Highest Rated Blog Posts

• How Smart is a Golf Cart Sized

  • From: DennisBandy
  • Description:

     

    

    We had a little fun (pun intended) on our last article posted at DenLors Auto Blog involving the Smart car and it's size comparison to a golf cart. The thought of a micro car that actually drives down the highway alongside tractor trailers seems more than a little dangerous to me. We dug up some interesting tidbits about the origin of this tiny car too. For instance did you know that this car was the collaboration of a Swiss watch company and a German luxury car manufacturer? Included in the short article are a couple of videos, one is of a crash test and the other has a slightly modified Smart car racing a Ferrari. For city driving where speeds aren't that high and parking can be an issue, this car may work well. If gas mileage was the main consideration, this car is Smart, very smart.      

     

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 436

• Davesbsi Dave Woodson

  • From: davesbsi
  • Description:

    Having read the problems with sanding and polishing we have a larger problem. In the past large insurers have thken to the habit of blending within panels. We just had an instance where we were paid 1.5 repair time on a 2005 Dodge truck hood. Refinish was reduced to blend in panel for 1.5 hrs and clear coat at 1.0 hrs.  Who can sand pepare back tape spray bonding clear on  an OEM finish to prevent pealing ,spray color and clear. What happens to material cost at 32.dollars an hr when red paint cost 85. dollars a pint. What is next , you only get .9 to hang a fender verses 1.5 flat rate. We are slowly being forced out of business by people who don't know a fan shroud from a window shade.

     

    Dave's Body Shop Inc.

    Trenton,MO.

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 139

• basecoat reduction

  • From: slimer00
  • Description:

    i have dealt with progressive and they can go to hell with their blend pannel bullshit. they are about the worst in the industry with their brainwashed pipmply faced adjusters and supervisors, they think they know things about how to repair a car, but they only know what they have been told, they have never gotten their hands dirty so they have no clue what it takes to repair a car in the proper fashion, all they want to do is shortcut and cheat. so if you are on their program be careful not to make them cry, and if you are thinking about getting on their program do you'r self a favor and run as fast as you can.

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 178

• GM downfall

  • From: gmman25
  • Description:

    One thing I have noticed with GM having problems is that they have shot themselves

    in the foot with their dealers.Reasons why is that the AC DELCO flag is part of GM.

    GM allowed AC DELCO to be sold in Walmart,Factory Auto Parts ,Advanced Auto Parts you name it.

    The AC DELCO parts should be sold only in the dealers.If they were sold in the dealers only then that

    would be another reason for the dealer to take care of there customers.It would also give a dealer a

    better chance for the dealer to get that customer back into there brand of vehicles.

    See the foreign automakers do that,and that is why they are able to keep their customers.

     

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 196

• Anti-Consumer Protection Bill

  • From: grace17
  • Description:

     

    In the State of California (as well as other states), there are laws that prevent insurance companies from steering customers into particular auto body repair shops.  These “anti-steering” laws require insurance companies to inform customers of their right to choose an auto body repair facility.  These laws exist because many consumers are unaware that insurance companies have agreements with their own auto body shops, also known as “Direct Repair Providers” (“DRP”).  These insurance-DRP contracts dictate labor costs, material costs, parts usages, repair time, plus more!  Since consumers are generally unaware of these DRP contracts, important laws have been placed to prevent insurance companies from taking undue advantage of consumers.

     

    Recently in California, Assembly Bill 1200 (AB1200) was narrowly passed in both the Senate and Assembly.  AB1200 was authored by Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi and is sponsored by the Personal Insurance Federation of California.  The verbiage in AB1200 supposedly would allow the insurance companies to provide to claimants “specific truthful and nondeceptive information regarding the services and benefits available to the claimant during the claims process…”  This is simply a cloak for insurance companies to steer customers away.  The terms “truthful” and “nondeceptive” mean an insurance company may not misrepresent information, thereby not committing fraud.  Insurance companies are already obligated to prevent misrepresentations and fraud to claimants.  Thus, the bill’s purpose is nothing more than a way to get around the anti-steering laws which is currently in place to protect consumers.

     

    This anti-consumer protection bill AB1200 is currently on the desk of Governor Schwarzenegger awaiting his approval.  Not only is this a dangerous bill for small businesses, but it also goes against the very essence of the anti-steering legislation which was enacted for the purposes of protecting consumers.  AB1200 should be vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger!

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 201

• reasonable behavior

  • From: Chas
  • Description:

    I have been in this business, on several sides for over three decades. The arguements have not changed in all that time. Every few years new management somewhere in the insurance system thinks they have a new idea and it starts again. The approach you took, requiring from the start of the process that the owner of the vehicle take a part in the process, is the only one that works in almost all situations. Personnel in shops have a responsibility to repair vehiicles properly. Doing less than that because some insurance company won't pay for proper repairs does not remove the liability from the shop. The issues of proper repairs and appropriate compensation are certainly connected, but they are completely seperate issues. By making the vehicle owner sign a financial responsibility form, you have shifted the focus. I know of a few shops that adopted this strategy a long time ago and now they get what they ask for in the beginning. And the customer satisfcation, both with them and the insurance carrier, is extremely high. Everything is done right every time. And the shop employees are very happy too. They are never asked to compromise. Stand your ground and do it right. It will pay off in the long run.

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 219

• Contribute, Don’t Social Stalk

  • From: autoshopanswers
  • Description:

    I have spent countless hours pouring myself into blogs, forums, tweets, messages and contributed content for the simple reason of growing my network. There are millions of people still new to social networking and are trying to learn how to use it to their advantage for their businesses and themselves. One of the most common misconceptions of new social networking users is the perceived need to grab up every friend, fan and follower they can within their first few days using social.

    I had a great meeting with a local business owner this week in which I consulted with him on some of the basics to social networking. I encouraged him to think of social networking as a place where you don’t necessarily reach out to people, but a place where you contribute as much valuable content as possible so that others reach out to you. He thought about it for a minute and I could see in his face that he got it. He finally understood one of the more important attributes to being a good social network-er because I put it in a way he could understand. This basic concept should be one of the first things a social network-er should learn and grasp.

    Social networking is a tool for contributing valuable content to a large community so that others may reach out to you in seek of your expertise.

    There is nothing more saddening than someone who feels they are trying so hard to gain traction in the social arena but are met with continued disappointment. It reminds me of the people who spend many hours working out and eating healthy but their bodies refuse to lose weight or tone up. It could be because they are doing something wrong or do not fully understand the proper processes. I want to just quickly address some things that could help new users better understand how to network via social networking and provide tips to those who work with clients who are new to it as well.

    There are hundreds of people out there that currently serve the same purpose as spam bots but don’t feel that they are doing anything wrong. These are the people who tweet religiously, send friend requests to local people and post on everyone’s wall. Now, at first glance, this doesn’t seem too bad. After all, they are doing their best to reach out to the community, right? Here’s the problem. They are harvesting users. If your list of friends, followers and fans is made up of nothing more than individuals who you know nothing about and vice versa, you might as well of sent 10,000 mailers to businesses and people with the wrong address. You are throwing away your time.

    When harvesting, the good social network-er’s and businesses will quickly fight you off by denying any request you throw at them. To these people, you are spamming their accounts and doing nothing more than stalking them and their friends/followers/fans. To them, you haven’t contributed anything valuable and could even be confused for a bot. You might ask why these people matter… after all, you can just go find more people to harvest. Well, in short – the people deleting you and denying your requests are usually the people who are most valuable to you and your business. These are the individuals who pay close attention to their social profiles and enjoy soaking up everything the community has to contribute. These are the people who if are ready to purchase a product or service, are 120% more likely to look to their valuable partners who have contributed something to them via social networks.

    Ok, so you get the concept and are ready to start contributing. Your first question is “Who should I sell my contributions to?” WRONG. 75% of contributed online content is considered free. News organizations keep a tighter lid on their policies but as an individual or small business, give it away for free. Go in with the mindset that you don’t want anything in return, that gaining a reader of your blogs is much more important than trying to take from the community. Don’t take from it, give to it and it will give back. Proper social networking is surprisingly a great example of how we should interact in person. Consider this – what one person takes, someone else had to work hard for.

    I encourage you to work hard and contribute as much as you can to the community. Trust me, it gives back to you. Currently, I have about 81 followers on Twitter. I reached out to maybe 10, about 8 others are friends and family and the rest were people responding to my contributions on the internet, such as this blog. There are so many values to building relationships with people eager to hear more from you. Try reading Thomas Baekdal’s recent article entitled “The Power and Value of a Fan“, I highly recommend it. He specifically dials into the numbers and details the actual value of a Fan.

    If you’re new to social networking, don’t worry! There are thousands of people with thousands of helpful articles who are contributing daily so that you may find something, like this blog, to guide you into social prosperity.

    Joshua Hays is an aggressive marketing consultant for autoshopanswers.com with a strong background in design and nearly ten years of broad experience involving both B2B and B2C marketing techniques including print and online campaigns. Joshua specializes in product and campaign development and is a self-proclaimed marketing extraordinaire. Joshua Hays can be reached at www.joshuahays.com.

     

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 255

• Basecoat Reduction

  • From: 1collision
  • Description:

    Basecoat reduction is another one of the Insurance Companies way of putting their repair resposibilitis on the shop. Any shop that doesn't realize their loss of revenue every single time they accept a paint reduction needs to take an accounting class. The basecoat reduction is totally unfounded and needs to go away. Shops need to realize everytime they agree to a basecoat reduction it not only affects the labor time in their refinish department it also is a material deduction and it will also affect the cycle time they are allowed.  Being a CCC user the P Pages clearly states that a repaired panel requires"ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES SUCH AS FEATHEREDGE AND OR/ PRIME AND BLOCK"- any othe time I have seen the word additional used it means-more or extra- how come in this instance the Insurance Companies have decided it means less- because shops have allowed them too would be my guess. Shops need to fight harder for what is right by the P Pages and not accept a reduction because some adjuster has told them that is the way it is- most of those adjusters have never repaired a vehicle so why should they get to decide the reductions? Fight back.       

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 277

• Partial refinish

  • From: hopeiseternal
  • Description:

    Farmers, Progressive, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, just to name a few are using "partial refinish" to decrease their costs. This is an arbitrary adjustment that does not have a basis in reality. Their arguement is that you will not be spraying color edge to edge therefore they are intitled to take a deduction yet in acturality most of the time to paint any given panel is in the time it takes to prep that panel. A better argument on their part would be that it takes less material. We all need to continue to fight yet another attempt by the insurance industry to unfairly cut labor times.

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 285

• Steering/DRP

  • From: rodney
  • Description:

    The sole reasoning of creating the concept of a DRP repair system boils down to only one thing and one thing only and thats is CONTROL. When the insurance company reaches the ability of Control the sky is the limit. Control follows with minipulation. Lets look at the whole pitcure a for just a minute.

    The Insurance company enables a Repair Shop to make concessions on their profits for more volume. Great the shop has more work!! Then the Insurance company enables the shop to depend on this volume. But the shop has more work !!!! Then the shop makes more concessions to keep the work. But we have more work!!!! Then thats when the CONTROL really starts to crank up. Soon the Insurance company controls the whole process. Soon the Insurance company is controlling labor rates, dictating type of parts, capping materials, eliminating mark up on legitimate expenditures on and on and on. It is a genius concept. The Insurance Companies are actually profiting more than the repair shops and never buying a tool or a piece of equipment. But the shop has more work!!!! But no profit to grow, no profit for training, no profit for equipment, this is just a example of how brutal this steering issue has become. We must return to free enterprise and learn to earn our customers the old fashion way. 

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 787

• Basecoat Reduction

  • From: fullservice
  • Description:

    This is my first post ever on any of the industries websites, but it is TIME to make a stand. A couple of years ago, we were on Progressive's DRP program. The first six months (honeymoon period) seemed like it would really work out. Then came the push, from up the ladder, to cut here and then there. It started with finding more and more used or A/M parts from wherever. We might have a list of six different suppliers on an estimate. I don't know about the rest of you, but I try to establish my business with people that are close by and can service my needs more readily. Then there was the "Blend within panel" which we are discussing now. The end came with them wanting to as they said "Burn the clear in" on a black Buick Regal quarter sail panel which was 8 inches wide. I supplied literature from 5 major paint companies and the GM Warranty manual which stated that basically this was an unwarrantable repair that will fail. Progressive's "young" brain washed supervisor stated (with my secretary listening and witnessing) that they would not pay for clearing to the nearest breaking point (roof rail & windshield pillar). When I told him they were in breach of contract to return vehicle to "Pre-accident" condition & should be turned in to the Kansas Insurance Commision, he said, and I quote "Do you think the State of Kansas can do anything to us ?". He was right, the State of Kansas did not, but, through 5 years of bottom ratings Progressive has started to turn around on some issues. Mind you, I said "started". Now here we are with other companies (IE Allstate, Farmers, Nationwide & etc...) picking up on another way to shortcut us. I come from a painter background, and can tell you, matter of factly, that it takes longer to blend a panel than to refinish it completely. I challenge any insurance adjustor to put his or her work clothes on with me, come to my shop, and do some prepping and painting. We ran into this with Allstate recently and took care of it in a way that worked well for us. I spent a few minutes composing a simple "Financial Responsibility" form which I had the customer sign after explaining to them why. It basically works just like any health care financial form would. How many times have you or a family member been to the doctor or hospital and then been billed for the portion your health insurance did not pay ??  Same thing here. When I called the Allstate adjustor, he started that song & dance routine, but when I read this form off and told him it was developed that day due to their new practice, he immediately started back peddling. Everything I asked for was in the mail the next day. I use that form often now and have not had one negative word from a customer. They sign these frequently for health care and are used to it. Most auto insurance companies do not want that negative of the customer having to come out of pocket for more than a deductible or betterment. If we don't hold our ground, this will take hold just like the 50% for color match blending panels, the multiple discounts on glass and etc... PLEASE, stand up for a fair profit on this and also the paint & materials caps/thresholds. For those who won't, there is no saving you. You will think these companies are your buddies and will filter all kinds of work volume to you (like Progressive did for us) when in reality, you are digging yourselves a deeper hole. There, I vented a little and feel better for it !!!

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 3626

• Proving a theory

  • From: TacomaTech
  • Description:

       Have you ever been laughed at by your service manager for coming up with a "left field" diagnosis? If you've been doing this for a while, then you probably have. If your new to the field, then at some point in time you probably will. For a moment, it will crush your confidance. For a moment, you will question your skills. And for a moment, you WILL FEEL LIKE A CHUMP. But hey, one of the best and worst things about a "moment" is that its short lived. And the best thing about that moment is it makes being right so much more satisfying.

       With the exponentially accelerating progress in technological capability, and the lightening fast processing speeds of todays computers, technicians have some pretty amazing diagnostic tools at there disposal. We have bidirectional control, fiber optic bore scopes, and data loggers smaller than credit cards that hold 30+ hours of info. Even your basic 2 channel DSO is taking 25 mega samples per second. We now have PC based software that can take inputs from mutiple tools like an ignition scope and a 5 gas, and cross analize the data to give you the most probable cause of failures that you may not even notice existed. Yes, its a great time to be a tech. What used to be wheeled around the shop on a cart, we now pull out of our third drawer down on the left, hook in, and drive down the road with it. Goodbye cathode ray tube, hello 16 bit resolution. But with all this high tech stuff at your finger tips, it becomes all to easy to overlook the most powerful tool of all... Good old fashioned logic.

       My story starts on a slow Monday morning. A '97 Ford F150 comes in with an inspection for "squeeky belt". I popped the hood to find that the crank pulley had a very visible wobble to it. I make my recommendations and move on to the next car. The ticket sells, I install the new belt and harmonic balancer and ship the truck. All goes smooth... for two days. Thursday morning I come walking in at 8 A.M. to find a work order for the same truck hanging on my hook waiting for me. Its making noise again. But this time its not a belt noise. This time its what the customer describes as a "spark noise". Of course the first thing I think is: ok, what was he in there doing because I didn't even touch the spark plug wires. But I kept that to myself and pulled the truck into my bay. Upon popping the hood I immediately heard the "spark noise" but it was too slow in tempo to be an ignition wire. It was happening about every 25-30 RPMs and coming from the front of the engine. As I crawled under the front of the truck I catch it out of the corner of my eye; a bright blue spark jumping from the timing cover to the outer rim of the crank pulley. I lay there for probably a full minute in dumfounded awe as it picked random spots all the way around to pulley to arch across the gap. My first thought was that the only electrical device in that area is the crank sensor, that has to be it. But that would surely cause a runability problem or at least a code and this thing runs tip top with no codes. I checked it anyway. Turns out the customer had to get going, he just wanted us to make sure it was drivable so he could go to work. I told him I couldn't see anything wrong other than the spark, and it didn't seem to effect anything while it was happening. We decided to order a factory harmonic balancer and I would do some research in the mean time.

       I decided to start by inspecting the old part. I noticed that like alot of harmonic balancers, this one had a layer of rubber between the outer "pulley" portion and the inner "hub" portion of the balancer. Now I've seen these two halves come appart before so I know that the rubber is the only thing holding them together. This raised an important point: Knowing what we do about the behavior of electricity, why would a stray current looking for a ground path jump a 2-3mm gap over to a pulley that is isolated from all other conductors by a layer of rubber? I wouldn't. That could only mean that the electrical charge was somehow originating in the pulley and jumping to the timing cover in search of a ground.

    The next night I posted this on the iATN website as well as here on AutoPro:

        "I replaced the harmonic balancer because it was bent and the belt was making noise. Everything went smooth. The customer came back a few days later complaining of a "spark" noise under the hood. After inspection I found that there was a spark arching across from the timing cover to the outer edge of the balancer. I pulled codes... nothing. Checked PIDs and everything is normal with no anomalies when spark occurs. Not only is the crank signal good but it seems like it would take alot more voltage than that to jump that gap. I also noticed on the old balancer that the outter pulley portion of the unit is mounted with a rubber ring between it and the hub portion. So it would seem to me that if a stray current was looking for a ground it wouldn't jump a gap to a pulley thats suspended and isolated by rubber. So is it building up in the pulley and jumping to the block like static??? It seems semirythmic ocurring about every 25-30 rpms. I checked Identafix with no matches, and nobody I know has ever come across it. Anybody out there seen this before?"

       The customer was coming in the next day so I only received a few responses before taking a crack at fixing it. I was hoping that someone out there would tell me that they've seen it before and what the problem was. But all I got was encouragement. As it turns out though, thats all I needed. I went in the next day determined not to just throw parts at this thing and fix it by chance, I wanted to know what was going on. I decided the best way to test my static theory was to take one of the 59,874,592 coat hangers we have piling up in the changing room, unbend it, and buff the coating off both ends. I then crawled under the truck and "drug" one end of the hanger on the moving pulley and touched the other end to the frame wanting to see the current take the the path of least resistance through the hanger. I was rewarded with a high voltage shock to the finger tips... Victory. At that point I felt that the belt was the most likely culprit and alot easyer the change than the pulley. And of course my service manager had a field day with my static nonsence, but in the end he ordered the "gatorback" style belt that I asked him for and the problem was gone.

       I think the moral of the story is this: I could have gone a completely different direction with this. I could have spent hours looking at waveform patterns trying to find the source of this mystery electrical current. God knows I've spent alot of money on high quality tools and fancy equiptment for solving such problems. But when all the dust settled, I solved one of the most puzzling automotive problems of my career with three tools: logic, encouragement, and a coat hanger. And I didn't spent a dime on any of them.  

     

     

     

     

     

         

  • Blog post
  • 3 days ago
  • Views: 128

• Facebook, Twitter an entryway

  • From: CarGirl
  • Description:

    There will be an expected 4 million new drivers on the road each year for the next several years. Four million per year. So, over the next five years, there could be 20 million new drivers on the road.
    
    And as David Portalatin posed the question to Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) attendees, what are these new drivers going to drive? Portalatin, director of industry analysis, NPD Group, was just one of a number of GAAS presenters who highlighted the 4 million new drivers statistic. The frequency that this number was brought up just drives home that this is something the aftermarket needs to consider.
    
    Four million new drivers annually means a lot of new opportunities for shops to introduce these drivers to the aftermarket. Let’s be honest, most of these drivers – who more than likely will be teenagers – aren’t going to be behind the wheel of a new car. They’ll buy a used car from a dealer or get a hand-me-down from mom and dad.
    
    That means targeting these new drivers is important. As a three-member panel discussed, the Internet probably is one of the best ways to get to these new drivers. Social media sites like Facebook and MySpace are a regular part of these people’s lives. Getting a Twitter account and Facebook page, connecting the two, gaining some followers and sending special offers to customers via Twitter is a new way to draw in clientele.
    
    Trust me. It might sound like a long process, but it really is easy and it’s free, too.
    
    Thomas Aliotti, senior vice president and general manager, Automotive Group, Activant Solutions, says it’s time for the aftermarket to invest in technology. Getting someone to help you start a Facebook page or Twitter account if you don’t want to take on the task yourself is a great way to start. Just ask your younger techs and service writers – they more than likely already are doing some of this themselves.
    
    Scooter Brothers, co-owner and director of R&D, COMP Performance Group, who also sat on the Internet panel, says he isn’t Tweeting (sending messages via Twitter), but he now has a blog he is writing.
    
    So as these 4 million drivers take to the road each year, getting the message of the aftermarket out is more important as that number is growing and dealerships are closing. Portalatin also says as the average age of vehicles grows, it’s more important to remind people of regular service. A number of the 4 million new drivers probably will drive these older vehicles.
    
    The vehicles are out there and will remain on the roads with these new drivers needing something to drive. Now’s your chance to use these new marketing tools to draw them into your bays.

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 733

• Hyundai: A role model for Detr

  • From: ABRN_Editor
  • Description:

    This morning while reading through pages of automotive news, I came across a story of the test drive of the new Hyundai Equus. The Equus is Hyundai’s first foray into the realm of $50,000-plus luxury vehicles.  The Korean automakers has sets its sights on the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Acura, Lexus and Audi.
    
    To me, this is big news, both as a former Hyundai owner and as someone who has tracked the fortunes and misfortunes of the Big Three. Hyundai’s story is one Detroit should pay strict attention to. Hyundai, formerly known as the maker of cheap, unreliable cars, blazed a trail Detroit should have taken and could still take.
    
    Lets look at some history. I’ll throw in my 10 cents as an owner. Hyundai got into the automobile market with some backing from Ford in 1967 selling cars in Asia. In 1986, they began exporting the Excel model to America. It was an immediate hit – if you wanted a cheap car with all the bells and whistles.
    
    I fell into that category in 1991. I had recently graduated from college and was looking for a new car and specifically an import. I had owned two Ford Mustangs, both of which leaked oil almost as quickly as I could pour it in. I also owned a Nissan Pulsar – the legendary turbocharged model, the one that later turned out to be such a mechanical nightmare that Nissan actually shipped boatloads it back to Japan.
    
    I bought a new Scoupe, a sporty looking but embarrassingly underpowered coupe.  The car also turned out to have a defective transmission that waited to blow up just after the warranty expired. Aside from that $1000 repair, the car reliably ran. And ran. And ran. Ten years later, it was still running. During those ten years, over the course of 180,000 miles, my only repair costs were expected maintenance – tires, shocks, struts, brakes along with a new starter and radiator. The $10,000 car had performed admirably.
    
    During that same period, Hyundai was spending billions of dollars upgrading quality. They also invested in changing their reputation, selling their vehicles with warranties for 10 years/100,000 miles. What bargain shopper could turn down a deal like that?
    
    The result: Hyundai is now the world’s fifth largest carmaker, in vehicles sold. Its J.D. Power and Associates quality rankings fall in the same range as Honda’s and Toyota’s. It’s Elantra model was Consumer Reports' top-ranked 2008 vehicle among 19 other compacts and small family cars, beating out Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Prius. In 2009, five models of Hyundai/Kia cars earned Top Safety Award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, better than Nissan/Infiniti.
    
    Most notable here: Hyundai carved out its success by knocking heads with Honda, Nissan and Toyota over core midsize and subcompact markets while Detroit was more focused on producing gas-sucking big trucks and SUVs. Oh, and they kept their model lineup small, just like Honda and Toyota to keep consumers familiar with their vehicles and building on their successes rather than running off and creating something under another name.
    
    In just 25 years, the automaker went from pimply, gawky new kid on the block to the captain of the football team, complete with the homecoming queen on his shoulder. Hyundai did it by focusing on those most American of values: offering quality, reliability and customer responsibility. Ford, GM and Chrysler, are you paying attention?

  • Blog post
  • 4 months ago
  • Views: 517

• Do you make a clean first impr

  • From: CSheehy
  • Description:
    This is a quick blog – I need to tell you about something that has been bothering me, something I see all to often. . .
    
    Have you heard of the expression “you only have one time to make a good first impression”?
    
    It is true – at least for me – that first impressions burn an indelible image or emotion of how we feel about someone, someplace, or something.
    
    Which brings me to the point of this weblog post.
    
    

    

    
    Other than answering the phone – your building/facility image is often the first impression your business makes to most people. Think of that. Not everyone in your town calls you – but at some point they will all probably drive past your door.
    
    So. . . what is your image saying to your future customers about your business – about you?
    
    I have asked this to people before and got answers like “I have the best image of any body shop around”, and “I don’t own the sidewalk”. Really.
    
    Here is my advice – designate someone to ensure that each day your business is swept clean, the entrance is spotless (no peeling paint, dirt, sand, butts etc…), weeds are killed, bushes trimmed, and your door glass uncluttered and clean.
    
    Be the steward in your neighborhood for advocating a professional image and of showing pride in your community.
    
    In time, these efforts will be repaid by more visits to your sparkling door. . . .
  • Blog post
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 598

• Why We Do What We Do...

  • From: Peter
  • Description:

    Why do we do what we do?

    Let's face it...being a professional auto repair technician today requires a lot. 

    First, and most obvious, is the cost of tools and diagnostic equipment.  Looking over my own toolbox, the amount of money invested within is about the same amount of money I paid for my house! 

    How about the skill sets we need?  We have to have a working knowledge of thermal dynamics, fluid dynamics, electrical theory, computer design and networking...you get the idea.

    Closer to home, the work itself can punish a human body.  Much of the work is heavy, and often done at awkward angles even with safety in mind.  Backs, knees, hands...all take their share of punishment.  Ever notice blood drops on the valve cover you're leaning over and asking yourself "Who's bleeding?"  I have.  That's how used to minor cuts and scraps you can get.

    So why do we do this?  I mean, if it's the satisfaction of fixing something, fix appliances or computers or office printers.  The tool investment is significantly less and you'll work in the A/C most of the time.

    For me, it's the love of the patient.  I love fixing cars.  I especially love fixing a problem that others have tried to fix and couldn't.  I love the mental challenge of learning all this new technology, and applying that information to the problem in my bay.  I love the little techno goodies that make my diagnostic time more efficient, and I love learning how to use them to their fullest.  (A practice, I must admit, I'm always working on.)  I love helping my customers maintain reliable, and SAFE, transportation.  And even though most of my time, like yours, is spent on routine stuff, and it is the same stuff I've been doing for well over 30 years, I STILL LOVE WHAT I DO.

    Personally, I only played around at hot rodding when I was young but I'm willing to bet most of you did.  Because you're turning a wrench for a living for the same reasons.

    We just love working on CARS!

  • Blog post
  • 5 months ago
  • Views: 628

• Universal Car Care

  • From: Lance_Boldt
  • Description:

    I came across this short and very funny video on what Government run car care might look like. Enjoy.

     

    Lance is Co-Founder of AutoNetTV

  • Blog post
  • 4 months ago
  • Views: 678

• Power Window Repair Made Easy

  • From: Peter
  • Description:

    This video was posted on another site by a friend, and I thought it was appropriate to share it here.  Hope you get a giggle out of it!

  • Blog post
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 688

• Your car: An insurance company

  • From: ABRN_Editor
  • Description:

    One of our writers, Brian Albright, turned up some interesting data about the relationship between salvage values and rising totals numbers in his article “Declining cash values fuel total loss increase” (click on http://abrn.search-autoparts.com/abrn/Collision+Repair/Declining-cash-values-fuel-total-loss-increase/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/587352?contextCategoryId=498). In particular (for me, anyhow) were these two bits from the article:
    
    If the cost of the repair, along with the cost of rentals, towing, and storage, exceed the market value of the vehicle net salvage proceeds, the vehicle will be totaled.
    
    Bob Skrip, owner of Skrip's Auto Body in Prospect, Ct., says that he has seen insurers put more emphasis on salvage prices when considering total loss calculations. "If they see something with a high salvage value, I've seen some insurance companies total a car at 60 percent," Skrip says.
    
    Wait a second. So, whether or not I ever see my collision-damaged vehicle again will be based in large part on its value to salvage yards? The greater the value of a particular make and model is to the salvage industry, the greater the chance I’ll never see that particular car again?
    
    That’s just ridiculous. It’s also presumptive and, dare I say it, more than a bit arrogant.
    
    When insurers use a formula like that, they’re basically taking ownership of the vehicle the moment it’s damaged. That means the vehicle has become a commodity for the insurer. It ends up being treated much like an investment they’re trying to get a return on.
    
    Forget the fact that I made the payments, and I paid for the insurance (so if there’s any investment here it’s all on my part). Getting me back on the road has taken a back seat (a seat way in the back) to spending as little as possible on a repair. There’s no surprise there. The real revelation is that the very notion of repairing, along with customer service, is thrown out the window once the promise of a good sale at a salvage auction is made possible.
    
    Not long ago, I heard someone in the industry say total losses were a bad deal for insurers because they were making their single greatest payout on a claim and were essentially forcing their customers to part with their vehicles. Now, total losses are starting to look like one of the best deals going.

    For more of our coverage on total losses, go to http://abrn.search-autoparts.com/abrn/Collision+Repair/Total-Losses/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/585701?contextCategoryId=47028. (Just click on the link.)

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 2348

• What You're Worth?

  • From: Peter
  • Description:

    One topic that seems to come up quite a bit is "How do we charge for diag time?" 

    This includes any sort of diagnosis that is going to take more than a simple visual inspection.  Some drivability and electrical issues can become quite involved, and take a lot of time to isolate...especially if it's your first time on that particular problem or vehicle.  After all, you have a lot more homework to do.  Then there are the tools you need to diagnose these problems, none of which are cheap.

    Experience certainly plays a role as well.  An experienced tech should be able to find the problem faster.  But then, do you charge less time to the customer?  A new tech may spend all day finding what turns out to be a simple fault.  Do you charge the customer 8 hours?  In each case, how do you pay your tech?  Should the experienced guy get paid less time than the new guy?  Should the new guy be penalized for being new? 

    My shop, and most of the ones I've worked for in the past, charged 1 hour at the shop rate, and paid 1 hour flat rate.  How does that apply when the original complaint is "The MIL light is on", and you pull half a dozen codes that may or may not be related.  What if, during your diagnostic process, you determine that it is necessary to measure engine compression on a motor that requires plenum removal to access the rear bank?  How do we justify the need for additional time to the customer?  It seems to me that too many customers still think of us as "grease monkeys" and don't understand the skills it takes to repair today's cars.  They have no problem spending $20K or more to buy it, but heaven forbid the repair costs more than $50!

    One story I heard a long time ago is applicable to this discussion.  It goes something like this:

    A young man is driving across the desert when his car starts running rough.  There is no sign of civilization as he continues down the highway, praying the car will make it to his destination and not leave him stranded in the middle of nowhere.  Several miles along, the car is still running rough, and the young man is getting worried that he may be stuck in the middle of the desert over night.  As he crests a small ridge, he sees an old shack with two gas pumps out front on the side of the highway.  Thanking God for his good fortune, he prays there is a mechanic there.

    He pulls up to the shack and sees an older man, rocking in his rocker and sipping lemonade.  The young man gets out of the car, and says, "Excuse me, sir...is there someone here who can help me with my car?"

    The old man rises, and offers to take a look.  He first listens to the engine idling, then opens the hood...looking first to the left then to the right.  "I'll be right back", he says, and heads off to his garage.  He returns momentarily with a small hammer in hand, leans over the engine and makes a light "tap" somewhere near the firewall.

    The engine immediately runs as smooth as silk.

    The young man is ecstatic that the repair was so simple.  He asks the older man, "How much do I owe you?"

    Without batting an eye, the old man responds, "That'll be $89.99."

    "WHAT!", exclaims the young man.  "90 bucks for hitting it with a hammer!?"

    "No son, it's 99 cents for the hammer tap...and $89 for knowing WHERE to tap it."

    I earn my living with my mind and my hands.  I am a trained professional like any other.  So what is the answer?  How do you handle this in your shop?  How do we get paid fairly for what we know, for our experience, and justify it to our customers?

    I look forward to your opinions...

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 2858