“Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: The future can be better than the present. And I have the power to make it so,” said David Brooks, author, political and cultural commentator.
It’s an exciting time in the collision repair industry. I truly believe that the future can be better than the present in our industry. Autonomous vehicles, advanced safety systems, advanced steering and suspension systems, heated seats, this list could keep going with all the many personal convenience items that are on our vehicles, but I only have a limited space. The point is that we are professionals and we need to repair the vehicles back to pre-existing condition. This may mean stepping outside our comfort zone and doing some things that we are not accustomed to doing. This can create some new challenges that we can either embrace or reject. Embracing these challenges and doing what it takes to provide value will benefit our businesses, our consumers and our industry. However, with all these changes happening there is one primary goal that still stands. Collectively as collision repair leaders and insurers, complete and safe repairs should be our central goal.
Unfortunately, this thought process is not always the case. All too often our industry is allowing the almighty dollar to trump safety instead. We do not need our own greediness upstaging complete and safe repairs, just because we think we know better. In this industry we need to make sure that we are providing value to our customers. But what is value when it comes to repairs?
Most people reading may think they are providing value to their customers, but if you are not following OEM specifications (notice I did not say recommendations), then you are not providing value — period. Unfortunately, too few people are taking heed right now to the forward thinkers and promoters of this new standard. The truth is if you don’t follow OEM repair standards, then you will be holding all the liability for the job that you perform. Not to be the bearer of bad news, but this has been said repeatedly, and yet there are people in our industry who still don’t want to listen.
If you followed the recent court case in Texas where a collision shop did not follow a manufactures procedure, this should be a wake-up call to our industry. Before beginning repairs in the pre-repair stage, we need to be pulling procedures and communicating to all parties involved. It’s time to make the improvements necessary to our industry culture. Maybe we could take that class that we put off taking because we felt like it was going to be a waste of time? Please don’t view these learning opportunities as a waste of time, this is an investment in your business.
Maybe we need to improve our shop processes to better serve our customers and in turn that makes for a better experience overall for everyone involved in the repair process? Look at some of the lean systems in our industry to help you improve these processes at your shop. It will truly make a difference and by embracing this change you and your customers will reap the benefits. Scan that vehicle because it is a necessary procedure that brings the vehicle back to its pre-existing condition. Please don’t say scanning does not matter because it does.
I hear from a lot of folks that say, “if only the insurance would pay for this…;” “if they wouldn’t make us put aftermarket or used parts on this vehicle;”, “if only they wouldn’t require me to do this;” “if only…” Folks, we must realize that we are the professionals in this industry. This is the reason that we need to embrace training, embrace change, and embrace complete, safe and quality repairs. We need to reject going back to the way things always have been for years. It is just not relevant anymore. It’s a new era in vehicle design and how we repair these vehicles. I have always been the optimistic glass half full type of guy and how I view the collision repair business is no different. We have the power to make this industry even greater than it already is. Take a step with me to create the new collision repair industry. We have a lot of folks that are with me on this journey, but we need you as well.
