BodyShop Business Blog

Going Green

2008-08-21T13:16:00Z

I'm seeing more and more news reports on the Web about this shop or that shop going "green," or transitioning to environmentally-friendly business practices. In fact, the frequency of these reports has increased significantly, which is encouraging. It's also encouraging that these shops are getting the message out and marketing themselves with official press releases. After all, after undergoing such a drastic change in your business, why wouldn't you announce it to the world and use it as a marketing tool?

With insurance companies steering like crazy, shops that have seen their business get cut in half are looking for ways to make themselves stand out from the competition. They're looking for innovative ways to market to the actual customer, the vehicle owner. Becoming certified to repair Mercedes or BMW isn't an option for everyone given the expense and all the hoops you have to jump through. Going "green," however, is a great way of differentiating yourself.

I don't see this as a fad that's going to go away anytime soon. The planet looks like it's hurting, and the average everyday consumer is seeing this, too. Consumers now go out of their way to patronize businesses that are trying minimize their eco-footprint.

Some shops are simply converting to waterborne paint, which contains less Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) than solventborne paint. Others are taking the green approach a step further by using:

• Ultraviolet curing body fillers and primers that reduce or eliminate the use of solvents.
• Multi-stage dust filters in controlled work environments.
• Ceiling filters to trap dust that would otherwise escape through the roof into the air.
• Recycling and/or proper disposal of all paint waste and dismantled car parts.
• Biodegradable soap when washing cars. Also, high-pressure wash systems that use minimal amounts of water. And runoff water is filtered before it goes into the proper drains.

There's an an official certification as a green business to be had in some parts of the country. Typically, the business has to prove it recycles all paper, glass and plastic products, uses energy efficient lighting, etc.

Have you gone green yet? It may part of the answer to standing out and surviving in an increasingly hostile market.

The Future of Collision Repair?

2008-08-11T17:17:00Z

Myself and Managing Editor Hannah Schiffman got out of the office recently and visited DCR Systems in Mentor, Ohio. Initially, DCR offered turnkey collision repair outsourcing to dealerships nationwide, operating six repair centers in three states. However, DCR recently allied with Toyota Motor Sales USA to offer its patent-pending, lean-based operating model exclusively to Toyota dealerships for the next five years.

I initially visited DCR two years ago and walked away just as impressed this second time. If you haven't visited this collision repair facility yet, I highly recommend that you do. The place is immaculate. You could eat off the floors. Everything is organized, color-coded and easily accessible, an anal retentive person's dream. I asked CEO Michael Giarrizzo if this anal retentiveness for him spills over at home, and he said no, but one employee modeled his method of cleaning dishes after the way they keep the shop clean. Talk about an employee "buying in" to the company philosophy.

I'll be honest – if I were opening a body shop tomorrow, I'd model it just like this facility. I'd copy the heck out of it. I think others have had the same idea, which is why DCR decided not too long ago to launch a new company, DCR Intellectual Property Company, that will license the lean production system used in DCR facilities. After all, Giarrizzo put a lot of hard work into creating his own unique system and has every right to protect it.

Let's face it, those who cling to the "old way" will most likely disappear as costs continue to go up, vehicles become more complicated to repair and consumer/insurer demands multiply. It's been said so much I'm sick of it, but the definition of insanity is doing things the same over and over and expecting different results. When you scrutinize certain aspects of the "old way," you realize they defy logic and make no sense. But some repairers are so busy they never have the time to think about doing things differently.

At DCR, there's a logical flow to things. It's a car repair factory, if you will, an assembly line that ensures ultimate efficiency. Rarely is there a stoppage of work. The goal is to get consistent, predictable results in an unpredictable environment because the whole model is based on predictability. Without predictability, everything falls apart. The other key is discipline to make sure that posted standard operating procedures or "SOPs" are strictly and consistently adhered to.

There's always a better way. There were two machines at DCR that created inefficiency because they were in separate places, and someone thought to ask the manufacturer if it could customize a cart for the two machines to fit into and thus be together. And the manufacturer did this. All it took was someone to think logically and sensibly and figure out a better way. We just don't do that enough it seems.

Customer Service Key

2008-07-28T13:56:00Z

On my flight over to the recent I-CAR Annual Conference, I read in USA Today how business at Best Buy, despite the weak economy, is thriving thanks to its emphasis on customer service. This emphasis on service is also the reason Best Buy is kicking the pants off its competitor, Circuit City, which is having major financial trouble.

This is just another example of how important customer service is to a business. Yes, the retail electronics business is a completely different animal than collision repair, but there is something we can learn here. With not enough repairs to go around out there and insurance companies steering most of the available jobs to their preferred shops, some shops are at a loss as to how to bring in more business or at least make sure to close the deal when a customer walks in to "interview" them for the job (that's right, the customer isn't coming in for an estimate, he or she is waiting for you to impress him or her by extolling the virtues of your shop). One way is stellar customer service, something the industry as a whole could polish up on.

Sometimes it's the little things that count, such as coming out from behind the counter as soon as a customer walks in and engaging him or her right away in a friendly manner. Some restaurants tell their servers to try to engage diners within 30-45 seconds of their arrival at the table, and if one server is slammed then someone else should at least greet the diners and tell them their server will be with them shortly. The bottom line is, people don't like to be ignored. It makes them feel you don't want their business.

And all shops could show a little more empathy to their customers' situations. In the article "Sell That Job!" in the upcoming August issue of BodyShop Business, Hank Nunn writes that "the customer wants empathy above everything else when he or she comes to our business."

Extreme customer service. It's something every shop can improve and reap benefits from.

No Doom and Gloom Here

2008-07-09T17:37:00Z

I recently returned from the annual CARSTAR conference, and I must say the incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm poured out there is still lingering in my system. These days, there seems to plenty of doom-and-gloom talk about the future of the collision repair industry, but there was none to be found at this four-day pep rally. And I call it a "pep rally" because it was brimming with positive thoughts, creative ideas and motivational (and informative) speeches.

Conspicuously absent was any talk of repairers' growing frustration with insurers and any advice to franchisees on how to handle situations where they feel vehicles are being steered from their shops or perhaps feel they aren't getting paid for all of the procedures they perform during the repair process. Also, the term "partner" was frequently used in reference to insurers. You could argue it had something to do with the fact that 26 insurance executives were among the 500 or so attendees.

But I think the message of the conference would have been the same even if the insurance industry hadn't been so heavily represented. Why? Because I think CARSTAR has the philosophy that, right or wrong, we all play in the same sandbox and have to get along. And the insurance industry isn't going anywhere. Plus, the frachisor's executives made it clear at the conference that insurer relationships are a big part of their growth strategy for the future. CARSTAR knows that the number of shops is shrinking as insurers increasingly favor multiple-location operators, and it wants to put itself in a good position as the industry contracts and more work gets funneled to fewer shops.

To be fair, though, it's not as if CARSTAR's leadership has completely turned a blind eye to what repairers believe are underhanded tactics by insurers meant to squeeze their profits. Case in point is the "responsible push-back" letter CEO Dick Cross and COO Dan Bailey issued to the industry last year that said that "insurers are having their way with independent shop owners – offloading administrative costs, narrowing the definitions of what they will pay for and demanding higher levels of service." But the letter pointed out that these weren't "schemes" on behalf of insurers to squeeze shops' profits but rather a reason to exponentially improve the customer experience.

Indeed, improving customer service was the main message pounded through at the conference: extreme customer care. CARSTAR chose to focus on what it can control, which is making each and every store a better business operator. Senior Marketing Executive Bill Garroutte said that if each store could improve its "closing" percent just a little bit, or the number of customers who walk in the store and end up giving that store its business versus walking out, it could mean extra sales of $50,000 per store.

What will you focus on the rest of this year and next and into the future? Based on comments I've received from some repairers, it seems that some have just given up and resigned themselves to going out of business and they're dead-set on fighting till the end. Their last and final goal is to kick insurers in the butt one more time. I find that very discouraging. Wouldn't it be more productive to focus that energy on working on your business and turning a harsh light on the things that you do that hold you back? It's never too late. What's wrong is wrong, and repairers should fight for their right to a decent profit and expose unfair business practices. But to blame all of an industry's ails on one party is wrong and can lead to counterproductive activity.

Communication Breakdown

2008-06-27T16:58:00Z

I recently came back from the Midwest Collision Industry Forum held in Columbia, Mo., and a recurring frustration among repairers was reinforced to me during the session in which Chris Andreoli, corporate PD process manager of Progressive Insurance, talked about his desire to improve relations between repairers and Progressive.

First of all, let me say that Andreoli gained my respect and many others' by showing up at the meeting to field questions from repairers, many of whom expressed immense frustration with Progressive. Bob Smith, representative for the Missouri Collision Coalition (AASP of Missouri, ASA MOKAN and SCRS MOKAN) jokingly posted a "No Weapons Allowed" sign on the door, and Andreoli also joked that he was a marked man. Andreoli showed much courage and, more importantly, a sincere desire to improve Progressive's reputation in doing business with repairers. He is well aware that Progressive routinely ranks near the bottom in shop surveys and is intent on improving that ranking.

However, despite Andreoli telling the audience what Progresssive's corporate policies and procedures are, repairers time and time again stood up to refute those policies and cite examples of how they're not being followed by field personnel.

Insurance field personnel making their own rules is nothing new to repairers, and Progressive isn't the only one guilty here. How many times have we heard about an industrious field agent all of a sudden declaring that "we don't pay for that procedure" when repairers before had no problem getting compensated for it? It gets to the corporate heads, and they profess to know nothing about it. Repairers often tell me their theory is that the agent is looking to make a name for himself or herself, or trying to impress his or her boss, and is often rewarded for doing so.

The bottom line is that these highly touted policies aren't effectively getting from the corporate heads to the field personnel. Either it's lip service or just a pathetic breakdown of communication. And if the corporate heads are saying one thing but incentivizing employees to do another, then their sincerity and credibility goes out the window.

Andreoli had no real answer for repairers who were telling him how things really go when they deal with Progressive field reps, only to say that Progressive has defined business practices and, if they're not being followed, those reps will be communicated with.

Maybe the responsibility lies with local management. Maybe some of these insurance companies are so big they can't possible babysit or manage their people well. Or maybe they just turn a blind eye to it. The reality is that even though every insurance company says it doesn't steer, we all know they do, and that in and of itself makes us suspect of them. Actions speak louder than words.

If Progressive really wants to mend its relationship with repairers, more effective communication needs to happen between the top officers and the field reps. Right now, Andreoli is saying one thing and repairers are experiencing another. His efforts are commendable, but Progressive has a long road ahead of it...

Raising Labor Rates

2008-06-16T14:15:00Z

There was a good article recently in the Patriot Ledger (to read click HERE) about body shops and insurers battling it out in Massachusetts over a labor rate bill recently added to the State Senate's budget proposal for the coming fiscal year.

The bill would create a new system of determining labor rates. Currently, rates are determined through negotiations between shops and insurers. The new system would have a commission comprised of insurers and repairers, as well as state officials, who would oversee a set of rates tied to a national average labor rate. The state's current average hourly rate is $34.55, compared to the national average of $42.45.

As usual, insurers are saying the rate increases will result in higher-priced premiums for consumers, but repairers are arguing that with record profits of late, the insurers should be able to absorb that without passing it on to consumers. The fact of the matter is that an increase in labor rates is long overdue, it should happen and insurers can indeed absorb the cost.

Survey Says...

2008-06-04T13:03:00Z

OK, our most recent survey is officially closed and the results are in. The question was, "Is an OEM-specified repair procedure the only correct way to repair a vehicle?" And...

57% of you said YES.

43% of you said NO.

There are a lot of issues here to talk about. For those of you who voted no, when is it appropriate to stray from the OEM-recommended procedure? How much experience do you feel you need to have before you can determine an "alternate" repair method you feel will be just as good as the OEM recommendation?

Also, if repairers are straying from OEM-recommended procedures, are they doing so due to insurer pressure or only on occasion when their expertise allows them to make the decision? Or is it simply the mentality of "there's more than one way to skin a cat"?

Here's another question: if a repairer has better access to OEM repair information, can he or she use it as leverage to get paid properly by insurance companies?

I would love to hear your comments on any of these questions. Join our community and post me a note. Thanks for your help.

Crying Wolf?

2008-05-09T19:13:00Z

I'm sure many of you saw the article on our Web site in "Breaking News" about the American Insurance Association calling auto repair anti-steering legislation a "wolf in sheep's clothing." And I'm pretty sure it irked you as much as it did me. The article basically said that this legislation could cost consumers millions of dollars in higher repair costs (haven't heard that one before). Maybe auto insurance should cost more. Maybe consumers would be willing to pay higher premiums if they were guaranteed top-quality repairs.

The article also stated that the legislation reduces marketplace competition. Huh? I'd say steering everybody to one body shop in a given area pretty much does a heck of a job to reduce marketplace competition. When a policyholder makes a claim, insurance companies say they have the right to explain the benefits of taking the vehicle to a shop in their preferred networks. You know what? I agree. But once the policyholder says no after the pitch, all discussion should end. If the hard sell continues and things like "we find that shop difficult to work with" or "we can't guarantee the repair if you take it to that shop" are said, that's coercion and deceptive referral.

Let's look at that guarantee thing. In all their advertisements, insurance companies refer to "guaranteed" repairs. But we all know they don't guarantee anything because they don't perform auto repairs. And most shops guarantee repairs for life. So an insurer saying it can't guarantee repairs at ABC Shop but can at the XYZ preferred shop is, again, deceptive referral.

Let's also look at the insurance company's claim that the repair can be done faster if the policyholder takes the vehicle to a shop in its preferred network. Of course it can. The only reason it will take longer if the policyholder takes the car out-of-network (sounds like the medical insurance field, doesn't it?) is because the insurer will delay in sending an appraiser out to that shop on purpose. Perhaps if the policyholder is without his or her vehicle for three weeks, he or she will think twice about going outside the network next time. Pretty smooth.

The article also says: "...automobile insurance companies process more than 25 million auto repair and replacement claims annually. This puts insurers in a unique position to know which auto repairers do the best work and provide the best service." The best service? We all know of some body shops on insurers' preferred networks that are there for one reason alone: cheap, low-quality repairs. But the customer will never know the difference, right?

But this article is good for all of us to read to know what the insurance companies are pushing out there. It should motivate you to increase your efforts to get out your message and tell consumers the real scoop. Hand out fliers at your shop. Pool your money with other shops in your area to buy radio/TV spots. Tell your story to the local newspaper or news station and lay it on heavy about consumers' rights. They'll eat it up. Educating consumers is as important today as delivering shiny, structurally sound and aesthetically-pleasing vehicles back to them.

"D" is for Diversification – and Doughnuts

2008-05-05T20:11:00Z

We've been talking a lot about diversification lately in BodyShop Business as a key to body shops' future success. I saw a perfect example of that the other day when visiting a Dunkin' Donuts. Back in the day, all Dunkin' Donuts sold was coffee and doughnuts. Have you visited one lately? Now they're practically selling everything, from breakfast sandwiches to lunch items to ice cream. Should you add on a doughnut shop to your collision repair facility? Of course not. But you should continually look at other service offerings that closely align with what you already offer but could bring in extra profit. After all, no business should be one-dimensional.

Industry Speaks On CCC-Mitchell Merger

2008-04-29T12:42:00Z

So far, CCC and Mitchell officials have been fairly mum on details of the proposed merger other than to say the intent is to transition to a single platform. Naturally, there has been discussion among repairers about its possible implications. A few industry folks recently offered their thoughts exclusively to BodyShop Business:

“It will be very bad for the industry. The insurance companies already have a stranglehold on our industry, and having CCC and Mitchell merge will make it much easier for the insurers to keep us under their thumbs. This screams of what the McKinsey Report suggested to do.”

“Way back in the olden days, there were only two databases, Motor and Mitchell. In my early years in the industry, I worked for an insurance company, and we used whichever book the shops didn't and frequently paid the lowest time from the two books.

“The real issue is not the database. There will still be three databases, at least for as long as Mitchell allows CCC to honor its commitment to Motor. The real issue is, and always has been, to get the insurers to deal with shops honestly and professionally, using not just select parts of one database or another but the entire database, 'Not Included' items and all.

“So I don't see the merger as a real ‘threat’ to the industry. It might actually make things easier. The real focus should be convincing the insurance side to use one system or the other, and use the whole system as designed to arrive at fair and accurate damage evaluations.”

“I've tried to tell shop owners for years that every time you give away a free procedure in the interest of getting along with insurers, you help them set a precedent. DRP shops have given insurers tons of so-called ‘proof’ that some procedures in the 'Not Included' column belong in the 'Included' column. ‘Look at all these shops that don’t charge for those P-page items,' blah blah blah. If the data providers turn into one (or one-and-a-half) giant entity, they’ll no doubt form an alliance with the insurers. It won't take place in public. The alliance will happen on a golf course. It will be much easier to manipulate one entity than three, right?”

“I believe that there is already a lack of competition in the collision repair data provider marketplace and that a merger between CCC and Mitchell would create such an enormous market share for a single entity that it would crush all meaningful competition and would be a complete barrier to entry for any other company interested in joining the market. I think the Department of Justice (DOJ) should prohibit such a merger under the antitrust provisions of the Clayton Act.

“I think it's also important to understand that there is already a significant lack of meaningful information collected by these same data sources. As they only include information on those shops that submit information electronically (i.e. DRP shops), the data they sell/provide on repairer prices, rates and practices is limited exclusively to those submitting electronically and is an extremely tainted data set already being (or at least attempted to be) applied to the collision repair universe at large.

“I think repairers should raise an outcry to prevent the DOJ from approving the merger.”

“I see it as a monopoly. It should be illegal but it probably is not. Talk about mining your data! They’ll have it all. As long as Audatex or Solera survives, there may be some hope, but now times and procedures will just get more time cut from the operations to suit the largest customer (the insurers). There will be no books to go back to and check times to see if they've been cut. This will probably be the nail in the coffin for a lot of shops as the merger progresses.”

“I think it’s too soon to tell. I suspect it could make things worse, although I feel if you're on your game as an estimator, it shouldn't be a problem. Half of the shops don't know how to use the P-pages anyway. So I could see abolishing the estimating guidelines for 'Not Included' items. I have learned that estimating is the core of our profit center, so we need to maintain control of the estimating process. Our industry as a whole spends between $1.05 to $1.26 to produce $1.00 of labor and it’s getting worse. So I see the problem lying with the estimators and the shops, not with the database.

“Since June 1991, industry leadership has toiled to enable shops to not require having three estimating systems. We created CEIDIS and CEICA and talked about it at CIC for 17 years. It now seems that perhaps we’ll realize the dream by attrition and consolidation, which is about the only upside from this. Perhaps shops will finally be able to cut their costs by 33 percent by not having to buy both Mitchell and CCC!

“Seriously, the concern is that it could eliminate competition and therefore raise prices and stifle competition. We haven’t seen innovation in the estimating systems for nearly 17 years because [the database providers] don’t have to innovate. When I approached these companies about creating a consumer-friendly estimate, I was nearly laughed at. With less competition, there will be less innovation, not to mention less motivation to innovate, respond to the market and keep prices competitive. We cannot be sure that any ill will befalls us, but we know the track record in the past and can predict the future accordingly. This does have the potential to be harmful to the industry, but it’s not likely. Even if it does result in all of the worst-case scenarios, it's not as big an expense as the price fixing the paint companies get away with each year.”

“The collision industry complains that it's a pawn in an equation largely driven by stronger forces – insurance, information providers, etc. If you go on the Web sites of these information providers, it’s clear that their products are driven by claims handling processes, with the repair shop's need to write an accurate repair estimate for a motorist hardly even mentioned.

“So we now have an event that can have a dramatic impact on our businesses, and there’s hardly any mention, at the association level at least, of studying the issue, forming a position and possibly proactively taking steps to protect our interests. Are the CIC-style relationships that we’ve developed and become dependent on a hindrance to us thinking and acting clearly?"

10 Things I Think I Think

2008-04-23T12:45:00Z

OK, it's been a week since I got back from the Collision Industry Conference held April 15-17 in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, and here are the 10 Things I Think I Think (yes, I know, the title is a blatant rip-off of Sports Illustrated reporter Peter King's popular column. Thanks, Pete!).

1. I think Philadelphia is a great city. I got a real charge hoofing it every day from the Sheraton to the Crowne Plaza and mixing it up with the downtown crowd.

2. I think I jinxed myself and two companions when I said, "You know, I find it amazing we haven't been panhandled yet," because right after I said that we were panhandled by three different people in the course of one city block.

3. I think I was hoping the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance representatives weren't in attendance at the CIC meeting on Thursday when attorney Erica Eversman, during her presentation, said something to the effect that all departments of insurance are a mess or clueless. But I was wrong. Commissioner Joel Ario was there, and he took exception to Eversman's comments.

4. I think I was very touched when Dan Risley read outgoing SCRS Chairman Farzam Afshar's speech for him at the Corporate Awards Dinner Tuesday night. Farzam is battling cancer and couldn't make it. The entire Babcox Publications family is praying for you, Farzam.

5. I think I'm very glad Toby Chess's presentation involved only a telephone handset this time and not wrist restraints.

6. I think I really enjoyed the soft pretzels served during the break on Thursday, with spicy brown mustard no less. Way to go, Michael Quinn!

7. I think the most spirited discussion happened on Thursday during the Parts Committee's presentation. Two points made by attendees were:

Salvage part prices are much higher when you consider what it takes a shop to prepare them and get them ready for installation.

Price quotes should be for parts in undamaged condition. Damage allowances are to be negotiated at the time of delivery.

8. I think the reception Wednesday night sponsored by DuPont was out of sight. Great food and great conversation. Just once would I like to see my name sculpted in ice like that.

9. I think I feel bad for anyone who becomes the next victim of one of BodyShop Business's videotaped interviews. A few words to the hapless person: don't worry, you look great. And just be yourself.

10. I think I really enjoy CIC meetings.

Shark Attack

2008-04-14T13:33:00Z

Who doesn't like Shark Week? You know, the week-long series on the Discovery Channel that basically shows what sharks do best: hunt and eat.

I love sharks, much for the same reason I like rollercoasters: they scare the heck out of me and remind me that I'm alive. I've gone to bed many a night thinking, "While I'm drifting off to slumber, some 20-foot eating machine is prowling the depths of the ocean looking for a midnight snack." Even at the municipal pool in the summer, I'm often compelled to thrash toward the edge by the thought of a snaggle-toothed mako lurking somewhere beneath my feet. I know, I need therapy.

I think my (and many others') fascination with sharks began after viewing the blockbuster movie, "Jaws." I was only five years old at the time it hit the theaters, and I was one of the millions of people who, after seeing the flick, were scared to go more than ankle-deep in the water. In fact, my parents still have a photo of me from a vacation to Tampa Bay, Fla., that documents my fear: it's a panoramic shot taken far back from the surf line, so I'm no taller than a grain of rice. All you see is the arching blue sky, an expanse of white sand and a little boy in red swim trunks staring nervously down at his feet...no doubt hearing the haunting "duh-duh – duh-duh – duh-duh" Jaws theme song.

After that, relatives knew that anything shark-related – books, rubber toys, jewelry with teeth (and sometimes the whole jaws), stuffed animals – were perfect birthday and Christmas presents for me.

Naturally, then, when Shark Week rolls around, I'm glued to the TV. Last year, I was watching it late one night when I saw some incredible footage of some researchers racing their boat alongside a Great White that was chasing a seal. Right off, I couldn't help but think of the shark as the insurance industry and the seal as the body shops, not from the standpoint that the insurance industry wants to swallow the collision repair industry whole, but more of the mismatch between the two entities. The seal was so clearly overmatched, and while it was doing a good job of evading the shark, twisting and turning and occasionally eluding the shark's jaws by acrobatically leaping out of the water, you knew it just delaying the inevitable and would eventually get chomped. And then one of the researchers made an interesting comment:

"You can't help but root for the seal because he's so clearly overmatched."

So take heart, repairers, the world is on your side. And your recent legislative and other pushback efforts are showing that you have more teeth than some folks believe...

Industry Unity Article Series - Download the PDFs

2008-04-11T14:09:00Z

Thanks for all of your encouraging comments regarding the Industry Unity series of articles we just wrapped up in April. Many people requested copies of the articles they could hand out at meetings with their colleagues, so to make things easy, I’ve included downloadable PDFs below that you’re free to use. It’s this kind of feedback that allows BodyShop Business to continue to improve and better serve you, our readers.

Industry Unity: One Voice
January 2008, 11 pages

Industry Unity: Troubled Times
February 2008, 7 pages

Industry Unity: DOIs: The Fox Guarding the Henhouse?
March 2008, 5 pages

Industry Unity: What Have We Learned?
April 2008, 5 pages

Welcome to the New and Improved BodyShopBusiness.com!

2008-04-11T13:54:00Z

Wow! My first blog. This is truly a special occasion. I remember 25 years ago when I plunked down $900 of my hard-earned paper route money for my first personal computer, a Commodore 64. At the time, there was no Internet, but even if there had been, I wouldn’t have been interested in blogging or socializing in chat rooms. No, I was a mischievous 11-year-old, and I had only one main reason for buying my own computer: to hack into the FBI’s computer system.

You see, the movie "War Games" starring Matthew Broderick as a young man who hacks into a military central computer and almost starts World War III had just come out and inspired young hooligans all over the country to attempt to do the same. But try as I might, I could not breach our country’s intelligence network. Perhaps that's why I'm blogging you today from a sunny office and not some dark, cold prison with a cellmate named Rufus breathing down my neck. I was, however, able to make a hot air balloon float across the screen after typing enough lines of computer code to make even Bill Gates' head spin. See, with my purchase of the Commodore 64, I received a free one-year subscription to Commodore 64 magazine, and every issue contained lines of code you could type in to either create some video game or make some other cool graphic effect…if you call a balloon floating across a screen cool. I’m still haunted by its image…and my decision to buy a Commodore 64 instead of $900 of Apple Computer stock.

But the past is the past, and today I bask in the glory of being able to offer all of you a new and improved Web site that is yet one more tool to help empower you with the knowledge you need to run a profitable business. The Web site is the product of the hard work of the entire BodyShop Business staff, and I cannot thank them enough for having a vision, executing it and living our mission statement of helping body shop owners conquer their everyday business challenges.

So what’s new? For starters, the new Web site involves you! Signing up for our community gives you a chance to comment on anything you read – the BodyShop Business Blog, feature articles, letters to the editor or news. Joining our community also allows you to participate in our Custom Showcase, where you can show off photos of cars you've customized or restored.

We know how the Internet has turned us all into newshounds searching out up-to-the-minute news updates. Look no further than BodyShopBusiness.com, which will feature the latest breaking news updated daily.

Myself and Managing Editor Michael T. Peltier know that only part of our jobs involves sitting behind a desk. We’re dedicated to covering industry events and visiting body shops all over the country to keep our finger on the pulse of the collision repair community, and now we’ll chronicle our travels for all to see in our "From the Field" section. Whether it’s a Society of Collision Repair Specialists meeting or a visit to a shop in Houston, Minn., we’ll report on what’s going on in the real world and keep you connected to your fellow repairers via written articles, photos and video interviews.

We designed the site to be easy to use, and we trust you’ll find that this is the case. A lefthand navigation bar leaves you just one click away from all the vital information you need. Under "Reference Shelf" includes the latest industry legislative efforts, statistics, State of the Industry report, a comprehensive list of trade associations, and more. Searching for an article you read in a bygone issue of BodyShop Business? Find it under either "Business Center" or "Tech Center," where past articles are categorized by subject matter. You’ll also find the current issue and previous issue on display for your perusal.

We put a lot of thought and hard work into the site, but ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether it serves your needs. I encourage you to send me feedback. Is there something we’re missing? Did you not find something you were looking for? The site is by no means final and will ever evolve, so your input is crucial for us to constantly refine it and make it the ultimate one-stop shop for collision repair information. Happy surfing!