A repairer doesn't have to be in the collision industry long to become familiar with the name Gene Crozat. Crozat is the founder and owner of Santa Rosa, Calif., -based G&C AutoBody, though he's probably better known for founding the Collision Repair Association of California and for fighting (and winning) a dizzying array of court battles against insurers.
He continues to make a name for himself battling for his vision of the industry against anyone he believes isn't giving consumers and shops a fair shake.
So big has Crozat's name grown that it can be easy to overlook his business, which has set a standard all its own for innovation and reshaping the repair landscape.
That reshaping can be traced to Crozat's modest beginnings in the industry when he began building his business from the ground up.
Crozat began plying the trade he learned in the Air Force after being discharged in 1964 and arriving in Merced, Calif., with what he describes as the clothes on his back, a pack of cigarettes and a few dollars.
After working and managing at several different shops for eight years, he partnered with Leo Gassell to open Gassell & Crozat's AutoBody. In 1976, Gassell retired. Crozat took full control of the business and renamed it G&C AutoBody.
From there, he explored nearly every avenue of the collision market, looking for ways to create new revenue, build customer relationships and max out available profits. His innovations included:
- Taking on technicians and painters as contractors and allowing them to work around the clock. The arrangement permits these laborers to work as much as they want, when they want, giving them full control over their pay. Because these workers are motivated to earn more by working more, G&C is able to take on more work.
- Running a cash business that benefits from discounts in parts, labor and advertising given to it due to G&C's ability to pay immediately with funds on hand.
- Customer perks such as rental vehicles priced at $1 a day, palatial facilities designed to reward motorists with opulent waiting areas and other niceties, and green initiatives such as solar panels that appeal to many environmentally sensitive West Coast consumers.
- Numerous community outreach programs including a monthly giveaway of a car to a needy family that ties the shop to its customers.
- Continuing political efforts by Crozat to protect customers by keeping repairs affordable. This past year, Crozat worked directly with the California Department of Insurance commissioner to create regulations governing the use of aftermarket parts. The legislation is aimed at guaranteeing the quality of these lower-cost parts to help ensure their continued use.
These innovations have created a powerful operational model that today extends to nine locations. Since being named a Top Shop last year, G&C has, in fact, added three new facilities in the California communities of Rohnert Park, Fairfield and Ukiah.
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Such strong growth comes with a price, however. Extending a business – particularly a family business – carries with it the potential for instability.
To help keep a grasp on its operations, G&C takes notable steps to hire, train and retain employees in two keys positions: estimators and shop managers.
"Our experience shows that those are the two toughest positions to fill," says Sean Crozat, manager of G&C's Santa Rosa location, who was interviewed for this article. "A lot of turnover here will kill you."
Of those two positions, estimators garner particular attention due to their responsibilities of interfacing with the insurance rep and, perhaps more importantly, overseeing the repairs they write. "They own the repair," Sean says.
G&C therefore takes pains to hire the best people for the job. Estimator candidates go through two interviews and have their references thoroughly checked. The shop also spends an entire day "auditioning" them before hiring. G&C looks for an accurate estimate, along with specific personal traits – intelligence, ability to learn quickly and a high energy level.
Estimators who do make the cut take part in a bonus program – accounting for a significant part of their pay – that uses a pay formula that looks at both an estimator's throughput (cycle time) and CSI scores. The bonus plan for managers is based on the performance of the shop.
Sean says these steps have helped G&C hire and maintain a stable estimating workforce responsible for helping the business push through more than $30 million a year in revenue.
With a firm handle on such a thriving business, it might seem like G&C is primed to grab as much of the market as it can handle.
Sean cautions that the business's expansion plans actually are fairly modest and are geared at providing the business with something more valuable than money.
"We're building on what my dad has always wanted," Sean says. "We're looking to limit our debt and risks and create a multi-generational shop that offers security for our families. We want a business that lets us spend time with our kids."
