hammer & dolly july 2014
DESCRIPTION
Official Publication of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA)TRANSCRIPT
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Fail-Proof Your Estimating Process & Write to Perfection - page 44
www.wmaba.com
July 2014Volume 8
No. 7$5.95
3July 2014
COVER: ©thinkstockphoto.com/vetkit/Christophe BOISSON
THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
©thinkstockphoto.com/vetkit/Christophe BOISSON
©thinkstockphoto.com/moodboard
©thinkstockphoto.com/Ingram Publishing
©thinkstockphoto.com/Darko Novakovic
DEPARTMENTS6 Calendar of Events
10 Editor’s MessageJOEL GAUSTEN
12 President’s MessageDON BEAVER
18 Letter to the Editor
48 Vendor CornerSCOTTIE DAVIS
50 What’s WMABA Up To?
52 Executive Director’sMessage JORDAN HENDLER
54 Advertisers Index
32
BY JOEL GAUSTEN
CONTENTS July 2014
24Our tech experts take on common misconceptions, misunderstandings and misinformation. BY LARRY MONTANEZ III, CDA & JEFF LANGE, PE
TECHNICAL FEATURESTRUCTURAL REALIGNMENT CHANGES
5July 2014
COVER STORY
ASSOCIATION LIFE THROUGHTHE DECADES: WMABA VETERANS SHARE ALL
14NEWS
RICO LAWSUIT TARGETS TOP AUTO INSURERS,ALLEGES CONSPIRACY AGAINST REPAIRERSA new lawsuit shines a much-needed light on the industry's biggest issues.
EDUCATIONAL SYMPOSIUM EXPLORES SHOPS' LEGAL OPTIONSIndustry pros explore how to use the law to improve the industry.
PROMINENT TEXAS SHOP LEAVES PARTSTRADERState Farm loses one of its biggest DRPs.
SCRS ANNOUNCES REPAIRER DRIVEN EDUCATION AT SEMAThe industry gears up for another unforgettable Las Vegas experience.
16
44
Must-read words of advice from our special guestcontributor. BY STEVE FELTOVICH, SHERWIN-WILLIAMS
FEATURETHE ESTIMATE DEBACLE: FAIL-PROOF YOUR ESTIMATING PROCESS & WRITETO PERFECTION
CONTENTS July 2014
36 WMABA HITS AUSTRALIA FORSPECIAL INDUSTRY FORUM
From Sydney, Australia to Vienna, VA, WMABA members share their views on anever-evolving trade.
20
Industry training opportunitiesand don't-miss events.
July 24, 2014COSMETIC STRAIGHTENING ALUMINUMCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA AUTOMOTIVE FOAMSKing Volkswagen, Gaithersburg, MD ADVANCED STEERING & SUSPENSION SYSTEMS DAMAGEANALYSISCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MD
July 28, 2014COSMETIC STRAIGHTENING ALUMINUMFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA
July 31, 2014ADHESIVE BONDINGCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA
August 2, 20142015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE State Farm Insurance-Midlothian, Midlothian, VA
August 4, 2014BEST PRACTICES FOR HIGH-STRENGTH STEEL REPAIRS First Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA
August 5, 2014BLUEPRINTING PROCESS & DAMAGE DISCOVERYCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MD COLOR THEORY, APPLICATION, TINTING & BLENDINGCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA
August 6, 20142015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE Hampton Inn, Glen Burnie, MD
August 7, 2014 OVERVIEW OF CYCLE TIME IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE COLLISION REPAIR PROCESSAutomotive Collision Technologies, Randallstown, MD PLASTIC & COMPOSITE REPAIRCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MD STRUCTURAL STRAIGHTENING STEELCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA
www.i-car.com or(800) 422-7872 for info
July 28, 2014SCRS Open Meeting Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, Detroit, MIFor more information, visit www.scrs.com
July 29, 2014Collision Industry Conference (CIC)Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, Detroit, MIFor more information, visit www.ciclink.com
August 12, 2014SQUEEZE-TYPE RESISTANCE SPOT WELDINGCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MD 2015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE Hilton Wilmington/Christiana, Newark, DE WHEEL ALIGNMENT & DIAGNOSTIC ANGLESCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA
August 13, 20142015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE Sharrett Collision Center, Hagerstown, MD
August 14, 2014HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, PERSONAL SAFETY & REFINISHSAFETYCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA STEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURES, TECHNOLOGIES & REPAIRKunkel’s, Baltimore, MD
August 19, 2014MEASURINGCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA RACK & PINION & PARALLELOGRAM STEERING SYSTEMSKeystone Linthicum, Linthicum, MD 2015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE Courtyard Marriott - Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MD
August 20, 20142015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE Courtyard Marriott - Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MD
August 21, 2014 OVERVIEW OF CYCLE TIME IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE COLLISION REPAIR PROCESSCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA 2015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE Courtyard Marriott - Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MD
August 26, 2014STEERING & SUSPENSION DAMAGE ANALYSISCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA
CLASS LISTINGS
CALENDAR OFEVENTS
July 2, 2014REPLACING EXTERIOR ALUMINUM PANELSHilton Wilmington/Christiana, Newark, DE
July 7, 2014STEERING & SUSPENSION DAMAGE ANALYSISFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA
July 8, 2014STRUCTURAL STRAIGHTENING STEELState Farm - Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MDWELDED & ADHESIVELY BONDED PANEL REPLACEMENTCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA
July 9, 20142015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE Courtyard Marriott - Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MD 2015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE Hampton Inn - Waldorf, Waldorf, MD
July 10, 2014REPLACING EXTERIOR ALUMINUM PANELSCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VAVEHICLE TECHNOLOGY & TRENDS 2014Automotive Collision Technologies, Randallstown, MD
July 14, 2014 WELDED & ADHESIVELY BONDED PANEL REPLACEMENTFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA
July 15, 2014MEASURINGCanby Motors Collision Repair, Aberdeen, MD2015 FORD F-150 STRUCTURAL REPAIR TRAINING COURSE Hilton Wilmington/Christiana, Newark, DE
July 17, 2014VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY & TRENDS 2014Kunkel’s, Baltimore, MDSTEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURES TECHNOLOGIES & REPAIRCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA
July 21, 2014COLOR THEORY, APPLICATION, TINTING & BLENDINGFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA
July 22, 2014SUSPENSION SYSTEMSKeystone Linthicum, Linthicum, MDREPLACING EXTERIOR ALUMINUM PANELSCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MDREPLACEMENT OF STEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURESCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA
6 July 2014
7July 2014
8 July 2014
Rodney Bolton ([email protected]) 410-969-3100 ext. 250Mark Boudreau ([email protected]) 703-671-2402
Kevin Burt ([email protected]) 301-336-1140Bobby Wright ([email protected]) 434-767-4128
ADMINISTRATIONEXECUTIVE DIRECTORJordan Hendler ([email protected]) 804-789-9649WMABA CORPORATE OFFICEP.O. Box 3157 • Mechanicsville, VA 23116
STAFFPUBLISHER Thomas Greco
MANAGING EDITOR Alicia [email protected]
EDITOR Joel [email protected]
ART DIRECTOR Lea [email protected]
OFFICE MANAGER Sofia [email protected]
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Norman [email protected] 800-991-1995 Fax 732-280-6601
PUBLISHED BY TGP, Inc.244 Chestnut St., Suite 202Nutley, NJ 07110973-667-6922 FAX 973-235-1963
Reproduction of any portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written permission from the publisher. The opinions and ideas appearing in this magazine are not necessarily rep re sen ta tions of TGP Inc. orof the Washington Metropolitan Auto BodyAssociation (WMABA). Copyright © 2014Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc.
Every day you open the door to your shop, remember that you are not a repairer; youare a friend to the vehicle owners who have found themselves in need of your help duringan often-desperate and confusing time. You are a caregiver who is going to safely and pro-fessionally put that damaged vehicle back on the road. You are the person who is going tocome through and make the lives of your customers a little – or a lot – better. Sure, you gethits on the head from insurers instead of punches on the cheek from bratty kids, but neverlose sight of the fact that you are much more than just a person fixing cars in a body shop.You are a true friend to your community and your industry, and you deserve respect, fairdealings and adequate compensation. Just make sure you watch out for any little ones whomight walk through your door with their parents. That right hook can be a doozy... H&D
YOU ARE NOT REPAIRERS
For as long as I live, I will always hategoing to the dentist.
Back when I was a little kid, my mombrought me to an appointment to have a toothpulled. I remember being so deathly afraid ofneedles that I literally punched the poor dentistright in the chin as he went to give me a shot ofNovocain! Thankfully, he took this snot-nosedassault in stride and went on to give me myshot and remove the offending tooth. (My poormom didn’t take the situation quite so well, butthat’s another story.) With each subsequent visitI made to this dentist over the years, two thingsoccurred to me more and more: 1, he was atruly kindhearted, good-natured guy (who wouldoften laugh and joke about my tiny fist of fury)and 2, he had one of the toughest jobs in theworld because he was providing a service thatnobody wanted to buy. Whether they needed afiling or a root canal, people went to see thisman because they had no other choice. Theycould either live in agony or have this guy re-move their pain and give them some relief.
Sound familiar?
Joel Gausten(973) 600-9288
MESSAGEEDITOR’S
10 July 2014
©thinkstockphoto.com/Fuse
2014 WMABA OFFICERSPRESIDENT Don Beaver
[email protected] 443-539-4200 ext. 17061VICE PRESIDENT Torchy Chandler
[email protected] 410-309-2242TREASURER Mark Schaech Jr.
[email protected] 410-358-5155SECRETARY John Krauss
[email protected] 703-534-1818IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Barry Dorn
[email protected] 804-746-3928
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
11July 2014
saying “enough is enough” has never been greater. Yet, many times, we are our own worstenemies.
Shops need to do what they get paid for and get paid for what they do. Unfortunately, itseems like whenever this happens, the next shop up the street is willing to give another discountor concession. This is what drives rates and prevailing competitive pricing. If you’re not competi-tive, then you’re in trouble. We have tried for years through negotiations with insurance companiesto establish a fair playing field where competitive can also be profitable. Because we have openedour doors to outside influences, we have lost much of what was previously in our control. It also isnot going to be given back without a fight. It has become obvious that the only way this control willbe taken back is through legislation. We will be going back to Annapolis next session for this veryreason. We need your help, and WMABA makes it very easy for you to get involved and remainanonymous without fear of reprisal.
When you hear us ask for you to call your legislator, please do it. A quick phone call from aconstituent speaks volumes to politicians. When it matters to you, it matters to them – but theyneed to hear it. If a phone call is not your cup of tea, then a quick email or letter could be the ticket.In the coming months, we will be preparing for next session and asking for your help. If you’re sickand tired of business as usual, then answer when we call. H&D
ANSWERINGTHE CALL
The WMABA Board recently hadtheir annual planning session, which washeld at Criswell Collision Center in An-napolis, MD. I would first like to thankKevin Marvin, his staff and Criswell fortheir hospitality. I would also like to thankall the Board members in attendance whohelp make WMABA what it is today.
The planning session is a think tankof sorts; this is where the direction of ourassociation for the next year – or more –is decided. We discuss the specifics ofour upcoming Golf Outing, the meetingswe will be holding, the topics and speak-ers for those meetings and where we willbe directing our energy to better our in-dustry for our membership. We were allasked what each of us felt were the mostimportant and pressing matters that arefound in our shops today. It was prettyamazing that nearly every answer was thesame. These issues included insurer-mandated parts procurement programs,steering, aftermarket parts and severalmentions of the “most-favored nation”clauses in DRP agreements. I bet a lot ofpeople are reading this and nodding theirheads in agreement.
Very few shops will continue to sur-vive operating as an island. If shop own-ers, managers and technicians do not joinforces to address these concerns and ac-tually do something about them, then wewill be divided and conquered. The needfor shops to join the ranks and start
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MESSAGEPRESIDENT’S Don Beaver
(443) 539-4200 ext. [email protected]
12 July 2014
13July 2014
Information and updatesfrom WMABA and beyond.NEWS
14 July 2014
In one of the most exten-sive representations ofthe issues affecting the
collision repair industryever committed to print,Crawford’s Auto Center ofDowningtown, PA filed anexhaustive 164-page lawsuiton April 30 against StateFarm, Allstate, GEICO, Pro-gressive, Farmers, LibertyMutual and Nationwide,alleging that the companiesconspired to control the costof automobile repairs. The suit ar-gues that the defendant insurers also violatedthe Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organ-ization Act (RICO) by creating artificial “pre-vailing” rates based on their DRP shops’ useof products by the industry’s three leading In-formation Providers (Audatex [AudaExplore],CCC or Mitchell), who have been named asconspirators. The suit, which also namesUSAA, Travelers and American Family asconspirators but not as defendants, was filedin the US District Court for the Northern Dis-trict of Illinois, Eastern Division.
Crawford’s seeks to have the lawsuitgranted class action status to allow for the in-clusion of any non-DRP facilities that “per-formed automotive collision repair work orservices on or in connection with a vehicle in-sured by, or covered under insurance issuedby” any of the seven defendant insurers andused a CCC, Mitchell or Audatex estimatingprogram for a repair estimate or supplementsince January 1, 2006.
According to the suit, the action seeks toremedy the defendant insurers’ “long-runningunlawful conduct to suppress compensationto repair facilities for automotive collision re-pairs covered by insurance. Defendant insur-ers State Farm, Allstate, GEICO,Progressive, Farmers, Liberty Mutual andNationwide, together with their three conspir-ator insurers...are the [10] largest privatepassenger auto insurers in the United States,collectively holding 70 [percent] of the mar-ket, and control all aspects of collision re-pairs, including establishing the industrystandards for compensation paid to repairfacilities.”
Additionally, the suit argues that be-cause the defendant and conspirator insurersall use the estimating programs of at leastone Information Provider (and because thesecompanies sell the same programs to
insurers and repair facilities), the IPs “servetwo masters” - the defendant insurers as wellas “the repair facilities, which must use theestimating programs to perform their workbecause the estimates are the only means bywhich insured repairs are paid.” The com-plaint states that “the programs are marketed[to the insurance industry] by the InformationProviders as controlling costs and purport-edly improving accuracy, but with respect tothe repair facilities, the purported goal ispreparing comprehensive estimates.”
Attorney Steven L. Bloch (Berger &Montague, P.C.), legal counsel for the plaintiffand proposed classes, tells Hammer & Dollythat the case was developed to providemuch-needed relief to a beleagueredindustry.
“Based upon my discussions and inves-tigation, I saw that there appeared to be areal wrong that was occurring here, and itwas subjecting a significant portion of thecollision repair industry to that conduct [with]injury as a result,” he said. “I thought that itrequired a remedy that would be material,significant and something that would hope-fully change the structure and the frameworkof the relationship between the insurers andthe portion of the collision repair industry thatis represented in the case, and how it is that
RICO LAWSUITTARGETS TOP
AUTO INSURERS,ALLEGES CONSPIRACY
AGAINST REPAIRERS
15July 2014
The complete 164-page complaint is available online at http://collisionweek.com/cw/news/photos/2014-photo/2014-0514-Crawford-Auto-Center-Complaint.pdf courtesy ofCollisionWeek Online. Hammer & Dolly will provide regular updates on this case as it develops.
they get compensated for repairs on behalf ofinsureds and other third parties who are cov-ered under insurance.”
Additionally, Bloch notes that automotiveconsumers stand to gain tremendously if thecase reaches its desired conclusion.
“Once the repairers are treated more fairlyand/or are not subjected to the same type ofinterference, influence and impact from theinsurers’ conduct, the insureds will benefit from
the totality and quality of the repairs that canbe made,” he explains. “[That’s] not to say thatthe quality has been lacking on behalf of theconstituency who’s brought the class and thecase, but the environment in which the repairscan take place at that point will inure to thebenefit of the insureds and those covered byinsurance.”
Not surprisingly, Bloch says the case hasreceived an “extremely favorable” response
from various members of the collision repairindustry.
“We’re fully confident in the case thatwe’ve set forth,” he says. “We intend to pro-ceed with all due deliberate effort and speed inseeking remedy and relief on behalf of theclass.” H&D
Clockwise from top: ©thinkstockphoto.com/zimmytws/PaulPaladin/eccolo74
Information and updatesfrom WMABA and beyond.
(Photos by Janet Chaney)NEWSEDUCATIONAL SYMPOSIUMEXPLORES SHOPS’ LEGALOPTIONS
On May 30 and 31, the RenaissanceSchaumburg Hotel and Convention Center inSchaumburg, IL served as home base for avariety of industry professionals from acrossthe country seeking legal perspectives ontoday’s industry. During the two-day educa-tional symposium (“S.A.F.E. Cars - SafeAutomobiles for Everyone”) hosted by theAlliance of Automotive Service Providers ofIllinois (AASPI) and open only to collision re-pairers and industry vendors, attendees weretreated to workshops and guest presenta-tions from lawyers and shop owners knowl-edgeable in how to use the legal system toaddress common industry issues. Presentersincluded Mississippi attorney John Eaves,Jr., Bill Byrne (AASPI) and Florida shopowner Ray Gunder (Gunder’s Auto Center,Lakeland). The event also drew participationfrom Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood,
Louisiana Assistant Attorney General StacieDeBlieux and three-time Utah Attorney Gen-eral Mark Shurtleff.
Mississippi shop owner John Mosley(Clinton Body Shop, Clinton) was especiallyimpressed by the considerable presence ofAttorneys General at the symposium.
“All over the country now, people aresaying, ‘Why can’t our state Attorney Generaldo something when we know these insur-ance companies are violating antitrust orholding our rates down [or] not paying us forthe work we do?’” he explains. “[Hood] ex-plained to [attendees] how the AttorneysGenerals had to work in coordination with In-surance Commissioners. In some states, theAttorneys Generals are limited on what theycan or cannot do, but he also told [the audi-ence] how to gather evidence and get infor-mation that will assist their Attorneys Generalin each state.”
Maryland-based WMABA Board mem-ber Mark Schaech, Jr. (Mark’s Body Shop,Baltimore) attended the festivities to gain agreater perspective on the litigation takingplace throughout the industry, namely thecurrent RICO suit against seven major autoinsurers (see page 14) and Eaves’ ongoingefforts to stop the spread of PartsTrader inMississippi.
“I agree with a lot of what’s in both com-plaints,” he offers. “I think we definitely havesome problems in our industry with regardsto rate suppression and price control that ulti-mately harm consumers. I’m hoping thatthese guys have some success with theirlawsuits and public awareness campaigns toeducate people, politicians and our legal sys-tem on what’s really going on in our industry.”
According to Mosley, the request for
injunctive relief against PartsTrader inMississippi is sitting in federal court afterState Farm filed a motion to move the matterout of state court. Although PartsTrader iscurrently operating in Mississippi as part ofthe program’s national rollout, the shopowner insists that the legal battle is far fromover.
“When [the case] is heard in federalcourt, we anticipate that it will be moved backto state court, where it belongs,” he says.“We still believe we’ll be successful in stop-ping PartsTrader in Mississippi.”
Impressed by what the S.A.F.E. Carsevent had to offer, Schaech believes that thetwo-day gathering went a long way in foster-ing stronger unity throughout the nationalcollision repair community.
“A lot of problems within our industry arebecause shops alienate themselves from oneanother and consider each other competitorswhen we’re really colleagues,” he says. “Wehave a common goal, and that is to repaircars for consumers safely and properly.We’ve been a very divided industry, and Ithink what this event was all about was tryingto bring repairers together.” H&D
16 July 2014
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hoodoffered insight into how shops could usethe legal system to address issues.
Three-time Utah Attorney GeneralMark Shurtleff speaking at the S.A.F.E.Cars Symposium
17July 2014
The Latest from WMABAMembers and Supporters
18 June 2014
Several days ago, we repaired a 2012Hyundai Elantra. The insurance companywrote their estimate with an aftermarketbumper cover, and we could not price matchthat item. When we called for the aftermar-ket bumper cover, we were given a no-quotenumber, as the part wasn’t currently avail-able. Following protocol, we called the ad-juster, who was conveniently out of the officeuntil the following Monday. Making an exec-utive decision, we went with the OEM coverin order to get the vehicle back to the cus-tomer before the weekend. We then sent asupplement for the part price difference(along with the no-quote number and in-voice) to said adjuster, finished the vehicleand released it back to the owner with thesupplement pending. (I know, bad mistake.)
We were trying to play nice and gettheir insured out of a rental over the week-end, and what thanks did we get? We weretold, “But it was available from another after-market vendor, so we won’t pay it.” We don’tbuy parts from this other vendor. We weretold by the insurer that we can either openan account with the second vendor and pur-chase from them if the price is lower, orabsorb the difference. The insurer addedthat they will continue to write for the least
expensive part regardless of whether or nota particular shop deals with that vendor.Most vendors will match another’s price, butwhat do you do when they don’t have thatpart? Not only are we tasked with usingthese parts, but we are also tasked with pur-chasing from multiple vendors – all at ahuge reduction in price and profit.
In another repair, we processed a smalleight-line supplement for the insurance com-pany, and three lines were left off. We alsodiscovered an arbitrary deduction for partialrefinish of a panel with full clearcoat. Be-cause it was arbitrary, this number was halfof the refinish time allowed on the estimate.Now again, shame on us for not checkingthe supplement before it was tossed on adesk and the adjuster left in hopes that(once again) we would play nice and just fixit. Well, guess what? That is not happeningtoday. I’m not taking any more for the team.
I recently attended Mike Anderson’sWMABA-hosted class in Maryland, and theone big thing I took away from that experi-ence was educate, educate, educate. Thereare so many tools at our fingertips to combatthese problems; we are (and will be) com-plete idiots for not using them. If the philoso-phy of “that’s the way we always have done
it” is not thrown out the window, then wemight as well just hang an insurance com-pany name over the door and hand them thekeys. If we continue with the old philosophy,then we are doomed. It doesn’t have to bethat way (and there does not have to be ani-mosity between repairers and insurers), butthere does need to be dialogue. In mostcases, these things can be avoided withdocumentation, education and SOPs. Outwith the old and in with a new way of think-ing. I don’t think we’re all going to be sittingaround a campfire holding hands andsinging “Kumbaya,” but there are a lot ofthings we can do to keep our collectiveblood pressure down. Develop SOPs, usepaint and materials calculators, use paintvendors’ calculations for partial refinish/fullclear formulas and, most of all, document,document, document.
Thank goodness I have this avenue toblow off a little steam; otherwise, I’d proba-bly either have a stroke or be sitting in a cor-ner blowing spit bubbles. Well, that’s my rantfor now - but again, it’s only noon.
Sincerely,Mad in Maryland
DEARHAMMER & DOLLY,In recent months, I have been trying to play nice andgo with the flow when it comes to certain insurancecompanies. You know, the old adage that you catchmore flies with honey? It seems like every time Ido this, some fly wants all of the honey – and the bottle it came in, too. Today has been one of thosedays, and it’s not even noon.
Letter to theEDITOR
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19July 2014
The Latest from WMABAMembers and SupportersNEWS
20 June 2014
Prominent Texas Shop LeavesPartsTrader
The ongoing controversy over StateFarm’s parts procurement program withPartsTrader has led to the departure of oneof the insurer’s largest DRPs.
Henderson, TX-based Burl’s CollisionCenter recently left their 15-year Select Service relationship withState Farm after determining that PartsTrader was not a proper fitfor them.
“We have trusted vendors that we use,” offers owner BurlRichards. “Basically, State Farm said, ‘With PartsTrader, you haveto use a [parts] shop that’s on the PartsTrader list if you’re going tobe Select Service’...I’m not going to take long-term vendors I’m usedto doing business with and use somebody else [when] I don’t knowif they’re going to take care of my returns.”
According to Richards, his business with State Farm hasdropped by approximately 25 percent since he left the SelectService program. Not surprisingly, this has led him to reconsidersome of his business practices going forward.
“The way that I’m trying to recover from it is [by] trying to getpaid for every single operation that I do,” he says. “I use theP-Pages, and I’m educating myself. We’re getting paid for feather,prime and block and all these other operations that we have to do tofix the car.”
Despite having to adjust to a major change in his daily opera-tions, Richards is confident that he made the right choice regardingPartsTrader.
“It was a big deal for me to get off the program, but I had tomake a decision and say, ‘No, I’m not going to do it,’” he says.
H&D
SCRS Announces Repairer Driven Education at SEMA
One of the most popular events in today’s collision repair in-dustry, the annual SEMA Show will return November 4-7 to the LasVegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. Once again, the Soci-ety of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) will be at the Show tohost a series of special Repairer Driven Education (RDE) coursesdesigned to provide attendees with information to successfullynavigate an always-changing profession.
This year’s impressive list of RDE presenters includes (amongmany others) Toby Chess, Mike Anderson of CollisionAdvice, TimRonak of AkzoNobel, Kristen Felder of Collision Hub and Hammer &Dolly technical writer Larry Montanez. SCRS Executive DirectorAaron Schulenburg feels that this year’s full slate of RDE seminarswill offer attendees a variety of ways to improve their knowledge andbottom lines.
“We’re looking at the things that matter to collision repairersand the things that are going to give them the most and bestadvantage when they return home to their businesses,” he says.
SCRS’ RDE event schedule at SEMA will also include the first-ever OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, an all-day forum fo-cused on how vehicle technology and automotive design are drivingadaptation and change in the marketplace. Participants will includetechnical experts from automotive manufacturers, equipment andtraining organizations and representatives from certifying bodies.
“It’s really going to be a unique event that gives some of themost robust information surrounding technology, vehicle design andthe things that shop owners need to be prepared for going into 2015and the future ahead of them,” Schulenburg says.
For registration information and a complete listing of RDEevents, please visit www.semashow.com/scrs.H&D
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22 July 2014
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24 July 2014
Nuts and bolts, tips and tricksfrom our resident industry experts.
FEATURETECHNICAL
BY LARRY MONTANEZ III, CDA & JEFF LANGE, PE
STRUCTURAL REALIGNMENT CHANGESThrough our visits to repair facilities and
in our training classes, we have seen andheard some troubling things. Many shops arestill using structural realignment (frame equip-ment) apparatus that may belong in the Smith-sonian. Many in our industry (both insurersand shops) are misguided on how to actuallyaffix/anchor the vehicle to the apparatus, andmany think that sill “pinch weld” clamps arethe norm and still acceptable. This article iswill hopefully clear up some of thesemisconceptions, misunderstandings and/ormisinformation in our industry.
For many years, we have known thatmost German vehicles cannot be anchored bythe sill/pinch welds. This was due to the con-figuration of the rocker panel mating flanges,which include adhesives that can be dam-aged. In addition, rocker panel flanges are notdesigned to withstand the forces the way theyare applied during mounting. We have seenover the past few years that high-end Germanengineering designs are being utilized inlower-priced vehicles. For example, the 2014Dodge Dart and Jeep Grand Cherokee arenow utilizing the Compact US Wide platformdesign, which does not support jacking or an-choring at the rocker panel mating flanges/sillpanels (pinch welds). Although you will haveto affix the vehicle to the realignment appara-tus by the sill clamps, Dodge/Jeep states thatyou may anchor the vehicle by the sills. How-ever, you must anchor in at least two otherareas, such as the front or rear suspensionmounting areas. Otherwise, you can causedamage to the sill areas during pulling proce-dures. Generally, this will mean you will needto anchor a fixture or jig to the engine cradleor rear suspension cradle mounting areas.This will require the removal of the mountingbolts and/or removal of the cradle. Some man-ufacturers state in their repair procedures that
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Procedure and Description: Car-O-Liner Labor
Pre-measure vehicle: This will determine the extent of damageand if structural realignment is necessary (or remove and replace the component) 1.0 Frame
Measure suspension components: This will determine if the suspensionsustained any damage. 1.0 Frame
Set Up on Realignment Apparatus: This would include assembling clamps,installing the vehicle, affixing the clamps, removal of the vehicle and clamps, cleaning and replacement of the clamps. 3.0 Frame
EVO Anchoring left front uni-rails (upper and lower): This operationis to ensure that the rails are held in the correct position during the replacement procedures. (Three are required at 0.5 Frame per) 1.5 Frame
Check measurements during the repair process 1.0 Frame
Repair Anchoring Locations 1.5 Body
Refinish Anchoring Locations 1.2 Refinish
Add for Clearcoat 0.4 Refinish
Acid Etch/Epoxy/Primer Anchoring Locations 0.8 Refinish
Mask Underside for Primer and Paint $15/0.6 Body
R&I All Four Wheels 0.4 Mech
Trial Fit Weld-On/Bolt-On for Replacement 3.0 Body
Collision Access Time 1.5 Body
Totals $15.00 7.5 Frame 6.6 Body 2.4 Refinish 0.4 Mech
there is adhesive in the sill mating flanges, and anchoring in these areas will destroy the ad-hesive bond, weakening the area.
Unless you are using a Celette Bench or a universal fixture system (which anchor andmeasure the vehicle in multiple areas), most late-model vehicles require additional anchor-ing. These types of systems affix a jig fixture/universal fixture to the machine and to the vehi-cle to support and hold other areas on it for measuring and realignment procedures. Manyshops have an issue because their equipment is antiquated and not designed for the anchor-ing and repairing of late-model vehicles. Many times, we see vehicles with chains hookedinto areas on the undercarriage or into uni-rails. This will cause damage to these areas be-cause they were not designed to have force applied to them. Additionally, we must all under-stand that electronic measuring or fixture measuring is the only correct way to realign acollision-damaged vehicle.
One of the main issues we see is damage assessors (estimators) unfamiliar with theproper equipment and procedure for affixing a vehicle to the realignment apparatus. Inaddition, we hear all too often, “We only get paid 2.0 hours to set up and measure.” We alsohear technicians say, “I ain’t got time to set it up, cause we didn’t get paid for it.” This way ofthinking needs to change. We cannot arbitrarily skip repair procedures because we didn’t get
25July 2014
paid for them. Those operations still need to be performed.Surprisingly, it can take upwards of two hours to set a vehicle up on a realignment ap-
paratus and another two hours to clean and replace all of the anchoring clamps/fixtures.That would be four hours to set up the vehicle, and that may or may not include measuring.We know too many of us have been fooled into thinking that 2.0 hours for set-up andmeasure is the norm. Although it may have been at some point in the past, it is no longer
Procedure and Description: Celette Labor
Pre-measure vehicle: This will determine the extent of damageand if structural realignment is necessary (or remove and replace the component) 1.0 Frame
Measure suspension components: This will determine if the suspensionsustained any damage. 1.0 Frame
Set Up on Realignment Apparatus: This would include affixing the fixtureTowers and MZ Plus, installing the vehicle, affixing the fixtures to the vehicle, removal of the vehicle and fixtures, cleaning and replacement of the fixtures and hardware. Eight Locations (four front and four rear) 4.0 Frame
Additional fixtures left front uni-rails (upper and lower): This operationis to ensure that the rails are held in the correct position during the replacement procedures. (Two are required at 0.5 Frame per) 1.0 Frame
Check measurements during the repair process 1.0 Frame
Repair Anchoring Locations 1.5 Body
Refinish Anchoring Locations 1.2 Refinish
Add for Clearcoat 0.4 Refinish
Acid Etch/Epoxy/Primer Anchoring Locations 0.8 Refinish
Mask Underside for Primer and Paint $15/0.6 Body
R&I All Four Wheels 0.4 Mech
Trial Fit Weld-On/Bolt-On for Replacement 3.0 Body
Collision Access Time 1.5 Body
Totals $15.00 8.0 Frame 6.6 Body 2.4 Refinish 0.4 Mech
enough time (nor is it published anywhere) thatstudies have established that using 2.0 hours isnormal and customary. Then there are the manyprocedures and operations to affix the vehicle tothe realignment apparatus that many of you per-form without realizing they are not included. Forexample, let’s use a 2014 Toyota Camry with afrontal impact. The vehicle requires a left lowerfront uni-rail (frame rail) and a left upper front uni-rail. Let’s look at the setup procedures for struc-tural repairs on a Car-O-Liner system and on aCelette Bench. The procedures and labor timesin the charts at left and on page 24 are forexample only and in no way a suggestion ofprocedures and labor times for each operation.
As you can see, there are a lot of proce-dures to structural realignment that your techsare performing without a charge. Remember thateach vehicle repair is slightly different, but struc-tural repair on collision-damaged vehicles gener-ally remains the same, based on the type ofstructural realignment equipment utilized. Pleasekeep in mind that measuring and diagnosing isthe most important step to any structural repair.Also understand that we did not include realign-ment time/pull time, as we could not show thedamage in an article. In some cases, no realign-ment would be required, due to the fact that allthe damage is being changed at a mating area
26 July 2014
that is undamaged. It is always important tokeep upgrading your equipment and stay up todate on training. Vehicles are changing everysingle year, and newer types of substrates arejust around the corner. Remember that ourindustry has grown from panel beaters and“heavy guys” to repair technicians andstructural technicians to para-engineers.
We hope this article has helped theindustry to better understand the changes tostructural realignment and why upgrading yourequipment is so important. Feel free to contactus if you have any questions.
Larry Montanez, CDA is co-owner of P&LConsultants with Peter Pratti Jr. P&L Consult-ants works with collision repair shops on esti-mating, production and proper repairprocedures. P&L conducts repair workshops onMIG & resistance welding, measuring for esti-mating and advanced estimating skills. P&Lalso conducts investigations for insurers andrepair shops for improper repairs, collision re-pairability and estimating issues. P&L can bereached by contacting Larry at (718) 891-4018(office), (917) 860–3588 (cell), (718) 646–2733(fax) or via email at [email protected]. TheP&L website is www.PnLEstimology.com.
Jeff Lange, PE is a Forensic Engineer andpresident of Lange Technical Services, Ltd. ofDeer Park, New York. Jeff is a Licensed NewYork State Professional Engineer, ASE CertifiedMaster Technician and ASE Certified MasterCollision Repair Technician who specializes invehicle damage analysis for accident recon-struction, products liability and insurance claimsinvestigation. Jeff can be reached at (631) 667-6128 or by email at [email protected]. H&D
Larry and Jeff’s message that “thinking needsto change” applies to many aspects of collisionrepair for many of the repairers of today. You can’t fix today’s cars with yesterday’sprocesses, and the expectation to do so is ignorance of grand proportions.
- Jordan Hendler
Executive Director’s Thoughts
Technical Feature
27July 2014
28 July 2014
BMW of Annapolis25 Old Mill Bottom RoadAnnapolis, MD 21409410-349-2565Fax:410-349-2586www.mybmwannapolis.com
Apple BMW of York1370 Roosevelt Ave.York, PA 17404800-839-1755Fax: 717-843-2948www.applebmwofyork.com
BMW of Fairfax2805 Old Lee HighwayFairfax, VA 22031800-879-2269Fax: 703-641-8562www.bmwoffairfax.com
BMW of Sterling21826 Pacific Blvd.Sterling, VA 20166888-954-8222Fax: 571-434-7727www.bmwofsterling.com
BMW of Alexandria499 South Pickett StreetAlexandria,VA 22304Direct: 703-684-5255Fax: 703-647-1853www.bmwofalexandria.com
BMW of Silver Spring3211 Automobile BlvdSilver Spring, MD 20904866-737-8937Fax: 301-890-3748www.bmwofsilverspring.com
Passport BMW5000 Auth WayMarlow Heights, MD 20746301-423-0733Fax: 301-423-2717www.passportbmw.com
Northwest BMW9702 Reisterstown RdOwings Mills, MD 21117410-363-1461Fax: 410-363-7749www.northwestbmw.com
For Original BMW Parts, contact one of these authorized BMW centers:
AS A COLLISION REPAIR SPECIALIST, YOU MUST ALWAYS FO HOWEVER, INSURANCE ESTIMATES ARE OFTEN FOCUSED O
BMW centers stock Original Equipment Parts that never sacrifice quality or
29July 2014
BMW of Catonsville6700 Baltimore National PikeBaltimore,MD 21228800-828-6529410-744-2000Fax: 410-818-2600www.bmwofcatonsville.com
Checkered Flag BMW5225 Virginia Beach BlvdVirginia Beach, VA 23462757-687-3494Fax:757-687-3495bmw.checkeredflag.com
BMW of Bel Air1705 Conowingo Road(US 1 in Hickory)Bel Air, MD 21014443.640.1230Fax: 443.640.1234www.bmwbelair.com
BMW of Towson700 Kenilworth DriveTowson, MD 21204410.296.7908Fax: 410.296.4852www.bmwtowson.com
Richmond BMW8710 West Broad StreetRichmond, VA 23294800-237-0130Direct: 804-527-6860Fax: 804-965-6254www.richmondbmw.com
Valley BMW2824 Franklin Road SWRoanoke, VA 24014PH: 540-342-3733Fax: 540-345-9060www.valleybmw.com
Richmond BMW12100 Midlothian TpkeMidlothian, VA 23113Phone: 804-897-2211Fax: 804-897-2202www.richmondbmw.com
BMW of Rockville1396 Rockville PikeRockville, MD 20852301-984-8989Fax: 301-984-1710www.bmwrockville.com
OCUS ON SAFETY, QUALITY AND COST. ON JUST COST.
safety for cost.
· Every detail is exactly matched to the vehicle’s safety systems for optimum occupant protection.
· Original BMW Panels and Components are built from premium materials using ultra-precise processes.
· To maximize the safety of all passengers, replacement panels undergo strict and extensive quality control tests.
· To ensure optimal paint adhesion, electrophoretically primer coats are applied during the manufacturing process.
30 July 2014
31July 2014
Veteran members reflect on WMABA'spast, present and hopeful future.
STORYCOVER
Despite all its ups and downs, thecollision repair industry can still be aprofession of longevity and success.
This month, Hammer & Dolly touchesbase with some of WMABA’s longest-runningmembers to discuss their history with the as-sociation, their careers in the field and whatkeeps them active and thriving in the trade.With each participant having decades ofexperience with WMABA, this unique discus-sion offers newer members an interestingglimpse into the mindsets, practices andprincipals that help ensure a long andprosperous life in the auto body world.
Hammer & Dolly: When and why did youfirst join WMABA?
Robert Tsas: AkzoNobel joined back in 1984to network and understand the issues andopportunities facing our industry here in theUS. We also wanted to contribute to the as-sociation by sharing our knowledge and ex-perience in the collision repair business. Wesaw this as a way to improve what we do,and how we do it.
Joyce Arndt: [My husband] Ray was a mem-ber before I knew him, but I would imaginehis reasoning was that it is just a good thingto be a part of your association for your tradeor business.
James Young, Jr.: Axalta Coating Systems[formerly DuPont Performance Coatings] hasbeen a member since 1987. I have been at-tending meetings personally for at least thatlong.
Phil Rice: My involvement started withWMABA in the mid-1980s. My father [ReggieRice of R&R Auto Body; Woodbridge, VA]
was already a member. My father told methat if I wanted to stay in the industry, Ineeded to be a part of the association thatrepresented the industry so I would knowwhat was going on.
Joe Mattos: Our family and company actu-ally helped start WMABA. It was all part ofour interest in supporting the industry. Backin the ‘60s, the industry was growing alongwith the DC area. As a distributor, we knewand had contact with all of the shops in thearea.
Nick Zavolas: I first joined this associationback in 1985 because I felt that it was impor-tant to be a part of an association that repre-sented our industry to the highest degree.
H&D: How would you say the associationhas changed over the years?
Robert: The association continues to evolve,always looking for ways to work with allstakeholders for the betterment of the indus-try. Through the years, Hammer & Dolly hasremained a first-class publication, reachingreaders even abroad.
Joyce: There used to be a lot more individualshop owner participation. Everyone felt freerto speak their peace and write Letters to theEditor for the magazine [about] things thatweren’t right, things they thought should bechanged and problems they were having withinsurance companies, parts, etc. Over theyears, insurance companies have tightenedtheir grip on the body shops, as everyoneknows. Now, basically everybody’s afraid tospeak his or her piece.
James: It has been interesting to see the
evolution in membership, as well as staff, asthe technical requirements in the industryhave changed. The insurance companies’ in-volvement with DRPs has also been a majorchange.
Phil: The professionalism of the auto bodyassociation has changed. It [has] nationalrepresentation now, and it’s a leading na-tional association. Back in the early days, itwas very limited to our Northern Virginia,Maryland and DC market.
Joe: In the early days, a lot of the discus-sions and information exchanges were morealong the lines of technical production issues.Then, it kind of morphed into discussionsabout the insurance relationships whenDRPs started coming along. Now, thereseems to be much more of a focus on help-ing the members and the insurance compa-nies get along, and how to develop therelationship while still being an advocate forthe car owner.
Nick: The association has grown throughoutthe years, making it easier to communicatewith others in the industry through network-ing, social media and an array of eventsthroughout the DC area.
H&D: Where do you see the industrygoing in the next few years, and whatwould you like to see the association doto help members understand and addressthese changes along the way?
Robert: We see consolidation of shops in ashrinking market, a lack of new techniciansentering the workforce, evolving vehicle tech-nology and pressure on margins. To helpmembers, the association must continue to
ASSOCIATION LIFE THROUGHTHE DECADES: WMABA Veterans Share All
32 July 2014
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Joyce Arndt has been a staple of the WMABA community sincethe late 1960s. For decades, Joyce and her husband Ray guidedthe success of Ray’s Auto Body in Vienna, VA, one of the mostpopular repair facilities in the region. Despite Ray’s passing in2012 and her retirement, Joyce still occasionally works at theshop, which also currently employs their granddaughter, Linda.
It has been over 40 years since Pro Finishes Plus Chairman JoeMattos first joined the company. He has performed every job,from delivery driver to CEO, as the family automotive paint distri-bution business grew and expanded from one store in Washing-ton, DC to its current 15 locations in the mid-Atlantic region.Along the way, he earned degrees in accounting and manage-ment information systems, both of which have helped him under-stand and manage his company through the challenges of this dynamic industry.In addition to being a WMABA member since 1973, Joe is also the author of“The World’s Best Mission Statement.” Just ask him. He can be reached [email protected].
Phil Rice has been a member of WMABA since 1982. For thepast six years, he has served as business development managerat Refinish Solutions in Fredericksburg, VA. An active I-CARinstructor for more than two decades, this father of five is also anactive outdoorsman in his time away from work.
Robert Tsas (formerly ‘t Sas) started out in the industry bysweeping floors at a body shop when he was 15. A 1987 gradu-ate of Eckart College, he immigrated from the Netherlands in1988 and became a US citizen in 2005. With AkzoNobel since1991, he has served the company in various sales, technical,marketing and leadership roles. Currently, he is responsible forstrategic sales and distribution development and can be reachedat (410) 739-7208 (cell) or at [email protected].
James Young, Jr. started in the industry in 1975 as a helper andmoved up through the paint and body shop, doing everythingfrom sweeping the floors to management. In 2001, he decided totake his career in another direction and accepted a position withDuPont [now Axalta] as a field technician. Currently an accountmanager , he works with shop managers to help grow their busi-nesses and increase profitability. He can be reached at
Nick Zavalos of Bailey’s Crossroads Auto Body (Falls Church,VA) has been in business for 36 years. He always had a passionfor cars; when an opportunity came along for him to buy a shop,he jumped at the chance to do so. Truly a family-owned/operatedbusiness, Bailey’s Crossroads Auto Body also employs Nick’swife Deborah (head of accounting), daughter Athena (partsmanager) and brother Manny (assistant manager).
educate and inform.
Joyce: Where I would start would be with [WMABA] talkingto other associations and saying, ‘We need to unify.’ That’sthe only way that anything is going to happen, and it has tobe through legislation – whether we start statewide or justgo to Congress.
James: With the implementation of 6H nationwide, I amseeing more involvement from the EPA and OSHA in shopinspections to ensure compliance. Continuing education isthe key to help keep the shops and technicians aware ofthe ever-changing rules and requirements.
Phil: I see the industry shrinking in number of total shops,and technology increasing. I see the auto body associationas a bridge for the shops that are willing to embrace andaccept change and move forward with what’s required to fixcars.
Joe: I think there’s going to be more consolidation in the re-pair shops; I don’t think there’s any question there. I thinkthere’s going to be as much or more influence by the insur-ance companies. What I’d like to see the association do –and what I think it needs to do to remain a value to its mem-bers and the industry in general – is continue to do what it’sdoing, maybe even step up efforts with respect to drivingrepair standards and the equipment that back up thosestandards.
Nick: The industry has changed so rapidly over the years.Through the SEMA Show, I have seen such advances inpaint, welding and many aftermarket parts. With all this in-formation, it is important to address these changes andkeep each other updated.
H&D: You have had a long career in an often-difficult in-dustry. What is the key to longevity in this business?
Robert: Continuous learning and sharing knowledge whenappropriate. Love what you do and remain humble aboutyour own wisdom. Stay passionate and always seek to im-prove yourself and others.
Joyce: Ray’s theory was that we fix someone’s car the waywe’d fix our own. He always worked by that. If there was alittle dent next to the one the insurance company wanted topay for, he’d fix it. He gave the customers more for theirmoney. When other places would have charged, he wouldjust buff it out for free, or take people home. That was backwhen there wasn’t a Metro or anything like that. That’s howhe built up his business.
James: Keep your sense of humor, attend any and allavailable training, leave work at work and learn from yourmistakes.
Phil: I think that’s a complicated question with multipleanswers. I love the business of collision repair; I love the
continued on page 40
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35July 2014
On May 17, WMABA Executive Director Jordan Hendler and Im-mediate Past President Barry Dorn were among the US collision re-pair industry representatives to attend and present at the 2014Australian Industry Forum at the Crowne Plaza – Coogee Beach inSydney. In addition to being a part of a special Insurer/AssociationPanel, Hendler presented a seminar on how shops can use socialmedia as a marketing tool, while Dorn participated on a Shop Panelwith industry personnel from Australia and New Zealand. OtherAmerican attendees included CIC Administrator Jeff Hendler (whoco-moderated the Forum with David Newton-Ross of event organizersNewton International Marketing and also presented three businessmanagement seminars in New Zealand May 20-22), SCRS ExecutiveDirector Aaron Schulenburg and Past SCRS Chairman Gary Wano,Jr. (GW & Son Auto Body, Oklahoma City, OK). In addition to being apart of the industry forum, the US representatives took part in specialtours of shops in Australia and New Zealand.
Pleased by the positive response to her presentation in Australia,Jordan Hendler believes that social networking has become an impor-tant tool for any shop to use regardless of their location.
“Social media marketing is a way for repairers to solidify the rela-tionship with their customer, and gain new interest by virtue of conver-sation and inexpensive advertising,” she says. “Once you know howmuch of an opportunity it really is, and how inexpensive it is for repair-ers to corner their markets, it doesn’t take long before they want tojump in.”
Dorn believes that taking time to travel to the event gives him agreater perspective on his work on behalf of the industry at home.
“Having a global knowledge of what is going on within the repairindustry helps you better understand what can happen in your area,”he says. “Everyone is trying something different to see what worksand what doesn’t. In most cases, you cannot fully understand whatdid or didn’t work unless you have personally spoken to those in-volved to find out what really happened.”
This spirit of collaboration with overseas colleagues is echoed bySCRS, who work to maintain strong alliances with industry groups inother global markets.
“We have close working relationships with organizations inCanada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom,” explainsSchulenburg. “It really fosters a better understanding of the trends in-ternationally, and how the issues we face here in the states relate tothe global trends.”
Jeff Hendler, who has regularly attended industry events in Aus-tralia and New Zealand since the mid-1980s, saw parallels betweenthe repair pros who attended his recent workshops and the industrymembers who frequent CIC in the United States.
“The people who attend the workshops are very similar to thepeople who attend events in the US,” he says. “They are willing toshare and are there seeking information. It’s quite invigorating to beinvolved in all of that.”
Already a well-traveled member of the industry, Wano was espe-cially pleased to be a part of these most recent Australian and NewZealand events.
“I have developed a friendship/brotherhood with numerous ‘panelbeaters’ and industry stakeholders in both countries, and I alwayslook forward to trips ‘Down Under,’” he says.
Not surprisingly, Newton-Ross was equally impressed with hisAmerican guests.
“They represented themselves and their industry so well - totalprofessionals [who] did a great job on the Forum panels and with theircontribution generally,” he shares. “They really mixed well with every-one, and we would welcome them back at any time.” H&D
STORYCOVER
36 July 2014
Clockwise from top: SCRS' Gary Wano, Jr. and WMABA's Jordan Hendler during the May 16 Industry Forum in Sydney, Australia;American and Australian industry reps tour Miranda Auto Body in Sydney (photo by Aaron Schulenburg/SCRS); WMABA and SCRSrepresentatives enjoying time with peers from overseas; WMABA Immediate Past President Barry Dorn in Sydney; WMABA ExecutiveDirector Jordan Hendler with David Newton-Ross of Newton International Marketing. (All photos by The National Collision Repairer,Australia unless otherwise noted.)
WMABA HITS AUSTRALIA FORSPECIAL INDUSTRY FORUM
WMABA reps experience the industry inAustralia and New Zealand.
Pleased by the positive response to her presentation in Australia, WMABA'sJordan Hendler believes that social networking has become an importanttool for any shop to use regardless of their location.
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advancements in technology. We are in a veryunique position in that our adversary – the in-surance companies – tell us upfront what theirstrategy is, and then we can go back and planour strategy based on theirs. We may not likethe guidelines, but they tell us upfront andwe’re able to develop a business plan and a
strategy based upon that.
Joe: As a company, we always had a basicphilosophy that drove our character. Ourpurpose was to promote the profitability of ourcollision repair customers. If you have apurpose, then everything else that you do
should be able to be related to that purpose. Ifyou keep in mind that we’re here to figure outhow to help customers be more profitable, itdrives everything else we do because then wecan look at and try to anticipate the changes inthe industry that are coming, and then figureout how we fit into that to help our customersdeal with it.
Nick: I have found that a key ingredient to thisbusiness is passion. Every day, I have thechance to interact with new customers andmake their vehicles look like they were never inan accident, and their happiness is why I havebeen in business for so long.
H&D: What is the best advice you’d offersomeone entering your business today?
Robert: Embrace change and seek opportuni-ties in that change.
Joyce: As an owner? Find something else todo! The only way you might be able to makedecent money would be to do everything your-self, not have several people on payroll andjust have a little two- or-three car building. Youmight make a decent living. But when you haveto send all your people to I-CAR at $90 or $100a crack in order to be Gold and pay all thetaxes that go along with hiring people and theoverhead that goes with a building, [doing it allyourself ] would be the only way.
James: Try to expose yourself to all aspects ofthe business, from the office to the shop floor.We need to understand the questions beforewe can attempt to give an answer. Under-promise and overproduce.
Phil: Embrace your career – and now yournumbers! You have everything to gain andnothing to lose.
Joe: If you’re going to get into this industry,have a good sense of why you’re doing it andknow what your purpose is for getting into it.That will help drive the decisions you make. Inaddition to that, I think you have to have theright attitude. Things are going to change, soyou need to be open to changing and be fasterthan everybody else if you want to be moresuccessful than everybody else.
Nick: This industry comes with many chal-lenges and obstacles, but you must rememberto be ethical, business savvy and financiallyintelligent.
40 July 2014
COVER STORY continued from page 33
41July 2014
Knowing where you came from is the best way to know where you’re going. Checking inwith those who formed the association, andwhy they did what they did, helps us to craftour optimal goals for the future. It’s such apleasure to work with such progressive anddedicated people!
- Jordan Hendler
Executive Director’s Thoughts
H&D: What is the best thing about being amember of WMABA?
Robert: As members of WMABA, we get tolearn and share opportunities. This is occasion-ally done in a social setting, which also allowsfor friendships to develop. WMABA helps mestay connected to what I care about.
Joyce: In the beginning, it was an open forumand you could speak your peace, and peoplewrote in to discuss their problems and issues.The head of the association kept working to-ward some legislation. They did get a few thingspassed within Maryland and Virginia, but I thinkit’s to a point where something needs to bedone nationally in the Senate and the House,because I think it’s too big for state legislation todo anything. We, as one little association, aretoo small to be able to lobby big bucks to fightanything an insurance company wants to do.The insurance industry is way bigger than weare; that’s why we need to join with others.
James: Meeting other people in the industryand being able to bounce ideas off of themabout processes, procedures and products.Knowing that there is a dedicated group ofpeople with the sole purpose of advancing theindustry for all shops, not just a select few.
Phil: My association with good people and goodbusinesses who have all became good friends.WMABA has also provided an incredible net-working opportunity between industry affiliatesand personnel.
Joe: It boils down to the people. We’ve met alot of great people in this industry through goingto the association meetings and being involvedin projects and seminars and supporting someof the legislative efforts. Getting to know peoplein all facets of the industry – and how theassociation has brought us together – isprobably the biggest benefit.
Nick: WMABA gives me a chance to associatewith other people in the field and opens manynetworking opportunities. H&D
42 July 2014
43July 2014
Guest perspectives ona top industry issue.FEATURE
44 July 2014
THE ESTIMATE DEBACLE: Fail-Proof Your Estimating
Process & Write to Perfection
BY STEVEN J. FELTOVICHMANAGER OF BUSINESS CONSULTING SERVICES,
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS AUTOMOTIVE FINISHES
What is your standard operating procedure for estimating collision damage?
If a customer comes in for an estimate, what is your procedure?
Are your estimators tied to a desktop computer system in an office?
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Our experience working with shops proves that if you don’t have thevehicle right in front of you, your estimating accuracy is impacted greatly.It’s highly recommended that estimators stand next to a vehicle and gen-erate an accurate damage assessment and order parts via mobile tech-nology. The process must be structured with the end-result in mind, andthe goal should be to achieve 100 percent accuracy. We urge you to con-sider how you can reduce waste by decreasing the time spent going fromthe vehicle to the office and entering handwritten notes into your estimat-ing system.
The long-awaited transformation of our industry’s obsolete estimat-ing techniques is well underway in many of the progressive collision repairshops in the US and Canada. The rapid movement toward a more effi-cient process for damage assessment and repair planning is being ac-celerated by customers’ demands and the manufacturing complexity oftoday’s vehicles.
If the damaged area of the vehicle is not completely disassembledduring the damage assessment phase, then the rate of accuracy greatlydiminishes. This is exactly where production delays and errors begin. Weproduce an estimate that in the best-case scenario represents 50-60 per-cent accuracy. (It is, in fact, only an “estimate.”) By sticking to these con-ventional methods of visible damage estimating, we directly affect ourcycle time in a negative way.
Many shops will argue that their process is to disassemble the vehi-cle before completing their estimate. However, in most cases, when we ob-serve the actual procedures, many give it a half-hearted attempt by onlyremoving a few of the damaged pieces before finishing the estimate. Thereis still an industry-wide aversion to setting up the process for 100-percentdamage analysis accuracy. But the shops that are laser-focused in thisarea are achieving lower cycle times, higher customer satisfaction ratesand less stressful work environments. With these proven advantages, isthere any reason to delay implementing a more effective method for pre-cise damage analysis? As a business consultant, I always hear 101 ex-cuses, but I have never been given one good reason why it could not bedone right!
A Novel Concept: It Must Be Right Every Time & On Time.Here is a simple rule to follow for damage analysis accuracy: “It
must be right every time and on time.” There cannot be any exceptions;you are not being paid to guess or write multiple supplements on eachjob. The digital age consumer is informed, educated and impatient; theywant collision repairers to have reliable processes that minimize theirvehicle’s downtime. Imagine that! That’s just what your insurance part-ners are demanding. Speed is of the essence more and more thesedays − and it’s an incredibly powerful sales tool. When we focus on im-proving the processes, the results come automatically. The right processwill deliver the right results in every area of the business.
I would argue this fact with any repairer: If you are obsessed withoptimizing your damage analysis procedures, you will absolutely reduceyour cycle times, have happier insurance relationships and gain morecontrol of your company’s destiny.
Steven J. Feltovich has 35 years of automotive industry experience and is a consultant to top industry executivesat collision centers in North and Central America, as well as the United Kingdom. He has developed the Estimating Solutions for Profit and EcoLean Suite of Training curriculum, which has been improving Collision Repair Environments since 2001. He can be reached at (412) 916-9235 or at [email protected].
Let’s get started with some ideas for building thebulletproof damage analysis process:
1) It all begins with a cleaned vehicle in order to see all ofthe damage as well as any upsell opportunities.
2) The vehicle is then placed into a very well-tooleddamage analysis bay.
3) Meticulous disassembling of the damaged vehicle; allblend panels are de-trimmed at this time.
4) The accurate damage assessment includes 100 percentof the parts, labor, paint and material needed to restorethe vehicle.
5) Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) repairrequirements are obtained and integrated into the repairplan/blueprint. This must be done to ensure the vehicle’s“crashworthiness” is restored to OEM specifications. Thepulse and timing for airbag deployment is dependent onthe OEM specifications being adhered to.
6) Any factory recall bulletins posted on the vehicle arenoted in the repair plan.
7) The final repair plan/damage assessment is auditedusing a formal audit checklist. This checklist shouldinclude the commonly overlooked items, which arefrequently missed during damage assessment activities.
45July 2014
He’s Making a List, checking it twice...The checklist above prompts awareness in the following key areas:
The checklist also ensures that you are compensated for the workbeing performed − not a bad idea to get paid for work that was done! Itdoes work if you work at it. Track it, document it and then get paid for it!
You cannot deliver a finished vehicle without making all the repairsand procuring all the parts necessary to complete the job. The questionis: Do you have the right processes in place to produce the finished vehicle in the least amount of time, every time - or is it an atmosphere of fire drills and managed chaos on every job, every day, every week? Itis your responsibility as a professional to develop your processes for optimum output capabilities. If you need help, there are many industryconsultants who align themselves with this thinking, and they can assistyou in implementing an efficient process for damage analysis and repairplanning.
Lasting impressions are made with customers and insurers whenprocesses deliver consistent results in a professional and predictableway. H&D
Primary DamageSecondary DamageMechanical DamageInertia Damage
Refinish OperationsSublet ItemsAdditional MaterialsUpsell Opportunities
46 July 2014
47July 2014
Conquest your Mitsubishi parts needs!
Mitsubishi now offers Genuine OEM parts through our new “Opt-OE” parts program at discounted prices. See Mitsubishi’s Ultra-Conquest parts and prices in the Optional OEM Suppliers category of popular collision estimating systems.
Ultra-Conquest Collision Parts Program Highlights:
• Discounted prices on quality new and unblemished OEM parts• Automated price and part selection in collision estimating systems• High parts availability• Delivery to most major U.S. cities within 24 hours• Available through all participating Northeastern area Mitsubishi dealers• Includes the majority of key collision components for select popular models• We can meet or beat aftermarket prices!
To find out more about Ultra-Conquest pricing contact your local Mitsubishi dealer.
For Genuine Mitsubishi parts, contact these authorized Mitsubishi Dealers.
Buy Genuine Mitsubishi Parts and get the perfect fit at the perfect price. 10% off on all parts orders when you mention this ad.
Jerry’s Mitsubishi1906 East Joppa Road
Baltimore, MD 21234
Toll Free: 800-255-0691
Direct: 410-668-2119
Fax: 410-513-0236
www.jerrysmitsubishi.com
Fitzgerald Mitsubishi1930 West Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
Direct: 410-224-4636
Fax: 410-224-4264
E-mail: [email protected]
Younger Mitsubishi1945 Dual Highway
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Direct: 800-296-1190
Fax: 301-733-5465
www.youngermitsubishi.com
Malloy Mitsubishi14655 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Woodbridge, VA 22191
Direct: 703-490-8263
Toll Free: 888-533-3400
Fax: 703-490-3864
YOU Are aRecycler!
“Recycle.” “Go Green.” “Don’t Waste.”You see these slogans everywhere. Well,that’s what we are, automotive recyclers. Yousay, “I’m just a repairer, I just fix vehicles.”Yes, you are a repairer, but you are also mak-ing a positive impact on our environment bytaking a damaged vehicle and making it newagain, instead of just throwing it away. Youare recycling.
For years, my industry has been called anumber of different things: “Junkyard,” “scrapyard,” “parts place”…these terms are oldand antiquated, much like calling a modern
automotive repair facility a “garage.” Whenpeople ask what I do, I kindly reply, “I own amodern automotive recycling facility.” Thenusually they look at me like I have two heads,and then I say “a junkyard,” which makes mecringe. A modern collision center is no differ-ent; you do not want to be called a “garage.”We are all more than those terms. Our busi-nesses produce millions of dollars in revenue,supply jobs to skilled craftsmen and provide aHUGE support to the ecosystem, but we arestill not as respected as many “mainstream”businesses. Without collision centers, wewould have non-running and unsafe carseverywhere. Insurance rates would beastronomical, and the environmental impactsimmeasurable.
Now that I am off my soapbox, back tothe recycling part. Look around your facilityand think about the waste you have to
dispose of off a vehicle you are repairing. Askyourself things like:
Do I have someone to pick up the waste fluids we had to drain?
Do I have someone to pick up that bad battery?
Are we just throwing away the scrap metal in the trash bin?
You have to evaluate the value of whatyou have. There are many items that compa-nies will pay you to pick up. Is waste oil aproblem, for example? If so, have youchecked into a waste oil furnace? I use onehere and as a result, I don’t have to purchasepropane to heat my shop. With that said,there are certain items that we haven’t yet fig-ured out a good way to recycle, like bumpercovers. For years, people have tried to comeup with ways to recycle these. I haven’t seena good one yet. I have received numerouscalls to save them because someone hasfound the greatest way yet, only to end upwith a useless pile that I have to simply“throw out” (which I obviously hate doing).
My point is, if you are repairing a car,you are already an important recycler. Beproud of that fact and advertise it. Work to-gether with your peers, share informationabout disposal issues and ask your vendors.If your vendor does not have an answer, theymay be able to find out; if not, you’ve lostnothing by asking. It’s simple: We all justhave to communicate.
I appreciate the readers of Hammer &Dolly giving me this opportunity to share myideas in this column. I encourage you tocontact me at [email protected] withquestions, comments or topics you’d like tosee covered in a future issue. Workingtogether and communicating will only makeall of our businesses stronger and moreefficient. H&D
A view from the supplierside of the industry. VENDOR
CORNER BY SCOTTIE DAVIS
48 July 2014
49July 2014
50 July 2014
HEATING UP THELABOR RATE SURVEY
While more in-depth coverage will come with the next issue of Hammer & Dolly,the association wants to gear the membership and local repair professionals up forthe upcoming response window.
“This is the third installment of the Labor Rate Survey, and this onewill offer a twist,” notes Jordan Hendler, executive director for WMABA.“We are considering adding the areas of reimbursement for particular op-erations and questions about parts procurement [to the Survey], as well asratings for insurers based on repairers’ personal experiences. This infor-mation will not only help our local industry members, but could also beused as a tool for consumers when selecting an insurance company. Con-sumers are hungry for information; this could be another option to givethem a professional opinion of sorts.”
The Labor Rate survey is used as both a membership reference anda tool for WMABA when discussing industry statistics with government-re-lated entities. The resulting feedback provides an interesting look at trendsover time, which is something the association has been looking forward tosince its inception. Coverage of the survey results in Hammer & Dolly hasshown transitions between first- to second-year trends, and the third install-ment of repairer input will give the readership another opportunity to see howtheir area performs. WMABA hopes to also give trend information relative toother areas, so that repairers can see how their numbers stack up againstother parts of the country.
Hammer & Dolly will provide more information on this year’ssurvey in an upcoming issue. In the meantime, make sure to keep visitingwww.wmaba.com and check your email inbox for updates. H&D
WMABA is proud to announce to the mid-Atlantic repair communitythat the association will be initiating the third annual Labor Rate Surveyof its membership region. Repairers in the area, including segmented regions covering all of Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC, will have anopportunity to respond to the online survey, which will be available on theWMABA website from July through August.
Want to make sure you’re on the list? Send your name, company and
email address to [email protected]
FIND MORE ASSOCIATION UPDATES @www.wmaba.comWHAT’S
UP TO?
”
PRESIDENT: Don [email protected]
443-539-4200 ext. 17061
VICE PRESIDENT: Torchy [email protected]
410-309-2242
SECRETARY: John [email protected]
703-534-1818
OFFICERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rodney [email protected]
410-969-3100 ext. 250
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Jordan Hendler
PAST PRESIDENT: Barry [email protected]
804-746-3928
Mark [email protected]
703-671-2402
Kevin [email protected]
301-336-1140
Bobby [email protected]
434-767-4128
Just like equipment and training, WMABA membership is notonly a commitment to excellence, but also a valuable investment.
WMABA is recognized both regionally and nationally as the keyforum for the exchange of ideas concerning the D.C., MD, and VAcollision repair industry. It is the venue to discuss, learn about andimpact evolving standards and policies in the technical, administra-tive and legislative fronts of our industry. Shops and industrysupporters can best develop themselves and their employees byactively engaging in the association and its activities.
Automotive collision repair facilities in Maryland, Virginia andWashington, D.C. who are willing to adopt WMABA’s Standards ofMembership and offer a guarantee to their consumers areencouraged to engage their business as an active member of theassociation. For over 40 years, the WMABA membership of profes-sional collision repair businesses and affiliates have committed tooperating at a higher standard on behalf of their industry and theirconsumers. Over the years, WMABA has proudly represented the col-lision repair industry at hearings on Capitol Hill, in Annapolis, MD,and Richmond, VA as well as almost every national collision repairevent. While WMABA has a rich history of dedicated men and womenserving the local collision repair community, WMABA also boasts nu-merous past and current accomplished Board members who repre-sent our membership at the national level.
WMABA offers current and dynamic discussion forums on top-ics facing collision repairers, technical information and educationalseminars, opportunities to network and discuss pressing topics withleaders of the collision repair industry, an arbitration program thatworks with consumers to help resolve issues they might have, ap-prenticeship programs, legislative representation and the ability toreceive and contribute to one of the nation’s leading collision repairmagazines, Hammer and Dolly.
Contact Executive Director Jordan Hendlerto find out how WMABA can amplify YOUR
voice in the collision repair industry. “
Position YourBusiness as a Leader!
An association fostering the exchange of ideas, and providing a voice and support for the collision repair professional.
TREASURER: Mark Schaech [email protected]
410-358-5155
51July 2014
52 July 2014
MESSAGEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S Jordan Hendler
(804) [email protected]
visit that it was an altering experience. Tony is clearly dedicated to the betterment of theprofession, and the support of educational opportunities is at the top of the list.
During the conference, discussions centered around insurer relationship issues, suchas the introduction of LKQ Corp. to the market by an insurer. They talked about how oneinsurer recently sold all of their owned body shops, while another insurer is purchasingthem. Questions were raised about repair quality of those facilities as well as other DirectRepair shops. Needless to say, I felt right at home.
I wish I had the entire issue to talk about the great people we met there, and havingthe opportunity to learn about and learn from them. What strikes me is that these folksaren’t unlike many of you repairers here at home, who’ve decided that the way to get aheadin the industry is to differentiate from the competition, support your association and committo education and constant improvement.
It doesn’t take a 24-hour grueling plane trek to find out that we are all one community.We all have the same problems. H&D
GOING OUT ONA WALKABOUT
I recently traveled to Australia for arepairer conference (see page 36) and foundout just how small our world really is. We shouldall have a feeling of connectivity with repairersabroad, as we share more than we all realize.I’m honored that I was asked to present infor-mation about social media relativity for repairersand also speak on behalf of WMABA regardinginsurer relations, parts issues and how bothaffect shops in America. The experience gaveme a rare look into how another countryoperates in a lot of the same ways as ours.There were a couple of standouts that areworth the mention.
In the days leading up to the conference,we visited Miranda Auto Body, which is a Mer-cedes-certified facility branded with the factorylook of a dealership. (In Australia, repairers aredirect dealerships of Mercedes, and follow thesame guidelines as they would if they sold thevehicles.) The shop’s decision to brand as arepairer with Mercedes was something they feltwould keep them at the forefront of their indus-try, and allow them to perform all the factory-required operations necessary to repair thevehicle to pre-accident condition. The facility isalso dedicated to giving their customer afirst-class experience.
One person of note is Tony Farrugia ofTony Farrugia Bodyworks, a Mercedes-certifiedfacility (with certifications from other manufac-turers as well). I didn’t see his facility, but thepassion of doing a proper repair for his cus-tomer was apparent and I can tell from thephotos and the feedback from those lucky to
We should all have a feeling ofconnectivity with repairers abroad,
as we share more than we all realize.“”
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54 July 2014
ADVERTISERS’INDEX
Alexandria Toyota ................................26All Foreign Used Auto..........................48American Honda Motor Co. ................8Audi Group ..........................................49Axalta Coating Systems ......................4BMW Group ........................................28-29BMW of Bel Air ....................................IBCBMW of Fairfax....................................3BMW of Rockville ................................IBCBMW of Towson ..................................IBCCAPA ..................................................11Car-Part.com ......................................35CCC One ............................................9Chesapeake Automotive Equipment ..41Empire Auto Parts................................39Ford Group ..........................................19Future Cure ........................................40GM Parts Group ..................................17Macro Body Shop Help Wanted ..........53Honda Group ......................................43Hyundai Group ....................................21Koons Ford ..........................................35Mazda Group ......................................23MINI Group ..........................................31MINI of Baltimore County ....................IBCMitsubishi Group..................................47Mopar Group ........................................13Nissan Group ......................................39NORTHEAST 2015 ............................54O’Donnell Honda ................................53Packer Norris Parts ............................30Porsche Group ....................................42PPG ....................................................IFCP&L Consultants..................................27Russel Toyota ......................................34Safety Regulations ..............................41Sherwin-Williams ................................7Subaru Group......................................38Tire World ............................................34Toyota Group ......................................46Valspar Automotive..............................OBCVW Group............................................22
55July 2014
