The automotive repair industry has been undervalued for too long. We are often seen by the customer as someone who just makes their vehicle look good again. We are professionals in our trade. There is so much that goes into repairs that the customer is not aware of. It is not taking a dent out of a car, or painting over a scratch. It is understanding all the idiosyncrasies of the vehicle. It is scanning, recalibrations, initializations and programming. We need to remember to always pull procedures on every vehicle we repair. This is a must if you, as a responsible and viable collision repair facility, want to provide a complete, safe and quality repair. If you do not follow these procedures provided by manufacturers you should stop reading at this point. When I work with customers, I often use the analogy that we are the physicians of their vehicles. Just as a physician takes care of our human body, we take care of the internal and external components of the vehicle’s bodies. Please do not undervalue the profession we have chosen. Take pride in your work. Go above and beyond for your customers by providing them with knowledge about their vehicle. We are the professionals. Repeat after me, we are professionals! When you are getting ready for the workday, stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself that. Do not let anyone undermine you and tell you different.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts” said Winston Churchill.
What does this quote mean to the collision industry? As professionals in our trade, we must grow and re-learn what was once standard. Procedures we used to do may no longer be viable due to the advances in technology. The past 10 years have turned our industry to the point that if you are not keeping up with everything, you will be irrelevant. Relevancy in the collision repair industry is such that the manufacturers have stepped up in the right direction to help in this learning gap. Do the manufactures have more to do? Yes, I do believe they do, but it has gotten better than it was. When I am not managing my shop, I teach for I-CAR to broaden my own knowledge and to give back to the industry. While I-CAR is probably one of the best known training options in the industry, several consultants offer many opportunities for learning. It is our responsibility as managers and owners to search out what fits the needs of our organization. Do not be afraid to change. Be courageous to continue down a learning path. If this is not our goal, then my question to you is, “What is our goal?”
I am grateful to work in a wonderful industry that has a diverse cast of characters. Customers, jobbers, parts vendors, and even insurance companies all bring something unique to this industry. From customers providing situations to learn from to technicians embracing a learning culture, we need to lead them, so everyone is at the same level of knowledge. Insurance companies as well need to take a step forward and make sure they have processes in place where all employees understand and follow manufacturing procedures and p-pages. We need to have open lines of communication with our jobbers and parts vendors so we can be efficient. Striving for all this will not be easy, but taking small steps will help bring our industry the relevancy that is needed.
We have an obligation as collision repairers to be the professionals we are. We must provide a complete, safe and quality repair to all our customers. We must remember this obligation not only protects our customers, but it also protects us. Let's make 2019 the best ever.
