Technology equals opportunity

July 28, 2014
As new technologies are introduced, we have the opportunity to increase sales and profits and market our services to a specific group of vehicle owners.

Think about your first cell phone and all the really cool functions that it had. My first cell phone was a “bag phone” that was about the size of a lunch box. And as far as cool functions that it had, it made phone calls and that was it. There were no apps, Internet access, videos or music. It was just a phone.

Just like cell phones, cars have added some technology over the last several years. While there have been tremendous advancements in vehicle technology, I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve heard statements like these:

  • “I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years, and I know how to create a damage report, repair plan, or perform the repairs.”
  • “I’ve been fixing cars since 1960-something and we know how to fix them.”
  • “They are still cars and nothing is really changing on them.”
  • “My technicians are great and they know how to fix cars.”

We have a tremendous number of highly qualified individuals working in the collision industry. However, vehicle manufacturing and construction methods, accessories and safety systems have made it virtually impossible for anyone to remember everything that they need to know about how to repair every vehicle they encounter.

It Is not a ’65 Mustang anymore
Several years ago, I did some research to see just what has changed over the years. Seeing that the 1965 Mustang is a car that is liked by many people, that was the vehicle I decided to look at. I discovered that these were options on the 1965 Mustang:

  • Power steering
  • Power brakes
  • Manual front disc brakes (V-8)
  • Deluxe retractable front seat belts
  • Rear seat belts
  • Padded visors
  • Heavy-duty battery
  • Radio and antenna
  • Vinyl roof
  • Tinted glass with banded windshield
  • Air conditioning

What I didn’t find on the 1965 Mustang were:

  • Advanced high strength steels
  • Aluminum
  • Composite plastics
  • Carbon fiber
  • Anti-lock brakes
  • Stability control
  • Multiple airbags
  • Collision avoidance systems
  • Lane departure warning systems
  • Blind spot detection systems
  • Heads-up displays

The list of the technologies we have today could go on, but you get the point by now. Today’s cars aren’t the same as the 1965 Mustang, or even a car made five years ago.

Importance of Documentation

The need to have documented repair procedures today has multiple positive impacts for a shop. First, the more detail we can put on the repair plan, the better we can determine the actual cost of repairs. There is nothing wrong with getting paid to do required repairs! Second, if we itemize out what needs to be done while we are creating the repair plan, we become more efficient in our parts ordering process. If we get the right parts order correct up front, we avoid unnecessary supplements, additional staff time to process multiple parts orders and supplements, and delays in repairing the vehicle. Third, having documented repair procedures improves our key performance indicators (KPIs). By reducing delays in the repair process, we also have a greater chance of reducing cycle time, improving touch time and delivering the vehicle back to its owner on the date we promised it. These are all critical to a successful shop today.

Negotiations
Having the documentation can aid the shop in any negotiations that take place with an insurance company. I believe that having the documentation allows the negotiation process to be more of a sharing of knowledge. Just like the shop’s staff, the insurance companies’ staffs have the same difficulty in knowing exactly what needs to be done to every vehicle they encounter. Neither of us can remember what we need to know today about every car. Documentation that helps in successful negotiations can be the OEM repair procedure, and inquiry responses from the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG), which can be found at www.degweb.org. Having documentation can help bridge the knowledge gap, and create a level playing field that allows the right repair decisions to be made at the beginning of the repair process. Making the right decisions helps ensure that the industry is performing a complete, safe and proper repair for the vehicle owner.

Documentation packet
I believe that implementing change can be difficult. For many years, we didn’t see the need for documenting what we did in the repair process. To help manage the change that needs to be made, I always recommend that we start with small changes and expand over time. With the need to have supporting documentation today, I suggest that the initial documentation packet be created while the repair plan is generated. Store a set of the documents as .pdf files on the server with your digital photos of the vehicle and print a hard copy for the technicians to work from. This should be incorporated into your standard operating procedures. Once your staff is efficient at developing the initial set of documentation, expand it to include one or two more areas.

Technology creates opportunities
You should look at technology as an opportunity. As new technologies are introduced, we have the opportunity to increase sales and profits and market our services to specific groups of vehicle owners. We have created a list of seven technology-related items for you to consider when creating a packet of documentation for the vehicles you are repairing. Try it free for a limited time by going to www.ationlinetraining.com/abrn1408. It also makes a great tool for training and coaching your staff on how the work they do makes a difference to the business.

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