Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing WE LIKE MIKE: New Jersey Automotive Honors Industry Icon Mike Anderson Americans have become more polarized than ever before in recent years. DRP or OEM-certified facility. Single shop location or multi-shop operator (MSO).  Manufacturer or aftermarket parts…Collision repairers have even more reasons to bump heads. Yet, despite the many sources of contention within our industry and society, there’s ONE thing that everyone can agree on: Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) is an amazing human being, and our world would be a much better place if more people emulated him. Whether you know him personally or have had the pleasure of sitting in one of his engaging seminars…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing In 1836, Colonel William B. Davis used his sword to draw a line in the sand, inviting those who would defend the Alamo to the death to join him. Nearly 200 years later, a similar line was drawn in Texas over the inclusion of Right to Appraisal in automotive insurance policies – and while no one has been asked to lay down their life, there are lives at stake…the lives of Texas drivers and their families. ABAT President Burl Richards (Burl’s Collision Center; Henderson) and ABAT Board member Robert McDorman (Auto Claim Specialists) joined consumer advocates, insurance industry representatives and the Texas Department of…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Should insurer referral and program contracts be canceled? Last month, several shop owners shared their opinions on this topic with New England Automotive Report (available at grecopublishing.com/near0922coverstory), and a common trend developed: Many shops have extracted themselves from programs due to the belief that these contracts allow insurers to usurp control over their businesses – and prevent them from doing the right thing for their customers. “You have to perform repairs correctly from a liability, quality and service standpoint, regardless of what the insurer says,” according to Jack Lamborghini (Total Care Accident Repair; Raynham). “Establishing a strong customer base begins with quality repairs,…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing The concept of a direct repair program (DRP) seemed pretty great when insurers first introduced it: They’d refer claimants to a contracted shop in exchange for certain concessions, such as reduced labor rates or free storage. But as insurers sought to expand their control over the cost of claims, their practice of “recommending” direct repair facilities reduced the amount of work available for non-DRP shops, sounding the death knell for more than a few…as though the Grim Reaper himself had come calling for or independent auto body shops in the form of insurers, yielding a scythe molded from direct repair programs…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Repairing modern vehicles becomes more complicated with each passing year, thanks to advancing technology, an ever-evolving legislative landscape and the complexity of third-party relationships that many shops feel they must maintain. Of course, as independent businesses, shops reserve the right to operate the way they see fit…until they enter an arrangement with an outside entity, such as by participating in insurers’ referral and program contracts, the Commonwealth’s version of direct repair programs (DRPs). The concept of a “referral” program sounds pretty great: Insurers refer claimants to a contracted shop in exchange for certain concessions, such as reduced labor rates or…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Continued supply chain delays + ongoing workforce shortage = no relief from the backlog that has been plaguing Massachusetts body shops since late last year. If someone had predicted the influx of repair work that would inundate shops in 2022 just two years ago, most collision repairers would have laughed in their face. Yet, that far-fetched forecast has become a reality for many shops. Current inflation has driven gas prices sky-high, resulting in fewer vehicles on the road and fewer accidents, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation website reports there have been 55,959 accidents so far this year, as of…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing As electric vehicles (EVs) become increasingly prevalent on the roads, collision repair shops have begun seeing more damaged EVs in need of repair, but are EVs really that common? How will the increase in EVs impact shops? And how can auto body repair facilities prepare for and adjust to the morphological changes in the industry’s landscape without being submerged? Industry experts shared advice about how shops can prepare for the onslaught of constantly advancing vehicle technology in last month’s New Jersey Automotive (find their tips at bit.ly/NJAEV0622), but who better to provide practical recommendations for proactively bracing for impact from the “Technical Tsunami”…