approach helped us motivate our team, empower them for their feedback toward call handling development, and achieve better results overall. Saving the audio files and demonstrating the team’s progress can be highly beneficial when conducting your call auditing process. This feedback helps them understand their progress and areas where they need to improve. The saved files become valuable training material for new hires and refresher courses for existing team members. By continually reviewing and updating your call-handling standards, you ensure that your team always provides excellent customer service and maintains your business’s competitive edge. So, let me ask: When was the last time you reviewed your shop’s phone traffic? How many team members have you added since?
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D R E W B R YA N T has been
the owner of DB Orlando Collision since August of 2011. A 20 Group leader, in-demand conference speaker and award-winning shop owner, Bryant takes a non-traditional approach to process implementation, lean process development, & overall operational experience while remaining dedicated to his staff’s personal and professional development.
EMAIL:
drew@orlandocollision.com
ARCHIVE:
fenderbender.com/bryant
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STEVEN PARKS
In the fast-paced and highly competitive
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