crash magazine q1 2013

Issue 1 March 2013

Zurich

AA

Admiral

Churchill

AXA Direct L

ine CIS

ARE ALL YOUR EGGS IN ARE ALL YOUR EGGS IN ARE ALL YOUR EGGS IN ARE ALL YOUR EGGS IN

ONE BASKET?ONE BASKET?ONE BASKET?ONE BASKET?

Issue 1 Quarter 1 Crash 2 Designed by www.MediaAngelus.com

The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust

Special Holidays for Special Children

“The Children's Adventure Farm Trust is a magical, special place where laughter and happy times are encouraged, friendships blossom, illnesses

and sorrows forgotten. A world of caring can make a world of difference.”

Collision Solutions is proud to support this very special charity which is

based in the Cheshire countryside. They have lots of fun, fund raising events such as Fire Walking, Golf Days, Tandem Sky Dive and much, much

more. Why not take a look at their site and see what you and your company

fancy taking part in.


THE ‘CRASH’ NEWSLETTER

GETS A

NEW LOOK!

Welcome to the new look for the Collision Solutions Crash Newsletter, as you can see we have turned it into a magazine with news, articles, offers and guest writers. With so much happening within the industry at the moment and from the feedback that I get from many bodyshops, things are quiet all round at the moment so we hope you find our marketing article useful. On a more positive note, we think it is great news that the OFT has referred the Private Motor Insurance industry to the Competitions Commission and you can read more on this on P… as well as reaction from some of our Bodyshop Clients. Continuing on a positive note, Collision Solutions has achieved an overall 99% Excellent feedback rating on customer service standards from our end users we thought that it would be a good idea to survey bodyshops to see what you think of us and what we can do to help you. You will receive an email in the next couple of weeks with a link to the survey which we hope you will take part in. It is all confidential and you are not identified so please feel free to be honest in your opinions and suggestions for improvements. We also have our Mid-March madness offer where you can win an i-Pad and a Spot the Difference for you to have fun with during your well earned tea break. If you would like your Bodyshop to feature in the next issue then please get in contact with me at [email protected] Enjoy your read! Jim Cullen, Collision Solutions Ltd.


MID - MARCH MADNESS

SPECIAL OFFER

BACK DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND

Our iPad Offer

Just send Collision Solutions

4

11th March & 15th April

and get rewarded

with an iPad

Un-Roadworthy Jobs between


NAME: Claire Hadden

POSITION: Accounts

Co-ordinator

LENGTH OF SERVICE: 8 Years

DREAM CAR: Audi R8

FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION: Zante

FAVOURITE TV PROGRAMME: Criminal Minds/CSI

FAVOURITE DRINK: Gin & Tonic

FAVOURITE FOOD: Pasta

FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB:

Closing files once settlement has been agreed

LEAST FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB:

Chasing clients for VAT payments

We thought that it was about time that you met some of the team and

rather than the usual boring blurb, we thought that we would do a

60 Second Interview so we have picked three members of staff who

we thought that you would like to me

and find out a little more about.

60 SECOND INTERVIEW


By Jim Cullen

The RMI’s National Association of Bodyshops (NAB) submission to the Competition Commission concerning the private motor insurance market investigation and has now been published on the Commission’s website The Competition Commission held the investigation following a market study by the Office of Fair Trading. The study gave reasonable grounds for suspecting that there are features of the market that prevent, restrict or distort competition. The NAB were involved in this market study, providing evidence collated from their members which suggested certain motor insurance companies take part in aggressive business and tax practices. Many NAB members provided comprehensive evidence for the submission to the Competition Commission. NAB say they will continue to play a pivotal role in briefing the Office of Fair Trading and Competition Commission as further evidence emerges on matters that affect the market. The outcome of the inquiry will help shape the future of the entire body repair industry. The Competition Commission expects to publish their provisional findings in September 2013 Following the provisional findings, there will be further steps in the process, which may include more hearings with some parties. The statutory deadline for the investigation is 27 September 2014. With this in mind, I asked some repairers around the country what their thoughts were regarding this report and will it help in capturing some of the work that, in the last few years, they have been unable to convert?

COMPETITION

COMMISSION INVESTIGATION


"As an Insurance approved bodyshop, we benefit from insurance approved work however people have been advised (Where we are not the approved repairer) to go elsewhere because of additional excesses and pressure over warranties. Even to the extent that they have been told their premiums may be affected if they choose to have their vehicle repaired elsewhere" Pas 125 Bodyshop. South East. "Anything that can be done to retain my old customers who have been forced away to these insurance approved bodyshops can only help old established bodyshops like ourselves" Dave Dockray. Dockray & Wealands. "I can’t see anything changing as I believe the insurance companies have become too powerful" Richard HR Motors. "I don’t think anything will change as a result of this report unless new legislation is brought in" Mike Evans. MD Vehicle Services "It’s definitely a step in the right direction. Customers should be made aware that it’s their car, their insurance policy and their choice as to where they have their own vehicle repaired without the bully boy tacticks of their insurer.” Mark Slaney. Bodymatters, Stafford. Well the Jury’s out. Only time will tell, however do not expect a quick resolution as the report is not due to be published until September 2014. Links to the full details of the ‘Statement of Issues’ are below: http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/assets/competitioncommission/docs/2012/private-motor-insurance-market-investigation/issues_statement_final_version.pdf http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/assets/competitioncommission/docs/2012/private-motor-insurance-market-investigation/update_to_issues_statement_v5_housestyled.pdf


JUST FOR FUN

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE!

Can you spot the differences between the two pictures? There are 9 to find.

DID YOU KNOW? That over 90% of Collisions fleet of vehicles is less than six months old with more new vehicles due in on the 1st March. Vehicle recently added to the fleet is the new Range Rover Vogue 'Red', the New 2013 Ford Ranger crew-cab pickup. We have all major makes of cars to suit all needs to offer the client a flawless transition back to the road.

Ministry of Justice sets RTA fixed costs at £500

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that revised fixed recoverable costs for the Road Traffic Accident scheme will start at just £500

NUTS & BOLTS


NAME: Colin Williams

POSITION: Driver LENGTH OF SERVICE: 3 Years DREAM CAR: Audi FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION: Florida FAVOURITE TV PROGRAMME: Only Fools and Horses FAVOURITE DRINK: Coffee FAVOURITE FOOD: Jam Butties FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB: Meeting Clients LEAST FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB: Traffic PET HATE: Bad Drivers

In the second of our 60 Second Interviews we have chosen Colin

our driver and as you can see from his photo, he has a lot of fun at work.

60 SECOND INTERVIEW


Ouch!

Rowan Atkinson's insurance company have had to payout over £900,000 to repair his McLaren F1, making it the biggest car insurance bill ever recorded in Britain.

The star sustained a shoulder injury when he crashed the car into a tree, this is the second time that the star has crashed the car. The 240mph McLaren car spent over a year in McLaren's Woking base being repaired by technicians. The total bill for the repair came to £910,000, which is three times as much as the previous record-holding insurance payout in 2010 by Aviva

Rowan Atkinson bought the car in 1997 for £640,000 and the unnamed insurance company authorised the repair work as the F1's value has increased dramatically since then. One similar model in perfect condition sold for £3.5 million last year.

Ooh La La!

‘Darling, I won’t be long - just popping to the supermarket!’

When Frank Lecerf drove off to do his weekly supermarket shop in northern France, he had not expected a 125 mile journey at high speed into Belgium or to be on national television. The 36-year-old started the two mile trip when his Renault Laguna which had been adapted for disabled drivers jammed at 125mph (200km/h) and the brakes failed and he found himself hurtling along a vast stretch of motorway. Police were alerted to the problem and arranged for toll barriers to be raised to allow safe passage and finally the car ran out of fuel and Frank Lecerf swerved the car into a ditch near Alveringem in Begium. He has now filed a legal complaint against Renault through his lawyers for ‘Endangerment of Life’. Frank Lecerf said that it wasn't the first time his speed dial had jammed but that Renault had looked at the car and assured him that it was fine.


Do YOU need to attract MORE business?

In this day and age customers no longer ‘just walk’ though the door and it gets harder to attract customers to your business regardless of whether you are a small local/regional company or a large national. The only difference is the budget between the large national and small business. However with a little vision and effort the smaller business can achieve an awful lot even with a small budget. Media Angelus have launched a range of Small Business Marketing Assessment packs, where for a small fee they will visit your company, look at your current methods of attracting customers and give you a report along with ideas on how you can attract more business within your budget. The more comprehensive pack includes sample letters, press contacts and the production of a quarterly newsletter for you to either email out or have ready to take to your printers.

NEED HELP - THEN GIVE THEM A CALL!


ARE ALL YOUR EGGS

IN ONE BASKET? Do you rely too much on insurance work? Then maybe it is time to look at other options to bring in work to your bodyshop. We asked our marketing consultant Sarah Cooper-Williams to look at other markets that are potential customers and how to tackle them.

OPEN UP NEW MARKETS

In this edition we look at two sectors where you could gain business from with just a little bit of effort.

THE COMPANY/FLEET A market sector neglected by most established bodyshops and yet one which, if cultivated, can produce a regular flow of insurance and non-insurance work throughout the year. The term company/fleet in this context encompasses small businesses with only a couple of vehicles through to multinationals with a local presence, local rental companies, professionals (doctors practices, accountants, solicitors, vets, etc), local authorities and government organisations such as NHS, police and fire services. One small/medium bodyshop in the Midlands, for example, has for the past ten years dealt with an average of five jobs a week from a local county council, who has a relatively small owned fleet but hundreds of staff with leased cars. How to tackle the market Insurance work: While some businesses will simply leave it to their Insurance company to deal with it, many see the advantages of forming a working relationship with a local bodyshop – the convenience and the ease of following up any subsequent problems. Many of the larger companies are, of course, self-insured and so are not open to pressure on where repairs are carried out. Non insurance work: This, of course, is wide open and can range from new livery to repair work.


BROKERS Despite comparison sites many people still use a local Insurance Broker for obtaining car insurance, many of whom, when involved in an accident will contact the broker rather than the insurance company direct. This is a market well worth cultivating to gain business from as once you have built up a relationship with the local broker(s) they are more likely to refer or recommend you to their clients as you are local to them. Defining the market: Create a simple database, obtaining information from, for example, Yellow Pages, local newspapers, online directories and so on – not forgetting local knowledge, of course! This is an ongoing job, requiring quite a lot of time to start with but then only needing perhaps an hour a week to maintain and grow. It is unlikely that you will get all the required information initially, but the more information you can obtain such as name of contact, their phone number and email address will all help you to run effective marketing campaigns. Once the database has started to take shape you should use the info to phone and make some appointments to visit. The purpose of the visits is to start to form a business relationship and to obtain more information – useful contacts, fleet size and so on – and to make them aware of the services you can offer. The purpose of the visit is NOT to close a sale, but to OPEN a relationship!


It is suggested that the person responsible for this sets aside a half a day or one day a week to visit customers and prospects – and perhaps cold call businesses spotted while out. It is useful to have a printed flyer/brochure to leave with the prospect – along with a business card. Having made the initial effort it is necessary to remind your prospective customer from time to time that you are still around! They may be genuinely keen to put business your way when you first meet, but six months or even six weeks later they may forget all about you. You should therefore make contact with them regularly to remind them. This can be done by means of mailshots, promotional letters, etc., and of course email flyers – inexpensive and effective, if you have the right details. If you do not feel that you have the know how to do promotional literature then use an outside company such as Media Angelus, the costs are less than you may think and well worth the return on investment.

Mar 17 Australian Grand Prix 06:00

Mar 24 Malaysia Grand Prix 08:00 Apr 14 Chinese Grand Prix 08:00

Apr 21 Bahrain Grand Prix 13:00

May 12 Spanish Grand Prix 13:00

May 26 Monaco Grand Prix 13:00 Jun 9 Canadian Grand Prix 19:00

Jun 30 British Grand Prix 13:00

Jul 7 German Grand Prix 13:00

Jul 28 Hungarian Grand Prix 13:00

Aug 25 Belgian Grand Prix 13:00 Sep 8 Italian Grand Prix 13:00

Sep 22 Singapore Grand Prix 13:00

Oct 6 Korean Grand Prix 07:00

Oct 13 Japanese Grand Prix 07:00

Oct 27 Indian Grand Prix 09:30 Nov 3 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 13:00

Nov 17 United States Grand Prix 19:00

Nov 24 Brazilian Grand Prix 16:00

F1 CALENDAR - 2013


BODYSHOP OWNER BOB

MCLAREN SPEAKS OUT

AGAINST INSURANCE

COMPANIES

Bob McLaren owner of McLaren Auto Body in Loanhead, just outside Edinburgh claims that insurance companies are forcing garages to cut corners, putting drivers at risk. McLaren also claims that garages may be forced to use second-hand parts rather than fit new ones and to repair parts which, according to the manufacturer’s guidelines, should really be replaced. "Many insurance companies refuse to pay for things such as wheel alignment and electrical system resets. The pressure to cut costs was having a seriouseffect on his own business. “I used to have 15 staff, now I’m down to six. He is not alone as according to the (ABP) Auto Body Professionals Club, 150 body shops in the UK are going out of business every month. The National Association of Bodyshops estimate that there are now only 2,500 bodyshops in the UK compared to between 3,500 and 4,000 two years ago. The Director-General of the VBRA has been quoted as saying "Many drivers were being bullied by insurance companies. The customer should be allowed to choose where he has his car repaired. Most insurance companies bully their customers into having their cars repaired where it suits the insurance company – which is the cheapest.” Channel 4 Dispatches programme in January revealed that some car manufacturers have concerns also with Volvo warning buyers of new cars that they may not be aware that insurance companies are reducing costs by having non-genuine parts fitted or panels repaired rather than replaced, which may compromise the car’s safety integrity. Fiat said of the situation “Most insurers want to repair your car as cheaply as possible. Insurance companies may not adhere to Fiat repair standards and could avoid using Fiat genuine parts. This will affect a vehicle’s resale value and safety.” Whilst the Association of British Insurers said insurance companies strongly disputed the claims made by McLaren and Channel 4, the OFT have referred the motor insurance industry to the Competitions Commission after finding evidence that insurers compete in a ‘dysfunctional’ way.


And for our third 60 Second Interview we have Stacey - well we

thought we had, however all attempts to get a photo of Stacey

have failed so we thought we would show you her desk instead.!

60 SECOND INTERVIEW

NAME: Stacey May

POSITION: Claims Advisor

LENGTH OF SERVICE: 4-5 years

DREAM CAR: Maserati Birdcage

FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION: Maldives

FAVOURITE DRINK: Cocktails

FAVOURITE FOOD: Chicken Salad

FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB: Getting an admission of liability when liability is disputed

nothing better than a satisfied client!

LEAST FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB: Paperwork

PET HATES: There really is too many to list

Editor “ Well we know one - having her photo

taken!”


ARE WOMEN A SPECIAL

CASE FOR TREATMENT?

Steph Savill runs a motoring club for women and a marketing services business for

genuinely female friendly garages. She thinks that there is a strong business case for

treating women differently from men.

How did it all start, well Steph set up FOXY Lady Drivers Club in 2005 with her husband

after her daughter had a bad garage experience and was sent off with a dangerous car.

In 2008 she set up FOXY Choice to identify, monitor and promote the best female friendly

UK garages for women; so they can see what makes them head and shoulders better than

the rest.

So what makes a female friendly garage?

Steph thinks that a female friendly garage is one that has clearly gone that extra mile to

make sure that women feel welcome when they visit. She also likes to see women in the

business because they are likely to represent the female motorist's best interests and be-

cause women tend to trust women more than men in what they see as a man's world.

How can you as a garage or bodyshop be seen as more female friendly?

Start by seeing your business through female eyes! Most women are naturally busy,

increasingly short of time, juggling everyday family, home and career roles. The car is

probably the lifeline for day-to-day tasks and anything that can get them back on the

road fast is viewed as vital, whether it is a drop and shop service or a courtesy car whilst

theirs is in for repair or service.

To find out more about FOXY Choice's female friendly marketing subscription services visit

www.foxychoice.com. To contact Steph Savill direct email her at [email protected].


In this issue of CRASH we talk to Garry Holt, director of Newcoat Garage Solutions Ltd and ask him about his bodyshop and the changes he has seen in the industry over the past few years. Name of Bodyshop: Newcoat Garage Solutions Limited Person Interviewed: Garry Holt Position: Director Contact Details: 2 Cooper Street, Dukinfield, Cheshire SK16 4JB. Tel: 0161 330 3888 How long have you been in business?

16 years self-employed and 10 years prior to this employed What makes your Bodyshop special?

Attention to detail No Compromise on quality Cleanliness and general appearance of the Bodyshop Friendly, professional staff Many years of experience

Where does the majority of your work come from?

Word of mouth Recommendations Insurance work (60%)

What methods do you use to market your services/bodyshop?

Website Leaflets


What changes have you seen in the industry since you first started the business?

No change with labour rates except mechanical Customers are more knowledgeable and expect more Too many changes to regulations

What are the good points about this industry in your opinion?

In the present climate – not many! (Closures etc.) And what are the bad points?

Poor financial climate Too many changes in regulations and ways the repair should be done (mostly by people not doing the job every day) Insurance companies squeezing too tight causing closures of Bodyshops

With recent changes to the referral fees that will come into force on 1st April, how do you see this affecting you (if at all)?

Yet another loss to business turnover! Why do you use Collision Solutions Ltd?

After using many other non-fault companies we have found Collision Solutions to be friendly, professional, always reliable and efficient in their work

Is there anything that you would like to see change in the industry?

More appreciation of the work involved by customers and insurance companies Better labour rates that are closer to mechanical rates More respect for the profession in general


Dewan Industrial Estate

York Avenue

Helmshore

Rossendale

Lancashire

BB4 4JG

Freephone: 0800 093 8441

Fax: 01706 227773

Email: [email protected]

www.collisionsolutions.co.uk

crash magazine q1 2013

Documents

collision solutions

crash newsletter

pasta favourite

madness special offer

special children

special place

special charity

new look