FenderBender - December 2020

FENDERBENDER.COM / DECEMBER 2020

Strategies & Inspiration for Collision Repair Success

MODERNIZE YOUR MARKETING SCHEME PAGE 38

PHONE PLAN: ANSWER WITH PURPOSE

TIME ON YOUR SIDE Achieve goals with efficient routines PAGE 43

PAGE 50

TIPS FOR MEETING ONE ON ONE

Focused Effort With an eye on time management, shop owner Andy Powell recently made three significant changes to his shop’s operations.

PAGE 37

YOUR GUIDE TO CALIBRATION

PAGE 28

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december

12 . 20 / VOLUME 22 / NUMBER 12

Face The Change Illinois shop owner Andy Powell recently implemented a number of changes at his shop—including moving it—and his focus on time management helped him make it all happen.

F E AT U R E

C A SE STU DY

28

43

Industry experts detail the hurdles of advanced driver-asstance systems calibration and how to overcome them.

An Illinois shop owner dicusses how doubling down on time management led him to meeting multiple goals.

CALIBRATION CONVERSATION STEFFEN HARRIS PHOTOGR APHY

BY MARAYA KING

NO TIME TO LOSE

BY GABE HOLZMER

Printed in the U.S.A. COPYRIGHT ©2020 BY 10 Missions Media LLC. All rights reserved. FenderBender (ISSN 1937-7150) is published monthly by 10 Missions Media, LLC, 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104. FenderBender content may not be photocopied, reproduced or redistributed without the consent of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTERS Send address changes to: FenderBender, 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104.

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 5

TAB LE OF CONTENTS

DECEMBER

QUICK FIX

10

16

22

Webinars to the wise

The ramifications of Right to Repair

John Harris Body Shop in Greer, S.C.

12

19

25

What DRPs can mean to supplements

Allstate layoffs, rentals on the upswing

What type of leader are you?

15

21

Come together to move ahead

Summit details, electric trucks cometh

PAST THE PAGE

ANALYSIS

NUMBERS

LIGHT HITS

DRIVER'S SEAT

SNAP SHOP

THE BIG IDEA

BY KEVIN RAINS

ADAPT

22 CLINE DESIGN

Room with a View The people behind the John Harris Body Shop in Greer, S.C., say there’s nothing to hide and the window to the shop floor proves it.

“BECAUSE I’M A TECH...

I PUSH THE LIMITS AND DO WHAT I LOVE.

”

6 fenderbender.com | December 2020

S T R AT E G Y

37

41

52

How to meet individually

Use 2020 to make yourself stronger

Cultivate industry respect

RYAN CROPPER

BY JASON BOGGS

IDEA SHOP

PROCESS DRIVEN

38

OUTSIDE THE LINES

50

SALES+ MARKETING Online and inperson marketing can work together

CUSTOMER SERVICE On how to own your phone

GET T Y

38

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TAB LE OF CONTENTS

ONLINE EXTRAS

CLICK ON THE LOGO BELOW FOR PRODUCT INFORMATION Accudraft

BASF

Fuji Industrial Spray Equipment

Pro Spot

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BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY

Industrial Finishes

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AUTEL

Bosch

Mitsubishi

Spanesi Americas

Auto Job Central

FinishMaster

PPG

TechForce Foundation

AutoNation

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Toyota

EDITORIAL Bryce Evans Vice President, Content and Events Anna Zeck Editorial Director Mike Munzenrider Associate Editor Maraya King Staff Writer Miranda Jama Marketing Services Manager Nora Johnson Special Projects Editor Jordan Wiklund Special Projects Editor Jason Boggs Contributing Writer Ryan Cropper Contributing Writer Steve Morris Contributing Writer Kevin Rains Contributing Writer Mandy Hay Contributing Writer Lauren Borchart Contributing Writer Natalie Ryder Contributing Writer Kelly Beaton Contributing Writer

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jason Boggs Boggs Auto Collision Rebuilders Ryan Hillenbrand Urb’s Garage and Collision Center Jesse Jacobson Heppner’s Auto Body Tiffany Menefee Pronto Body Shop Bob Pearson Pearson Auto Body Louie Sharp Sharp Auto Body Doug Voelzke Doug’s Custom Paint and Body

COLLISION C A S T

FenderBender’s

PODCAST NETWORK SERIES WITH NEW EPISODES EACH MONTH. Explore the industry’s biggest trends & most pressing topics.

ART AND PRODUCTION Zach Pate Art Director Mitch Bradford Graphic Designer Morgan Glisczinski Graphic Designer Fue Vang Graphic Designer Lauren Coleman Production Artist

SALES Chris Messer Vice President and Publisher 651.846.9462 / cmesser@10missions.com Andrew Johnson Associate Publisher 651.846.9459 / ajohnson@10missions.com Nathan Smock Marketing Strategist 651.846.9452 / nsmock@10missions.com Erik Gustafson Marketing Strategist 651.846.9485 / egustafson@10missions.com Shayna Smith Customer Success Representative 651.846.9460 / ssmith@10missions.com Jen George Client Service Specialist 651.846.9465 / jgeorge@10missions.com

10 MISSIONS MEDIA Jay DeWitt President Mariah Straub General Manager and Production Manager Meghann Moore Bookkeeper and Client Service Specialist Kate Fahlen Event Producer Tiffany Fowler Senior Digital Media Strategist Nina Kayfes Digital Media Assistant Kasey Lanenberg Marketing Communications Specialist Corey Steinhoff Administrative Assistant HOW TO REACH US 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104 tel 651.224.6207 fax 651.224.6212 web 10missions.com The annual subscription rate is $72 (U.S.A. only) for companies not qualified to receive complimentary copies of FenderBender.

BACK ISSUES Past issue single copies are $8.

Go to fenderbender.com/backissues LETTERS TO THE EDITOR editor@fenderbender.com ARTICLE REPRINTS For high-quality reprints or e-prints of articles in this issue call 651.846.9488 or email reprints@fenderbender.com.

Opinions expressed in FenderBender are not necessarily those of 10 Missions Media, and 10 Missions Media does not accept responsibility for advertising content.

ADVANCE. DISRUPT. HOW I DID IT. MSO PODCAST. VISION.

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE SEARCH “COLLISIONCAST” IN APPS FOR APPLE AND ANDROID

PODCASTS

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December 2020 | fenderbender.com 9

PAST THE PAGE DISCUSSIONS, FEEDBACK, CONTENT AND MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB

COLLISION C A S T

PODCAST PRIMER

Guided by Voices Shop owners, finance specialists, marketing gurus, and more appear on FenderBender’s weekly podcast, the CollisionCast, to tell their stories and to offer tips about how you can improve what you do. Find something to listen to at fenderbender.com/podcast.

JOIN US ONLINE fenderbender.com

HOW TO

WATCH FOR WEBINARS FenderBender puts on quarterly webinars that tackle topics important to making your shop a success. The hour-long live chats between editorial director Anna Zeck and an industry expert range far and wide—the most recent webinar, held last month, was all about finding a COO who can back up an owner. A log of webinars going back to 2018 can be found at fenderbender.com/webinars.

fenderbender.com/facebook

twitter.com/fenderbendermag

fenderbender.com/linkedin

Tag, You’re It Find a bevy of past magazine stories and take some trips down memory lane by using the various tags on the FenderBender website. Here’s a starting place; go to fenderbender.com/ShopLife.

10 fenderbender.com | December 2020

instagram.com/fenderbendermag

STAFF GRAPHIC

ONLINE

ÂŽ

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 11

BY THE NUMBERS THE TOPIC S, TRENDS AND METRIC S DRIVING YOUR OPER ATION

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DRP AND NON-DRP SHOPS What’s the difference between shops that rely on direct repair programs for the majority of their business, and those that aren’t involved with DRPs? More than 400 shops took part in the 2020 FenderBender Industry Survey, and some 35 percent of them said they do no DRP business at all. On the other end, 30 percent of respondents said they rely on DRPs for at least 60 percent of their business, or more. One of the areas where the differences between the two outliers was most stark was with respect to average supplement ratio.

AV E R AG E S U P P L E M E N T R AT I O DRP SHOPS

NON - DRP SHOPS

62%

19%

66%

39%

Average supplement ratio of 15% or lower

Average supplement ratio of 25% or higher

Average supplement ratio of 16% or higher

Average supplement ratio of 25% or higher

Last year, FenderBender spoke to an El Paso, Texas, shop owner who maintains close ties with insurance agents and adjusters despite being a non-DRP shop. In fact, those insurance professionals are the driving force behind 40 percent of the owner’s business of $1 million per year. The owner, a former insurance agent herself, discussed how she does it. Find the full article at fenderbender.com/nonDRP.

12 fenderbender.com | December 2020

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December 2020 | fenderbender.com 13

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14 fenderbender.com | December 2020

DRIVER ' S SE AT

One Industry Looking to other segments is critical for future success If you know anything about the main source in this month’s fea-

ture, California shop owner Kye Yeung, there’s likely one word that comes to mind: technology. When I heard that Kye was starting to think about retirement at the end of this year, I knew we had to reach out to get him in one last FenderBender story, a feature on ADAS. There are very few shop owners who have prioritized investments in technology as much as Kye has, and as you’ll read in the story, “The Complexities of Calibrations” (p. 28), it’s quickly apparent those investments weren’t misguided.

You’ll find there’s also a reason we used the word “complexities” in the title of that story. The solutions, the processes, the requirements, the laws surrounding ADAS calibrations are just that—complex (just ask staff writer Maraya King, who did a bangup job reporting the story).

And it’s not just the collision repair industry that’s impacted.

As FenderBender’s parent company, 10 Missions Media, has grown from a fledgling collision repair publisher in 1999 to a media company that has us covering the entire aftermarket, I’ve had a firsthand look at how most of the issues, concerns, strategies and success stories are all very similar across the different industries, if not the same.

It’s become more and more glaring how, as each segment continues to specialize and focus more granularly because of shifting technology, marketplaces and outside pressures, that everyone has become more isolated. There’s an air of, “This is what we do, and we do it for this person.” Yes, specialization and focusing on your customers is critical to success, but it’s easy to lose sight of big picture needs and solutions. Something we will continue to push for, and pride ourselves on, is bringing those lessons from each industry segment together for the betterment of everyone.

That’s the idea behind our ADAPT: Automotive Technology Summit this coming May in Nashville. We want to bring the entire industry together to discuss the solutions to the industry’s most progressive and pressing technology trends. Our goal is to give you a seat at the table in discussing the future of this industry. The auto industry isn’t just the automakers and giant corporations deciding who wins, who loses, and how you run your business. This is not the OEM’s industry. This is your industry, and we’re all in this together.

ANNA ZECK EDITORIAL DIRECTOR a z e c k @10 m i s s i o n s .c o m

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 15

QUICK FIX

ANALYSIS

RIGHT TO REPAIR PASSED. NOW WHAT? Shops can expect a precedent—and more debate—about repair data access

BY ABBY PAT TERSON

passed with three quarters of the vote, settling the Right to Repair issue in the state and updating a previous law. Now, its passage could have national implications for auto repairers, including in the collision repair industry.

The ballot question requires automakers to create a standardized digital platform that makes certain telematics information available to all Massachusetts repair facilities—not just to dealer shops.

Groups spent millions of dollars cam16 fenderbender.com | December 2020

paigning on both sides of the issue. The Auto Care Association and related aftermarket groups, along with independent shops, campaigned in favor of Right to Repair. A coalition formed by automakers opposed the measure.

“I think we anticipated that it would pass again, similar to what happened several years ago with the original Right to Repair law,” says Robert Redding, Washington, D.C. representative for the Automotive Service Association.

“It was a clear message, again, about

independents and consumers having access to information.”

What exactly does this mean for independents and consumers? If you haven’t been keeping up with the Right to Repair initiative, here’s a recap of the action and a preview of what’s to come.

Background

The first Right to Repair bill in Massachusetts passed in 2012 and aimed to extend diagnostic vehicle information to independent repairers. That bill and the

PEXELS

Question 1 on the Massachusetts ballot

“It’s possible the same thing will happen again, with the 2020 sequel setting terms for nationwide standards around telematics data,” the report says.

What’s Next?

THE OUTCOME Yes 75%

No 25%

figure, which he noted during his presentation at the AASA Technology Conference this fall.

The concern was that more and more critical diagnostic information would only be transmitted wirelessly, rather than through an OBD-II port, and become off-limits for much of the independent repair sector.

With the help of independent shops and other key associations, the Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition was able to get the issue in front of 2020 election voters, and the rest was history come November 3.

What does the outcome mean? subsequent law exempted most telematics information, which wasn’t as widely used at the time. Massachusetts was the first state to pass such a measure.

Now, telematics information is much more relevant. Commercial fleets have been the bellwether group showing growth. Sandeep Kar, chief strategy officer at Fleet Complete, says that 19.5 million commercial vehicles subscribed to some kind of telematics service in 2015.

By 2025, that’s estimated to be 63.5 million vehicles—more than triple the 2015

The big change to come from the passage of the ballot question is that OEMs will need to create a standardized platform for access to telematics information. This would be available to repairers and vehicle owners.

The implication could be national, because it might not be feasible to create such a telematics platform for vehicles in just one state. A report by Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis examined the ballot question before the vote, noting that the initial 2013 law spurred a larger trend.

Redding with ASA says he could see lawmakers in other states pushing lays similar to Massachusetts’ Right to Repair.

“Some other states will have bills dropped in,” he says. “A state legislator sees it, somebody in that industry segment, or a consumer group gets their representative to enter something.”

Such state-level bills might not make much progress, says Redding, because they may be “introduced without a lot of steam”—without an organization’s backing or without much thought from the legislator.

Of perhaps more interest, Redding says, is language found in the House Committee on Appropriations’ 2021 explanatory statement for the Department of Transportation and others, related to the agencies’ appropriation bill.

The statement includes a section regarding telematics, and says, “Vehicle manufacturers currently control access to the telematics data generated and transmitted by the vehicle, but some have raised concerns that the proprietary nature of this data may hinder consumers’ choices in having independent car maintenance shops access such information remotely. The Committee is concerned about potential safety issues and encourages [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] to work with stakeholders.”

Redding says that while it’s unclear what will come of NHTSA taking up the topic, he says that agencies do take such directives seriously and that it’s high time the federal government started discussing telematics.

“That would have been helpful if we’d started that 18 months or two years ago,” he says.

ASA’s abiding goal, Redding says, is for independent repairers to have access to what they need to repair vehicles at a reasonable price.

“The OEs have to provide that path here or you’ll see these kinds of initiatives [like in Massachusetts] continuing,” he says.

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 17

2020 is Finally Done.

But We Never Stopped.

Thank you to all the technicians, managers and employees that kept working in body shops around the world during these unprecedented times. We want to thank the entire Pro Spot International staff and Distributors as well. When the world came to a stand still, they were there and ready to help out in any way they could. 2020 has not stopped us from providing the collision repair industry with the best equipment and service possible.

Wait until you see what we're going to do in 2021.

Spot Welding • MIG Welding • Riveting Systems • Dent Repair Systems Sanding Systems • Plasma Cutting • Plastic Repair • Aluminum Repair

18 fenderbender.com | December 2020

News

QUICK FIX

For your daily collision repair news visit

LIGHT HITS

LENGTH OF CAR RENTALS BOUNCES BACK Enterprise, the car rental company, conducted research into the length of rentals chosen by consumers in quarter three 2020 after a drop in quarter two, attributed to COVID-19.

The company reported it appears as though numbers for quarter three have returned to a “normal” pre-pandemic range.

In the third quarter of 2019, the average billed days for rentals across the country was 12.4. In 2020 it was 12.2.

ALLSTATE ANNOUNCES LAYOFFS OF NEARLY 4,000 EMPLOYEES The Allstate Corporation recently announced its plans to lay off approximately 3,800 employees as part of its “Transformative Growth Plan.” The Wall Street Journal reported the layoffs are directly tied to the pandemic, which has resulted in fewer car accidents.

“Somewhere between 25 percent and 30 percent [of layoffs] are due to the fact that we have fewer claims,” said Allstate chief executive Thomas Wilson in an interview with the Journal.

The employees who will be affected are primarily in claims, sales, service, and support functions.

According to a press release put out by Allstate, the goal of the plan is to increase personal property-liability market share by expanding customer access and investing in marketing and technology.

FIRM BUYS MSO TO CREATE NEW COLLISION REPAIR BRAND Susquehanna Private Capital, a private financial services firm, has acquired Brandywine Coach Works, a multi-shop auto repair operator, to form the new Quality Collision Group.

According to Private Equity Wire, Quality Collision Group, which is guided by OEM repair methodologies, will pursue strategic acquisitions of auto repair facilities and

fenderbender.com/lighthits

seek to leverage shifting industry dynamics to provide consumers with an innovative option in OEM-certified repair service.

Led by industry veteran Jerod Guerin, Quality Collision Group employs a team of 90 that operates across its four Pennsylvania locations. Quality Repair Group is currently seeking acquisitions of collision repair shops across the U.S.

CARSTAR EXPANDS WITH 4 NEW LOCATIONS IN MINNESOTA CARSTAR has expanded in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., area, with the launch of four new locations owned by a husband and wife.

Jason and Erika Zerwas have been in the collision repair industry for over 20 years and recently became CARSTAR franchisees, according to CARSTAR. The couple says they are excited to be able to provide better and more advanced service to their communities with the help of CARSTAR. The brand’s new locations are CARSTAR Bloomington North, CARSTAR Eden Prairie North, CARSTAR New Hope, and CARSTAR Northfield.

DEALERSHIP TO PAY IN GENDER DISCRIMINATION SUIT Morrie’s 394 Hyundai, LLC, a dealership in St. Louis Park, Minn., has been found liable of retaliation against a former employee and has been ordered to pay her $200,000 in damages.

Victoria McVey was the only female parts counter worker at Morrie's for almost three years, and in that time she says she was treated differently than her male counterparts. When she brought her issues to HR she was told she was being “abrasive” and “difficult to approach,” and was also criticized for using family leave time to care for a sick child. She was fired with no notice and no prior reprimands, so she sued the dealership.

As stated in a press release about the suit, “The jury found two kinds of

retaliation: for reporting gender discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act and for using personal sick leave benefits to care for her child in violation of the Minnesota Parenting Leave and Accommodations Act.” “Unfortunately, we see this all too often; she was a woman working in a male-dominated industry, who took time off work to care for her son and reported gender discrimination when Morrie’s did not want her to ‘throw those words around,’” said Amy E. Boyle, one of McVey's attorneys.

NABR LAUNCHES NEW LABOR RATE WEBSITE National AutoBody Research (NABR) is launching a new website, LaborRateHero. com, which aims to bring more labor rate transparency to the collision repair industry.

LaborRateHero.com is a free site where body shops across the U.S. can take a survey about their labor rates. The shops also have access to the survey results, which can be broken down by ZIP code and even on a shop-by-shop basis.

Such labor rate tracking allows body shops to be more transparent with their customers and helps to set repair cost expectations prior to customers choosing a service.

LaborRateHero.com is intended to help customers better understand the pricing of collision repair services in their areas, which helps the customer decide on the best shop for them.

TESLA RECALLS NEARLY 50,000 CARS IN CHINA Tesla is recalling 48,442 units of its Model S and Model X electric vehicles due to potentially unsafe suspension.

The China State Administration for Market Regulation announced the recall in October, and has ordered Tesla to replace the suspension with improved parts at no cost to owners, reported CNBC. The vehicles under recall were manufactured in the U.S. and then sold in China.

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 19

ONE EVENT. ONE INDUSTRY. THE ADAPT: AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT MAY 9-11 • NASHVILLE

SERVICE AND REPAIR

TIRE DEALERS

QUICK MAINTENANCE

COLLISION REPAIR

QUICK LUBE

FIND THE SOLUTIONS YOU NEED TO ENSURE YOUR BUSINESS'S FUTURE LEARN MORE AT A DA P TA U T O M O T I V E .C O M

Automotive Technology Summit

THE ADAPT: AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT IS A THREE-DAY EVENT PROVIDING SHOP OWNERS AND OPERATORS WITH A UNIQUE, UNMATCHED OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN DIRECTLY FROM INDUSTRY LEADERS ON THE MOST PROGRESSIVE AND PRESSING TECHNOLOGY TRENDS DISRUPTING THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET

PLATINUM SPONSOR

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S I LV E R S P O N S O R S

20 fenderbender.com | December 2020

K E Y I N S I G H TS , TR E N DS A N D S TR ATEG I E S F O R TO M O R ROW ’ S I N D U S TRY—TO DAY A D A P TA U T O M O T I V E . C O M

A D A P TA U T O M O T I V E . C O M / F A C E B O O K

T W IT TE R .CO M /A DA P T_ AUTO M OTI V E

The ADAPT Interview Check out the growing list of multimedia on the ADAPT site.

ADAPT is interested in hearing about how shops are planning for ADAS, preparing their shops and rolling out functional repairs and services. adaptautomotive.com/podcasts

THE ELECTRIC TRUCKS ARE HERE

GENERAL MOTORS

You might argue the merits of an all-electric Hummer, but you cannot argue the successful launch for General Motors.

ADAPT recently explored the public debut and specs of the GMC Hummer EV, which is billed as an electric supertruck. Read about the purported 11,500 lb-ft of torque, the crab walk feature and the “Watts to Freedom” launch control.

“As the vehicle readies itself for Watts to Freedom, a series of interior experiences convey the feeling of a ‘pre-launch countdown,’ including interactive controls, unique sounds through the Bose speakers and screen animations. The vehicle also lowers two inches to prepare for the launch, utilizing a lower center of gravity,” according to GM. To read more, head to adaptautomotive.com/HummerEV.

MAY 10 -11, 2021 NASHVILLE, TENN.

ADAPT Trend Report Head to the ADAPT website to sign up for the ADAPT Trend Report newsletter to have the latest news, strategies and transportation trends sent to your inbox every week. adaptautomotive.com/newsletter

Registration and hotel accommodations are now open for The ADAPT: Automotive Technology Summit. The full two-and-a-halfday schedule is available at adaptsummit.com.

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 21

QUICK FIX

SNAP SHOP

JOHN HARRIS BODY SHOP

BY MIKE MUNZENRIDER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CLINE DESIGN LOCATION:

Greer, S.C. OWNERS:

John Harris and Campbell Harris SIZE:

21,000 square feet STAFF:

16

NUMBER OF LIFTS

3

AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT:

100

AVERAGE REPAIR ORDER:

$2,500

ANNUAL REVENUE:

$3 million

square foot for the brown field site was pretty attractive, too.

Getting the space body shop–ready involved a full renovation of the interior and beefed up electrical and fire suppression systems, along with a larger gas line. Says Max Bazan, John Harris voice of the customer, “It’s unrecognizable as [a former] Office Depot.”

1

2. SIGHT USUALLY UNSEEN Modern but still comfortable—that’s how Dawn Gray, John Harris client relations, describes the lobby at the Greer shop. It’s clean and complete with coffee, workstations, Wi-Fi, and a television. Taylor says the aim is comfort for all, where anyone can “go down to the bathrooms and not be grossed out.”

Perhaps more uniquely John Harris is that, from the lobby, the shop floor is visible.

“Most shops would prefer you not see the inner workings,” says Gray. “We pride ourselves on our process and it’s very easy to see how the process goes.”

3. EVERY PLACE HAS A THING The shop floors at John Harris Body Shops are organized to a T, and the Greer location is no exception.

“Everything’s thought out—everything has a place, and every place has a thing,” says Bazan.

That means floors are marked off for trash cans and every tool has a home. Says Gray, “Our take on efficiency through process leaves us with a higher quality.” John Harris shops are so process-oriented, she says, that they’re the only collision repair chain in the country to be certified by the International Organization for Standardization.

1. REPURPOSE WITH PURPOSE

4. STRAIGHT SHOT

The John Harris Body Shop in Greer, S.C.,

The layout of the Greer shop is processdriven, designed to efficiently move vehicles toward their ultimate destination, which is out the door and back to their owners.

“Once [a car] comes in the door it’s a straight line from body to paint, to build to the wash bay, then out the other side of the building,” says Bazan.

The end goal of John Harris Body Shops’ process, he says, is that each vehicle only backs out of the shop one time: when its repairs are complete.

didn’t start life as a collision repair shop— prior to the MSO taking over the building, it housed a big box retailer of office supplies.

“We were able to repurpose a space that was used for a completely different purpose to ours,” says John Harris CEO Zach Taylor.

The 21,000-square-foot shop is the fourth largest in the John Harris portfolio, coming in at a size that Taylor says, “wasn’t far off our ideal footprint.” He says the cost per

22 fenderbender.com | December 2020

3

Submit Your Shop

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December 2020 | fenderbender.com 23

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24 fenderbender.com | December 2020

COLUMNS

THE BIG IDEA KEVIN RAINS

Good Leaders, Poor Leaders Be a leader worth supporting

MICHAEL HOEWELER, GETTY

As you read this, the 2020 presi-

dential election is over, but as I write this column, the race is still raging.

This election, more than most, has me thinking about leadership. What is good leadership? Who’s qualified to lead? What makes a leader good or bad, effective or ineffective?

Todd Henry, an author and friend, recently posted a list of good and poor leadership practices on his Facebook page. His list distilled a lifetime of reading, studying, learning, and practicing leadership. As you read it, keep this in mind: There’s no point in reading the list with anyone in mind but yourself.

You’re the only person you control.

Read the list with your own practices as a shop leader in mind. Always know that your team is watching you, watching you closely—closer than you may realize, closer than you would likely be comfortable with if you knew

exactly how close. What kind of leader do they see when they look at you?

• Good leaders take accountability for their decisions. Poor leaders blameshift bad outcomes, while taking credit for good ones.

• Good leaders surround themselves with others who think differently. Poor leaders push those who disagree away.

• Good leaders realize that others know more than they do about a lot of subjects and lean into that expertise. Poor leaders just go with their gut and complain or blame others when it goes wrong.

• Good leaders try to inspire. Poor leaders use fear as a mobilizing tactic.

• Good leaders are willing to suffer on behalf of those they lead. Poor leaders believe others exist to serve them.

KEVIN RAINS Kevin Rains is the owner of Rains CARSTAR Group with locations in Cincinnati, Ohio, West Chester, Ohio and Lexington, Ky. He is also an industry consultant and founder of Body Shop 2.0.

E M A I L : kev i n r a i n s @ g m a i l .c o m A R C H I V E : f e n d e r b e n d e r.c o m /r a i n s

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 25

KEVIN RAINS

THE BIG IDEA

• Good leaders use “We can ...”.Poor leaders say “I’m the only one who can ...”

• Good leaders tell people what they need to hear. Poor leaders tell people what they want to hear.

• Good leaders focus on actual effectiveness over time. Poor leaders focus on the appearance of effectiveness right now.

Thought provoking, right? My daughter has a sweatshirt that sums up a lot of this. It says “We > Me,” as in, “‘We’ is greater than ‘me.’” One of the first lessons that Keith, our COO, stressed to our team, is that when we talk about our accomplishments, we always, always, always say “we,” and never “I.” In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins says the best leaders look out the window to praise others when things are going well and look in the mirror when things are not going so well. The worst leaders do the opposite of that. I recently coached a leader who was feeling unappreciated by her team. She felt

that no matter how hard she tried or how much she accomplished, her boss just never praised her. The conversation meandered a bit and she talked about how she felt like the only person on her team that could really do a good job was her. She told me story after story about how her team members let her down.

Toward the end of our coaching session, I asked her if she had ever heard of the “golden rule.” The homework for her, for me, and for anyone who wants a different outcome is to first give what we want to get.

It sounds a little counterintuitive at first. But I’ve verified this over and over in my own life. If I want respect, I need to show respect. If I want kindness, the first step is to practice kindness. If I want more effort from those I lead, I have to first give more effort. In short, we get more of what we give. Try it for yourself. What do you most want? Now, do that for others for 30 days and see what happens.

How can we become the kind of leaders who others naturally want to follow?

It can be a life’s work for a leader to be both effective and humble, proficient, and vulnerable. At a minimum, we can banish the words “I” and “me” when talking about accomplishments. We can look out the window and see who else has contributed to our shop’s success. And we can look in the mirror when things aren’t going well. We can figure out how we might have contributed to a setback or a missed goal. We can also discover what we can do to turn it around.

In a sense, every day is Election Day for your shop’s leadership. People vote with their feet. If they stay with you, then they are saying you are a leader they want to follow. If people leave, well, that’s like them voting for someone else. Are you the kind of leader people want to follow? Read over that list again and see if there might be something you could do to become the obvious choice.

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The Complexities of

28 fenderbender.com | December 2020

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ADAS CALIBRATION—AND HOW TO GET YOUR SHOP READY

BY MAR AYA KING

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 29

FE ATURE

THE COMPLEXITIES OF CALIBRATION

Creating a Calibration Station

If you want to perform calibrations in your shop, you first need the square footage.

Whether you are performing static or dynamic calibrations, a dedicated space is essential and often required by most OEs as a part of their certification processes.

Static calibrations are completed via targets on the shop floor to which the vehicle’s sensors can respond. Such targets are set up surrounding the vehicle, at varying distances, to test sensors’ depth perceptions and the vehicle’s response time. Dynamic calibration, on 30 fenderbender.com | December 2020

the other hand, refers to similar processes, but the vehicle is in motion throughout the test.

Jake Rodenroth, director of OEM and industry relations for asTech, a Texasbased diagnostic center and provider, says ADAS sensors are surprisingly finicky. Even if you find an unused space large enough to set up targets around a vehicle, he says there can be unexpected sources of interference that the sensors will detect—details as minute as the type of coating used on the shop floor.

Rodenroth remembers a rare instance

A sample of systems that require calibration include: Adaptive cruise control

Blind spot detection

Collision avoidance

Automatic braking

Lane departure warning

Traffic sign recognition

Rain sensor

Tire pressure monitoring

Night detection

Driver drowsiness detection

Hill descent control

Steering angle

in which a floor’s sealant had reflective properties, throwing off calibrations.

Technicians had measured the space, confirmed the floor was completely level, and were finally ready to begin repair processes when floor reflections began toying with a vehicle’s sensors.

Rodenroth says ADAS sensors have also been known to uncover obstacles even less noticeable than a bit of glare.

Techs were trying to calibrate the sensors on a vehicle and the car refused to move in any direction, claiming there was an obstacle obstructing its view.

GET T Y

One of the most complex tasks for today’s technician is completing a vehicle’s ADAS calibration. According to the 2020 FenderBender Industry Survey, just 25 percent of responding shops said they were equipped to perform advanced driver-assistance systems calibrations. Investing in that type of ADAS work wasn’t easy at Anderson & Koch Ford in North Branch, Minn., but Scott Flom says it was well worth it. The body shop manager, who has 40 years of industry experience, says being equipped for ADAS work sets his employer apart from nearby competitors.

ADAS calibration refers to the fine tuning of the many sensors found throughout the vehicle that aid in a number of processes, from airbag deployment to lane-change assistance, to emergency braking. Calibration is necessary if the vehicle experiences a collision—regardless of the severity. If these intricate systems are not calibrated correctly, the vehicle could behave in unplanned ways, causing injury or even death. “[Calibration] sets us apart because of our training, and our quality, and our commitment to our customers,” says Flom, whose four-person body shop staff produces an annual revenue of $1.2 million. “We want to be one step above everybody else.”

AirPro Diagnostics provides scanning, programming, and calibration assistance to shops across the country. Vice president of AirPro, Chuck Olsen, says there’s a spectrum of calibration, from scanning simple features like cruise control, to the more complex. Initially, there’s baseline calibration— inspecting the liftgate, window positions, seat weight, steering angle, and tire pressure monitoring systems, all of which need to be done before more complex ADAS calibration can begin.

Despite most vehicles having features that require some sort of calibration, it remains a much-discussed yet opaque topic, due to varying terminology between OEMs, exclusively sold parts, and a generally limited amount of information available on the topic.

Getting the calibration job done right, especially when it comes to ADAS, can literally mean the difference between life and death for those inside a vehicle. With such high stakes surrounding such a complicated and relatively new service, it can be a daunting task to get your shop calibration ready.

FenderBender spoke to collision industry experts to get your questions answered.

INDOOR CALIBRATION STATION CHECKLIST FLOOR

• Very level • Neutral-toned paint • At least 4,000 square feet • Pristinely clean LIGHTS

• Adjustable LEDs • Variety of bulb tones • Sufficient height between vehicle and bulbs • Minimal shadows WA L L S

• Clean white wall • Clean black wall • Avoid warped walls

The technicians scratched their heads and walked around the empty space, unable to find the sensor’s cause for concern. He says it was later revealed that a metal beam in between the walls is what gave the sensors pause, something the technicians never saw coming.

Flom, of Anderson & Koch Ford, estimates his facility required a roughly $40,000 investment, all told, to be ready for calibrations.

“You don’t just purchase [equipment], have it all show up, and be able to calibrate the next day,” he says. “It takes time.”

But, in the end he adds, it’s money well spent.

Noting Calibration Specifications

There’s no streamlined checklist for post-collision calibration procedures.

Not only does each OEM have its own list of repairs and its own list of tools for the list of repairs, but they also vary in definition as to what sort of collision requires recalibration, says Rodenroth.

For instance, in some models, an unexpected tap on the back bumper will most likely be harmless. If the vehicle

has limited ADAS features, chances are hitting the curb while parking will not disrupt the vehicle’s cruise control capabilities, assures AirPro’s Olsen.

But for other vehicles, both new and used, a mild bump to one of the bumpers could have extreme consequences.

Checking for daily updates on repair procedures has never been more vital than it is today with vehicles’ range of selfdriving capabilities, says Olsen. What could be a little scratch for one vehicle could reset the automatic braking system in another.

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 31

FE ATURE

THE COMPLEXITIES OF CALIBRATION

Post-Calibration Procedures

One of the few topics OEMs agree on is the importance of road tests, which should be performed after a calibration is complete to ensure vehicles are back to their original state. More often than not, OEs will specify which road test—or tests—they want to run before returning a vehicle to its owner, says Rodenroth.

Road tests for ADAS calibrations vary depending on the type of calibration that was performed and the geographical location of the shop. For dynamic testing, a long stretch of straight road with a steady speed limit and no mandatory stops is ideal, says Olsen.

This can be difficult to find, especially when many luxury cars, laden with advanced driver-assistance systems, are located in major metro areas.

For static test drives, Rodenroth says that usually a closed course is preferred, where technicians can plan the route in order to ensure the repair was performed correctly and that the vehicle responds as it should. This is an especially costly type of calibration, considering the space needed to perform it, as well as the controlled environment for the test drive.

Achieving Your Preferred Calibration Certification

If your shop has the funds and the manpower, in-house calibrations are the most convenient option.

Kye Yeung, owner of European Motor 32 fenderbender.com | December 2020

Car Works, in Costa Mesa, Calif., has two calibration technicians who are trained across all five OE brands in which the shop specializes.

In order to correctly and safely calibrate vehicles, technicians must first receive their certifications from the OEM. There are various ways to attain OEM certification training, from simply buying the correct equipment to completing subscription-based online modules, to even traveling across the world and having to prove yourself to the OE. One of the more rare ways of gaining OEM calibration certification is by invitation. Mike Hubbard, head technician at European Motor Car Works, secured a sponsorship from Aston Martin. Per the requirements of the sponsorship, Hubbard has to travel to England for two weeks each year to stay up to date on the latest repair information.

“If you’re lucky enough to be selected to participate in an OE program, the tools themselves could cost a quarter million dollars,” says Yeung.

Despite the costs, Flom, the Minnesota shop manager, says being equipped to handle ADAS calibrations offers shops an advantage over competitors because it means they can effectively keep all repairs in-house.

“It’s a major benefit,” he says. “We don’t have drive time, we don’t have to worry about the sublet shop and how busy they are. … I mean, it’s a huge advantage to have control over the whole repair, versus sending it out to a sublet shop.”

But for smaller shops that can’t let their techs jet overseas for two weeks, Hubbard says there are other training options. Almost all automakers have subscription-based online repair manuals that can be accessed by technicians and engineers. Most subscriptions are offered for a daily, monthly, or yearly fee.

For $1,200 per year, shops can have year-long access to Land Rover’s repair manuals, says Hubbard, while access to Honda’s repair manual costs roughly $10 per day.

Choosing to bring calibrations in house is an expensive endeavor up front, and continual updates across tools, software, and equipment comes at a price.

“If you’re getting your [OEM calibration] certification, you just hope there are enough of those cars in your area to get a turn on investment,” Yeung warns.

THE INSURANCE NEGOTIATION Getting paid to calibrate

87% Success rate of calibration payment negotiations

Source: CollisionAdvice’s “Who Pays for What?” survey

Training modules, in tandem with repair manuals, could be the right fit for smaller shops, says Hubbard, unless a shop owner prefers to sublet his or her calibrations.

Hiring Out for Remote Calibrations

Yeung guesses there’s not a single independent shop that is able to perform calibrations across all automakers, based on the amount of time, money, and dedication that it would take. Here’s where services for remote calibration step in.

Yeung says there are two key players in the remote calibrations game: AirPro and asTech. The companies operate under the

GAMMA PHOTOGR APHY STUDIO

He says that only by checking the repair procedures on the day of the fix can techs be sure to cover all bases, handing the car back to its owner with full confidence that it’s properly repaired.

Pre-scans are essential to the calibration process, because they show which systems have been affected by bumps or more serious collisions. Rodenroth says they often identify new issues of which owners were unaware. Experts across the industry agree that post-repair scans are just as important as pre-repair scans to ensure preaccident quality. But according to the 2020 FenderBender Industry Survey, 65 percent of respondents said they do not consistently perform pre- and post-repair scans.

Of the shops that said they do perform ADAS services, however, 76 percent do.

Regardless, though, the majority (64 percent) use a third-party service for scanning services.

On the Job

At European Motor Car Works in Costa Mesa, Calif., two techs are trained to calibrate vehicles from the five OEs in which the shop specializes.

Of the 25 percent of FenderBender Industry Survey participants who said their shop is equipped to perform ADAS calibrations, that elite group has the following in common:

76%

64%

67%

87%

always perform pre- and postrepair scans

use third-party service for scanning

have at least 1 OEM certification

attend technical training at least annually

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 33

FE ATURE

THE COMPLEXITIES OF CALIBRATION

CALIBRATION PRICING Just over 2.5 percent of all appraisals in 2019 included an additional entry for calibrations— up nearly a full percentage point from 2017—with an average fee per calibration estimate line of $232, but only 40 percent of those entries were included in the original estimate, according to CCC data.

34 fenderbender.com | December 2020

as much as it can by sending PCs and laptops to its clients, says Olsen, as well as providing training and IT support; asTech provides similar services.

From Calibration to Monetization

Yeung, owner of European Motor Car Works, says one of the industry’s most heated debates right now is whether or not you can turn a profit on calibrations.

He readily acknowledges losing money performing calibrations, but believes they’re a necessity, nonetheless.

“We will continue to do [calibrations] regardless of profit or not, because of the oath we took to protect the customer,” says Yeung.

Even global repairer asTech, Rodenroth says, has yet to turn a profit from remote calibration.

“We need to understand the process, their systems, and how they work,” he says. “Understanding the importance of calibrations should come before profiting from them.”

AirPro charges an initial fee, $89 to $129, for high-end luxury vehicles. That covers the pre-repair scan and includes diagnostic trouble codes.

Any scans, modifications, or calibrations after the initial scan have additional prices, Olsen says. Rodenroth says asTech charges $119.95 for its initial scan, and an additional $50 per scan.

Yeung says one of the most convenient

features of remote calibrations is the paper trail. Most insurers will only cover repairs that they can see in print. Keeping detailed documentation of each scan and test drive for insurers means they are much more likely to cover shops’ costs.

Your Next Step

Olsen warns against smaller shops falling behind the curve if they can’t find a way to keep up with the changing landscape. But fear not, FenderBender has your next steps.

Rodenroth says asTech encourages facilities to begin by investing in calibration tools for their most-logged brands.

“If you’re primarily a Toyota facility, buy the targeting equipment for Toyotas, not Tesla,” he says.

Outfitting your shop to be able to perform calibrations is a lengthy and expensive process. But, Olsen says, at minimum, shops should be setting goals to have a space that is ADAS-ready. “‘ADAS-ready’ means the shop has the knowledge, the software and the equipment to perform calibrations,” he says.

“Even if you can’t do calibrations, get the space ready. Then you can learn from the vehicles that come in, make note of what you see the most for calibration issues and OEs,” says Olsen. “Then you can determine what you want your shop to be able to address and in turn, plan for what you can feasibly afford while staying on top of the latest trend.”

GAMMA PHOTOGR APHY STUDIO

notion that knowledge is for all, especially when the landscape of the industry is constantly changing.

Both provide pre- and post-repair scan tools, diagnostic information, calibration services, select tools, and the appropriate software to independent shops, which don’t have the means to provide their own.

Olsen says AirPro brings on shops as clients and acts as a guiding hand for technicians who are not calibration certified themselves. The steepest learning curve for technicians, he says, is learning how to manage the many software programs. The effectiveness of remote diagnostic capabilities often depends on the skill level of a shop’s technician, he says.

“You’ve got updates, logins, security measures, licensing agreements, and a whole lot more across all different computer systems—it can become very difficult very fast,” Olsen says. “For a shop to be able to do it independently and be able to bill appropriately is a challenge.”

A unique obstacle that many shops may face, even if they are capable of doing their own calibration, is a shortage of devices.

Olsen says having calibration programs from two vehicle manufacturers on the same laptop renders it useless.

“You can spend hours trying to figure out why the program isn’t working, and that’s before you can even start working on the car,” he says.

AirPro tries to shoulder that burden

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STR ATEGY

IDEA SHOP

next one-on-one meeting. Continue to plan one-on-one meetings to check in with his or her task accomplishment. It’s also important to think of how to conduct the meeting: face-to-face, phone call, or via Zoom.

PERSONAL

Meeting One on One Planning for effective individual meetings

While your shop’s daily morning meeting might be an effective way to communicate bigpicture concepts and to detail where individual repair jobs stand, meeting one on one with employees can be an effective way to handle all the issues in between.

According to Patrick Donadio, a professional communications strategist and coach, one-on-one meetings require different strategies than meetings in larger groups—a different mindset.

Instead of the golden rule, follow the platinum rule: “Treat others how they want to be treated,” he says.

Donadio is the owner of Communicating with IMPACT, which he’s owned for some 30 years. A certified speaking professional and a master certified coach, he specializes in communication coaching for companies and individuals with the aim of helping them become better communicators. Here, he talks about one-on-one meetings, and his method for improved communications.

AS TOLD TO N ATA LIE RY DE R

Getting Started with One-on-One Meetings

If your company does not currently use one-on-one meetings to open lines of communication and build trust, there is plenty of time to start. However, I think coming up with a real plan and long-term outline is key. To get the ball rolling, have a team meeting and ask your employees what they’d like to accomplish through the implementation of one-on-one meetings. Try to think of the meetings through the lens of improving the flow of communication between management and employees.

If your company already utilizes one-onone meetings, consider taking time to reevaluate how successful they are at increasing communication and task completion.

GETTY

The Mindset

I think it is important for both parties to go into the meeting with a non-judgemental mindset because it could ruin any opportunity for improvement. So, prior to going into a one-on-one meeting, a manager should make it clear to their employee that the meetings are meant to be

a conversation. Managers should hope to gain feedback from their employees and build trust. Also, don’t think of one-onone meetings as a one-time event—they are a long-term process.

IMPACT is my six-step method to better communication.

INTENTION

The big questions managers should ask themselves are, “Why am I conducting this meeting?” and, “What do I want to get out of this meeting?” There can be multiple reasons to have a meeting and multiple desired outcomes. However, it is helpful to lay out those reasons and outcomes before a one-on-one meeting, to ensure success during and after.

MESSAGE AND METHOD

Think of the message you want to convey in the meeting and how you can achieve that. Think of how to open the conversation with engaging questions, or ask your employee what they want to get out of the meeting. Think of the tasks you want your employee to complete by the

Personalities are an important factor during one-on-one meetings. It is important to follow The Platinum Rule to make employees feel comfortable. I use personality tests to better understand how my clients communicate and learn. From those tests, I know how to initiate conversations and coach them to be successful. A better understanding of how an employee works and thinks will only benefit the team as a whole.

ACTIVE

It is important to keep the other person engaged throughout the meeting. I think you should be ready with a few questions to keep them interested and engaged throughout the conversation. I take notes during my training sessions to help remember what was discussed and anticipate his or her improvement for the next meeting. Note-taking during meetings and follow-up emails of what tasks were discussed will continue the advancement of communication.

CLARIFY

At the end of a training session, I ask my clients to summarize what we discussed during the meeting. If they leave anything out of the summary, I remind them what else was said. It helps me know what they remembered the most and what needs improvement. Before the meeting is over, make sure your employees know what you expect from them going forward. As you wrap up the meeting, think to yourself, “How can I help this employee complete the tasks I have laid out?”

TRANSFORM

One-on-one meetings are not a one-time thing; they are a process that should be implemented to continue the advancement of your company. Meetings open communication if you lay out tasks to complete by the next meeting. Note-taking can help you remember to ask about certain tasks or personal updates in the next meeting to show involvement. The notes from the meeting can be included in the follow-up email to let an employee know what you took away and what you expect going forward.

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 37

STR ATEGY

SALES+MARKETING

Modern Marketing

How marketing online and in-person will increase customer growth

BY NORA JOHNSON

awareness.

Each Diversified Body and Paint Shop truck has the shop’s blue and silver logo plastered on the side as it drives around the Henderson, Colo., area. The heavy-duty truck repair shop’s website is filled with photos and videos for online visitors, and every popular social media platform has an active Diversified account.

Everything screams “Diversified,” and that’s the goal, says Wolfe, the company's vice president.

“There’s more competition now than ever, and it’s harder to reach people,” Wolfe explains. “Drivers don’t use the CB [radio] quite like they used to. Back in the 38 fenderbender.com | December 2020

day, if you had one happy customer, they jumped on the CB [radio] and told the next 10 guys about your shop.”

Because of the changing times, more effort—particularly on digital marketing—has to be made in order to bring in new customers.

“Now everybody’s on their cell phone, on Facebook, and social media,” he says.

“When drivers are in the sleeper or on a break, that’s what they’re looking at.”

Wolfe sat down with FenderBender to share how his shop has been able to reach the niche community of heavy duty truck owners through marketing.

“I still go out to the fleet to introduce myself to drivers and sell our shop, but

I'm only one person,” he says. “You can reach so many more people by using social media and marketing online.”

Master the socials.

In order to strengthen online reach, Diversified has active accounts on almost all forms of social media.

“Facebook and Instagram are the two that we really hit the hardest,” says Wolfe. “We also do quite a bit on Twitter, and we have a LinkedIn account.”

The range of accounts helps to reach potential and current customers in different forms, regardless of what platform they prefer. Spanning the gamut of accounts is also something Wolfe encourages others to

GETTY

For Danny Wolfe, it’s all about brand

snippets from inside the shop of things customers typically wouldn’t see on a normal day. The Diversified team will also send out more interactive posts to the pages as well.

“Every once in a while, we’ll throw out quizzes or we’ll do giveaways just for fun,” Wolfe explains. “We’ll ask people to like and share our post, and we’ll give away a Starbucks gift card or something.”

In keeping with the goal of not sounding too “salesy,” Wolfe says they still mention the services Diversified offers every now and again.

Take advantage of new media.

take advantage of because of the little-to-no investment—resulting in little-to-no risk.

“All of these social media sites are free ways to advertise, so we’ve really zeroed in on that,” he says.

Although having an account is free on these platforms, there are further options to increase reach that do cost a generally small amount of money.

“Every once in a while, we’ll boost a post on Facebook and Instagram to make sure it’s been seen by more people,” he explains. “But for the most part, it’s free—so, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?”

As far as what Wolfe and his team post on their social media accounts, he says it’s all about brand awareness—and less about sales.

“We try to keep it from being a sales pitch,” he says. “It’s more of just a fun way to get our logo out there, and to make sure the customer remembers our name and our faces.”

Wolfe suggests posting interesting

“Google wants as much of your website and media to be connected, and the more you have the more likely they are to share your page first organically,” Wolfe explains.

He picked up this SEO tip through his cousin who works in the field, and it’s the reason Diversified jumped on YouTube over seven years ago.

“We did it right as YouTube was kind of becoming a big part of business,” says Wolfe. “From the conversations with my cousin about what he’s seeing in the market, he had mentioned to me that YouTube was going to be the next big thing.”

As of now, Diversified has videos on everything from truck alignment and suspension, to body repair and fabrication, to refinishing.

Beyond putting the videos on the shop’s website, Wolfe says the videos play in the shop’s waiting room for current customers.

Diversified Body and Paint also repairs RVs, and the team goes to trade shows throughout the year to market that service.

They take this opportunity to stream the videos on a TV behind the shop’s booth for a further reach.

“You may have a customer who knows you do RV repair, but also has an uncle with a semi-truck who didn’t know we also did that [heavy-duty truck repair],” Wolfe says.

Target all content.

Successfully marketing specifically to the heavy duty truck industry is difficult, far more than general collision repair, considering a majority of the population has a car, and the same can not be said for the particular market of HDT. In order to ensure that the posts from Diversified hit the correct target market, Wolfe leans on his current customers.

“When we make a post or pay for a boost on an ad, we can target just the people that already follow our pages,” says Wolfe. “I don’t have 10,000 likes, but because the 600 people that liked my page are all either customers, people related to them, or people in the industry, we can target that way.”

When boosting a post on Facebook, the audience of “those who like the page and their friends” can be selected. Since most individuals have friends on social media in the same industry as them, this marketing tactic will reach those people as well.

Social media isn’t the full marketing answer, though; Wolfe says the heavyduty truck repair industry still has challenges with reaching the niche audience.

“The sad thing is, that even when you’re setting up your Facebook or Google page, there isn’t a ‘commercial truck repair’ [industry] option. It’s automotive or auto body repair or automotive,” he says. “So that’s why you’ve got to have somebody on the street as well, to target just those people.”

Implement a marketing budget.

Although most social media marketing is free, heavy-duty truck repair shops should still have a marketing budget.

That way, allocated funds can be used to further expand the brand.

“We typically put a budget together at the end of each year,” says Wolfe.

This year will be a bit different for Diversified, considering it recently moved into a new location, and more marketing will have to be done throughout the year to communicate that change and attract new customers.

“Because of the move to the new building and redoing the website, it’s going to be more expensive this year,” he explains.

“On average [our budget] is about 10 percent, but we were probably more around 7 percent or 8 percent last year.”

Wolfe and his team are able to have a lower budget because of the marketing and SEO connections they have in the family, but newer businesses with fewer connections should allocate more to their budget.

“We’ve been in business for 30 years this year already,” he says. “So it’s going to be different for the guy that’s just started— for five years, he’s going to spend more.”

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 39

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COLUMNS

PROCESS DRIVEN R YA N C R O P P E R

Staying Motivated in an ‘Off’ Year Apply recently learned lessons to go strong into 2021

FUE VANG, GETTY

Obviously, 2020 has been an off year.

It’s been tough to keep my fire going because all the normal things that keep it lit—my 20 Group meetings, charity events, meals with the team, travel—have been put on hold.

And even though we up in Alaska have been social distancing for the last 150 years, sometimes we need to get out.

I’d normally head to the lower-48 at least once per month, but my only business trip was in January (I missed half the trip because of a charity event, go figure).

The change shows up in my numbers.

I spent $27,000 on travel in 2019, and this year, I’ve spent $5,000. It would have been less had a couple of my guys not travelled for some work. It’s not that leaving Anchorage is an issue, but it would be the quarantine on the way back in.

I thrive on face-to-face interactions.

I’ve sat through some Zoom calls—with emphasis on the sitting—and it’s just not the same. Whenever I head to industry events I come home energized, with pages of notes and a head full of ideas.

One of the ways that I made it through the summer, keeping my fire lit, was through tackling a huge project. Late last year I started negotiations to purchase the largest shop in town, a 27,000-square-foot facility, and we closed on it in late March. That was the same day the city announced it was shutting down due to COVID. The plan was to open the new shop, my fourth, and have all the shops operational

throughout the summer, and then to close my original shop come fall. Instead, there was no rush to get the new shop going and we were able to remodel, switch over the phones, at a less hectic pace. It helped occupy the first several months of shutdown, keep it motivated, keep it different.

As fall changed to winter, the fire needed stoking again. Early on as a shop owner someone told me something that I still think is true: It’s lonely at the top.

I’ve found I have a significant need to talk to other shop owners, just because they’re the people you can lean on, you can really vent to them. They’ve lived the life I live and the career I’m going through. If I have a bad day, I can’t really lean on my employees or my family, because they don’t have those same experiences. It’s taken its toll.

I depend on my 20 Group, Business Council No. 1 with Mike Anderson, and this past year has only proven that to me

more. We travel all over to meet in major metros—it’s not a country club, we’re just looking for easy flights—and at those meetings I boil down my business and compare it to what everybody else is doing.

I started in the industry young and didn’t know what I was doing. When I got into a 20 Group it was just, “Holy cow”— in short order I knew so much and I had a leg up on the rest of the collision repair industry in Alaska.

One of my recent 20 Group calls started with a call to action that should carry over well into 2021: “Shake this COVID crap off you and let’s have a good meeting!”

I’ve already been through 9/11 and the 2008 recession, so for these latest challenges, we’ll make it through and I think we’ll be stronger. Keep leaning on your 20 Group, take on projects to keep the fire lit, and link up with like-minded people to share ideas and motivation when it’s possible again—we’ll make 2021 an “on” year.

RYA N C R O P P E R is the owner of Able Body Shop, with four locations in Anchorage, Alaska, and Total Truck Accessory Center.

E M A I L : r c r o p p e r @ ab l e b o d y s h o p .c o m

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 41

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STR ATEGY

CASE STUDY

TIME TO CHANGE

How one shop owner found time to reach goals

BY GABE HOLZMER PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEFFEN HARRIS

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 43

STR ATEGY

CASE STUDY

“Time management is really a big thing for me, because I still work back in the shop,” says Andy Powell, owner of Andy’s Auto Body Collision Repair, Inc., in Vandalia, Ill. “I still have to write estimates, I still answer the phone,” he says. “I have to be efficient with my time.”

Powell is also concerned with how he appears relative to the time he has.

“I don’t want to seem rushed with a customer,” he says.

When there can be so little time during the course of a normal business day— without the pressures of larger goals and projects—how does someone as attuned to his time, like Powell, make the bigger-picture things happen, when there’s so little time to spare?

44 fenderbender.com | December 2020

New Focus Shop owner Andy Powell recently doubled down on collision repair, noting that while he turns away work, he says his shop has become more efficient at collision repair work.

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 45

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STR ATEGY

CASE STUDY

Stay on Schedule Shop owner Andy Powell says planning ahead, like making sure he has the correct single-use fasteners laid out for a particular repair, can mean big time savings.

The Backstory

With some 30 years in the collision repair industry, Powell aimed to take on a number of challenges in quick succession: bringing his son into the business, moving his shop, and doubling down on only doing collision repair work, with the aim of making more money.

The Problem

Where to find the time for all that? Again, time is always on Powell’s mind, and it’s baked into every interaction he has with his customers.

“There’s a door that goes out to the shop with a window, and I always see people looking out there, and I tell them, ‘You can look!’” he says. “They always comment on how clean and organized everything is, we always try to line everything

up so they can find their car. Everything I do, I try to be efficient with.”

The Solution

To get his son up to speed so he could be involved with the shop, Powell says it was all about schooling.

“When he was in high school, I had him taking I-CAR classes online, and then that summer he came to work for me,” he says. “During that first year when he worked for me, that’s when we took all our I-CAR classes. We got the Gold Class done in a year … and now we push each other to set little goals, here and there. That was a big deal.”

While that educational headstart was big, Powell is also about finding time in the margins during the day, to lose as little time as possible.

When he’s servicing a vehicle, Powell is careful to note not only what is going to be replaced, but also the surrounding parts. If it’s a bumper, for example, he likes to make certain that the correct single-use fasteners are in stock before starting work.

“It seems like it’s slow in the beginning when a car gets here, but I try to be real precise with our disassembly and doing our research on what we can reuse or what we’re going to need,” Powell says.

“So we know if there is a bracket or there’s a grill emblem or something else, and if we’re efficient about it at the very beginning and we get all our parts, we’re not going to have the car in the shop as long.”

The Aftermath

There isn’t much use in working on things in which you're not interested.

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 47

STR ATEGY

CASE STUDY

Powell made sure to keep that in mind when he moved to his new location and made a slight rebranding as Andy’s Auto Body Collision Repair Inc. He wanted to make it clear that the shop was focused only on collision repair— and it is.

“I turn away a lot of work,” he says.

“We don’t fix a lot of rust anymore, we haven’t even sprayed any single-stage paint in the new shop. All I concentrate on is collision repair, we’re getting super efficient at that. We make better money at collision work.”

Time Keeper Andy Powell, owner of Andy’s Auto Body Collision Repair Inc., says he finds himself doing jobs throughout his shop, from manning the phone to writing estimates. “I have to be efficient with my time,” he says.

The Takeaway

Powell says he knows it’s important to keep his attention on where he wants to improve. By laser-focusing on only collision repair, his shop is still bringing in work, but he’s also got the time to keep up to date on what’s new in the industry.

“We don’t fix cars the way we did five years ago,” Powell says. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years and I’m still learning.”

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STR ATEGY

CUSTOMER SERVICE

The No-Hold Guide to Answering the Phone

Give customers top-tier service, even over the phone

BY MAR AYA KING

cars, they get even more phone calls.

There are lots of reasons someone phones a repair shop—a quick question or to seek advice—but most often the call is out of necessity because the caller has been in an accident.

Should that caller be quickly put on hold, that potential customer could turn into a dial tone. The team coordinator for customer service relations at Paap Auto Body, in Coles County, Ill., Malinda Calhoun-Hurt, says compassion is key.

A customer relations savant, Calhoun-Hurt is new to the automotive 50 fenderbender.com | December 2020

industry—she joined Paap Auto Body in January—but a veteran on the phone.

Her previous position as an executive assistant working at an area chamber of commerce gave her the professionalism, business tools, and human resource experience that she needs to shine as an administrator.

One of the first lessons she learned transitioning into the collision repair industry was that regardless of who calls, first and foremost, you want to make sure everyone is safe.

“Some people have never been in an accident before, it can be scary and

they need to know—you’re there to help,” she says.

She built on that first lesson, asking techs lots of questions and conducting her own research after calls. With knowledge and comfort came confidence, and now Calhoun-Hurt has a way of operating on the shop phone that puts callers at ease, all while ensuring they remain up to date and informed about what’s happening to their vehicle.

Answer with care.

There are cardinal rules for answering phone calls that bear repeating:

GETTY

If collision repair shops receive a lot of

DON’T PHONE IT IN—EASY CHANGES FOR IMPROVING YOUR CALLS WITH CUSTOMERS INSTE AD OF:

“Can I put you on hold?”

“Do you mind holding while I check on that?”

TRY:

“I’m not sure, I would have to transfer you.”

INSTE AD OF:

“I’m not sure off the top of my head, but I can find out for you.”

TRY:

“No, sorry, we do not provide that service.”

INSTE AD OF:

“Unfortunately, we do not offer those services, but I can get you in contact with someone who does.”

TRY:

INSTE AD OF:

“I’m not sure what

you mean…”

TRY:

“Could you rephrase that for me?”

INSTE AD OF:

“Can I call you right back?”

“I am going to find out; can I call you back in X minutes?”

TRY:

INSTE AD OF:

“Talk to you next time!”

“If there’s ever anything I can do to help you, here is my email address.”

TRY:

answering with a smile is always the right move, Calhoun-Hurt says. Customers can detect boredom on the other end of the line just as easily as they can detect frustration. And answering with a smile is not only inviting, but also calming, especially when someone is in a stressful situation.

Clearly stating your name and the name of your company is also common practice when answering a call. It’s equally important to learn the customer’s name. By repeating their name, they know they are being heard and cared for on a personal level, she says.

Once you introduce yourself and make sure the caller is not in immediate danger or needing medical assistance, says Calhoun-Hurt, it’s time to get to work.

Keep customers informed.

Calhoun-Hurt says she does a little bit of everything in the front office at Paap Auto Body. She begins her day by printing out a report that shows the state of all vehicles the shop has on site. This allows her to see how far along the repairs are for each car, so she can give customers not only prompt updates, but also accurate ones.

“I follow up with customers about every day or so,” she says, “I want to make sure they know what is going on with their vehicle and let them know we haven’t forgotten about them.”

Many who call Paap Auto Body are dealing with their first accidents. Calhoun-Hurt says filing a claim can be both daunting and tedious for people who are already shaken by what’s occurred.

“I really try to help them through the process in whatever way I can,” she says. “They file a claim, I help them get an estimate, I help them figure out how they’re going to pay for the repairs or if they are turning it over to insurance, I contact the company for them to see what their processes are.”

Most of Calhoun-Hurt’s day is spent on the phone and that’s why she says it’s important to be transparent with customers. She says giving regular updates to customers and insurers is no small task, but it reassures all parties that they’re a priority and that their work is being done.

Avoid putting customers on hold.

Sitting on hold can be frustrating. At Paap Auto Body, Calhoun-Hurt says she does everything she can to streamline the call process and avoid missteps that could cost the shop business.

“I try to answer all questions to the best of my abilities before transferring them to anyone. It can get frustrating being transferred a ton of times,” she says.

Recently, she picked up a new system that allows her to learn along the way.

When customers call with questions that Calhoun-Hurt doesn’t know how to answer, she walks over to the bestequipped person in the shop and asks them to explain it. Once she understands it inside and out, she calls back the customer and relays the information. Not only does this save time for the shop workers on the floor, but also the customer’s time. In turn, customers get the best possible service by having complicated topics broken down by someone trained in communication.

“When they ask a question I don’t know [the answer to], it helps me with the next customer,” says CalhounHurt. “If I transfer them, I never find out the answer.”

December 2020 | fenderbender.com 51

COLUMNS

OUTSIDE THE LINES JASON BOGGS

Rebuild Respect

It’s high time we’re paid for what we do

umn, you might remember that, a few months ago, I wrote a list of 10 wishes for our industry. Well, this month, I’m feeling a little feisty, so, if you’ll bear with me, I’m going to go on a little bit of a rant about a couple of those wishes: one, to see the labor rates increase, and two, to see the industry get the respect it deserves.

There’s a reason those two are still “wishes” and not reality, and the reason for that falls squarely on the shoulders of you and me. That might sound provocative, but I hope that you’ll let this column serve as a mirror as I poke, prod and, hopefully, inspire you to be the genie that makes these two wishes come true for your company.

It goes without saying that raising the labor rate for our industry is long overdue. In fact, I’m reminded of something my mom used to tell me when I was a kid, “wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills faster.” The lesson there? It’s not going to happen without us working at it. If we aren’t asking for a higher labor rate, it will never happen.

Now, if you know me well, you know our shop is not a DRP-driven shop, so you might think that is the reason I can ask for higher labor rates since I don’t have the DRP contracts tying my hands. That’s not the case, though— and it shouldn’t be for you, either. I can tell you I’ve been encouraged by some friends in the industry who have written letters to their DRP partners notifying them that posted rates are going up in their company. Some insurance companies have responded positively to those letters over the years. A DRP contract doesn’t limit your ability to make a request.

Asking questions is the most direct way to get results. Insurance companies are excellent at asking us for things they want. They ask us to accept their labor rate all the time. It’s time to speak up and do some of the asking ourselves.

52 fenderbender.com | December 2020

You’d be surprised at the answers you get when you keep asking. Refuse to stop until you get the answer you want; persistence almost always pays off.

You might have noticed that this year has provided the opportunity to discuss claims over the phone with people with whom we’ve never interacted. It seems they’re instructed to just follow the company line of what they’re “allowed” to pay for and what they’re told to deny.

I have found that an extra few minutes on the phone with these agents can be very profitable. If we refuse to agree to a labor rate and explain why we are asking for a higher rate, we’ve found their response often moves from, “that’s as high as I’m authorized to pay” to, “I guess I can go to ‘X’ this one time.”

Another way to get paid more for the same job is to start billing in dollars.

Any new operation we do here—like ADAS calibrations, for instance—we bill in dollars. Why? Because that is what the market is doing. If you send your vehicle to a dealer, they bill you in dollars. If you have a third party do the calibration, they bill you in dollars. Why should we be different and bill in time? I could write for days about why it’s a bad idea to bill in time, but I’m asking you to trust me on this one.

The reason I take that extra few minutes on the phone is that I have a high level of respect for our industry and, specifically, for the tasks our technicians perform every day. Have you ever

stopped to think about everything a collision tech is capable of doing compared to other techs in the automotive industry? Here’s just a short list of the things a collision tech can change: oil and filter, brakes, starter, alternator, spark plugs, exhaust, etc. The same insurance companies we deal with pay much higher rates to companies who “only” perform those procedures. But our techs can weld quarter panels, blend three stage pearls, and so much more, all of which proves how highly and uniquely skilled they are. Those skills deserve our respect and the labor rate should show that respect.

Sadly, it’s clear that respect from others in the industry won’t be given and will need to be earned. But we can’t earn that respect until we respect ourselves and our peers. I’ll give you a visual to illustrate the importance. Imagine if you were selling a 1963 split window Corvette. You know that vehicle is unique—it was only made that one year—so you’d naturally be offended if someone offered you far lower than market value for that ’63 Vette, right? Why should our techs be any different? We should have the respect for our industry and the teams we’ve assembled. We need to start showing that respect by demanding a fair return for our services.

It’s time that higher labor rates and respect for our industry move from wishes to reality. It starts with me and you, and it should start today.

JASON BOGGS is the owner of Boggs Auto Collision Rebuilders in Woodbury, N.J. He has attended the Disney Institute and Discover Leadership, and has studied lean manufacturing processes.

E M A I L : j a s o n @b o g g s au t o .c o m A R C H I V E : f e n d e r b e n d e r.c o m / b o g g s

FUE VANG

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