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BUSINESS EDITORIAL - Estimating
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Currently showing items 1 to 15 of 45
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BUSINESS FEATURE: Blueprint for Efficiency
12/11/2008
It’s 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. Mrs. Brown’s car is a couple days late, but it’s scheduled out at 4 p.m. It’s a good thing it’s going because payroll and taxes have drained the bank acc...
Out With Estimating!
10/30/2008 3:42:52 PM
I like to define lean to our new employees as “continual improvement through the continual elimination of waste.” They quickly get the point.
“Waste” is any task or function that adds no ...
Work Off Your Own Estimate
9/3/2008 3:13:46 PM
I remember 20 years ago when a wreck would be driven in or towed in and we would let the insurance company write the estimate, putting “repair as per insurance estimate” on the work order. Then, we would order t...
From Red to Black
8/5/2008
We all know that part of running a successful body shop is making a profit on what we sell. Some things are considered part of the cost of doing business, while other things are considered our profit centers.
Our overh...
Sell That Job!
8/5/2008
Selling is the most important activity in any collision repair facility. It’s that simple. We may feel that the most important activity is repairing damaged vehicles, but you don’t get to repair anything until t...
A Supplement-Free World: Just a Dream?
7/8/2008
For many reasons, including the insurance companies’ penchant for underpaying claims based on their initial inspections of damaged vehicles, supplements are a growing problem in the business of repairing auto body da...
Auditing Insurer Estimates
11/1/2007
If you’re at all like me, you’ve spent countless hours poring over your estimate and an estimate written by or for the insurer, pulling your hair out trying to identify the differences in the bottom lines. On ...
Dealing with Appraiser-Speak
11/1/2007
It’s amazing what you hear from insurance appraisers:
“You’re the only shop in the county that asks to get paid for that, and we don’t have to pay for it.”
“I’d li...
We’re Talking Dollars, Not Hours: Labor Hours
11/1/2007
I’ve learned many things over the years, and one of them is that I’m a poor gambler. Because of that, I don’t gamble. But Las Vegas has a unique way of separating a man from his money, and one of those ...
Another Leg to Stand On? Diminished Value
10/1/2007
I’m not sure if you paid any attention to a recent story about
an Ohio court ruling that an insurer had to pay for the “diminished value” of an insured’s car after a wreck. You probably should ...
Don’t Leave Dollars on the Table: Total Losses
9/1/2007
Something that too few body shops focus on is the total loss as a profit center. Why would shops be so concerned about cars they won’t be repairing?
The fact of the matter is that the total loss is a financial ...
Damage Analysis for Dollars
8/1/2007
A commonly overlooked profit center that’s still a necessary part of the collision repair business is what I call a “damage analysis.” An estimate is an educated guess, but a damage analysis is a bluepr...
Unlocking the Mystery of Production: Pre-Repair Management
8/1/2007
Many shop owners and managers are looking for the key to unlocking the mystery of production in a collision repair shop. What’s the secret? How do we repair more vehicles faster, better, cheaper and easier?
Is t...
Chalk One Up for the Little Guy
6/1/2007
We arrived in court with small claims documents and display paraphernalia in hand which consisted of a large sheet of corrugated cardboard cut into the actual size and shape of a 2005 Grand Prix hood, an old spray gun and a...
Are You Throwing Away Money?
2/1/2007
I have a challenge for you. Get up right now and go find the most opinionated, salty, senior metal technician you have and tell him that, from today forward, he’ll never again be paid to apply primer – and see w...
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