On the Line
7/15/2008 4:54:37 PM
Whenever trade magazine writers discuss repair efficiency, it’s quite apparent to me that those writers, insurance people and others really haven’t been “on the line.” I say this because I constantly read that we the owners and managers don’t know how to schedule and do the work uninterrupted.
First, how many databases and dealer parts departments really have a grasp on all the non-included clips, fasteners, etc. that usually break? And they do, constantly. All they are is plastic attached to more plastic!
Second, the parts departments’ breakdowns don’t even show exactly where these clips go, which exact ones fit each area, etc. And so what do we get when we order some or all (usually the wrong ones), and how would we know if they’re the wrong clips if the job hasn’t been scheduled into production yet? A three-day repair doesn’t offer enough time to tear into the job and wait for the right clips. So what we find constantly is someone else’s repair with missing and broken clips because the standard has become, “Let it go as long as it looks OK.” Well, that’s not our standard.
Third, since the insurance companies and their reps have never fixed a car in their lives, they believe it when you writers say that we repairers don’t work efficiently enough. That’s just plain bull. If anything, I micro-manage maybe too much on a daily basis. But without constant communication from the repair team, we won’t know the proper extent of a vehicle’s damage, which insurance companies love to treat as just us “ragging for more profit.” Usually, additional supplements are required which rarely get paid on time if at all. And that requires us to spend more administration time chasing insurers down.
I believe that manufacturers and insurers somehow have surmised that we’ve always gotten by with such poor input, which shows the ingenuity of the collision repair industry, that we’ll just keep getting the same “poor performance” on their part. Maybe that’s our fault, but with insurers always wanting concessions, hassling over daily supplements, ordering parts, scheduling hassles, etc. and never for sure knowing if there correct, I would say we’re pretty much buried with paperwork just to stay alive.
How about writing some real-world stories on how poor some of the information providers are about illustrating all the missing parts on any given car? I’ve talked with them on this and they always allege that they just don’t get it from the manufacturers. Again, the vicious circle.
Without correct information, how can we do an efficient repair or write a complete estimate?
Bill Simpkins, owner
Simpkins Auto Care Inc.
Benicia, Calif.