Around the time Mayfield Collision Centers was being named the winner of the 2014 Top Shops contest, the shop faced a repair dilemma that could put the best of shops to the test.
A 2015 BMW 335i arrived with several deployed airbags and damage to the frame rail. The 335i features an all-new body style, but that in itself wasn't a problem for Mayfield. The Bedford Heights, Ohio-based business is an I-CAR Gold Class shop, holds multiple OEM certifications and has plenty of experience working on BMWs. After performing the damage analysis and blueprinting the repairs, the shop discovered there were no OEM instructions for repairing the structural damage. Even the measurements specifications for the frame weren't available.
Mayfield couldn't risk calculating on its own how to do the work. They were dealing with ultra high strength steel and needed to know the exact materials. They needed to know whether the damaged parts could be sectioned or would need to be replaced. They weren't going to risk making a decision that could have compromised the vehicle's safety.
Unavailable OEM repair instructions aren't a common repair issue. But it is one that can halt a shop in its tracks and impact schedules while creating a negative customer experience. Fortunately, there's plenty a shop can do to prepare for and rectify these situations, namely by building other repair resources. These resources can benefit a shop in a number of other ways, as well.
Rich resources
Typically, when a shop can't locate OEM information and must begin an investigation, its first two stops are the manufacturer and a dealer. Getting help directly from the manufacturer can be difficult (especially if you're not a dealer shop) and take time that might be better spent elsewhere.
Mayfield Location Manager Mike Kapis started his search with a call to a local BMW dealer. (Mayfield built much of its business working with dealerships.) However, the dealer also was unable to access the necessary information.
Kapis then turned his attention to industry contacts he had picked up as part of Mayfield's longtime involvement with a 20 group. Through the group, Kapis had met the manager of a BMW shop in California. Kapis sent out an email to the manager, shortly thereafter received the information he needed.
Kapis explains that the manager had the information because his shop was BMW certified and works almost exclusively on BMW models. "He had access to a lot more materials than another shop would," says Kapis.
Kapis also believes that the California shop possessed the information because the BMW 335i had been available on the west coast longer than in Ohio, giving California shops more immediate repair opportunities and therefore a greater need for information. (Notable here is the course repair information sometimes must travel before it becomes widely available.)
Regardless of why the information wasn't immediately available to most repairers, Kapis says the point here is to be prepared for these occasions, no matter how common they may be. "You need resources you can turn to," he says.
Twenty Groups can be particularly effective since they're comprised of shops that share vital information on areas such as business numbers, marketing, cost cutting and lean operations. They encourage repairers to form close ties and assist each other.
Jimmy Lefler, owner of Lefler Collision and Glass, a multiple ABRN Top Shops contest winner, similarly turns for help first to his 20 group, where he can ask for help from other successful businesses.
"Whenever we've had any questions, I can send out and email to the group," says Lefler. "It's amazing how many replies come across my computer in 30 minutes. Sometimes a dozen will show up."
Industry guru Mike Anderson works with the Lefler 20 Group and regularly offers his assistance. Lefler says he and other members can contact Anderson for help and take advantage of the vast network of contacts and resources Anderson has built over his career.
Making contact
As beneficial as 20 groups are, most shops don't take part in them. However, there are still other places they can look for OEM information.
Lefler suggests online repair forums, particularly the technician's forum for Alldata. Lefler reports that his business has posted questions on the forum and received timely responses from other techs who have dealt with similar repair issues.
There are, of course, a number of other online repair forums available. However, most shops probably will do best by sticking to those run by repair providers, unless they already are familiar with a forum where the missing information can be recovered in a timely manner. The sheer number of repair forums available online can make information searches time intensive, meaning that shops would be better off turning to another source.
Lefler notes that vendors can be particularly valuable. Whether they're selling paint, parts or other shop supplies, vendors work with a number of shops, industry experts and instructors who might have the necessary information. If these sources don't, they might know someone else who will.
Granted, conducting a search that involves touching base with a number of people and moving from one source to another might seem like a great deal of trouble to access repair instructions. Kapis and Lefler say it's simply part of the job. Kapis notes that he doesn't worry about challenges such as missing data because he knows he has a number of resources to turn to.
"I have a rolodex full of people I can call," he says.
Considering the growing complexity of collision repair work and the business itself, having these resources has become a necessity, says former shop owner and industry consultant Ben Bailey.
Bailey says repairers should take advantage of the numerous opportunities they have to build their sources. He recommends shops take part in national and state repair associations, along with industry groups such as the Collision Industry Conference and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists. He says I-CAR classes also are good meeting points, as are trade shows such as NACE.
"I tell shop owners to make a point of collecting business cards from everyone they talk to and to jot down a few things about the person on the back of the card," he says. "I guarantee those contacts will pay off sometime because no one survives alone in this market today. No one."
Acting locally
Contacts can continue pay off even after information is recovered or when it is widely accessible. Due to the increasing complexity of vehicle engineering, shops need local contacts they can turn to for repairs they may not yet be prepared to handle.
"We've yet to come to a bridge where we've found something we can't fix," says Kapis. "But when it comes to something like certain Audi models or the new F-150--where few shops have been certified and trained--we let customers know we might not be the best repair option."
The 2015 Ford F-150 is significant because the latest version of the nation's top-selling vehicle is poised to become the most popular "aluminum intensive" vehicle on the road, raising the odds of its being in a collision. Mayfield is opening an aluminum repair center certified to work on Jaguars and Land Rovers, so it's well suited to handle aluminum work on high-end vehicles. Yet, Kapis is reluctant to work on the new F-150, for now.
"If one came through our doors today with a serious hit, we'd have to think about it," he says.
Bailey says repairers need to be prepared to recommend shops that may be a better option to handle specific work. This way a repairer still aids the customer in some way, he says.
Some shops may be uncomfortable working with nearby businesses who also are their competitors, but Bailey says repairers need to realize that both parties benefit from this kind of cooperation.
"Commiserating on a few repairs a year isn't going to put anyone out of business," he says. "Successful shops learn they stand to gain more than they give away when they help others."
Shops looking to be more successful gain ground each time they add one more contact, one more resource, he adds.
Time to join a 20 Group?
Twenty Groups have been around for some time and proved their value many times over to shops looking to increase their revenue and productivity and improve all parts of their operation. Unfortunately, some shops believe these groups are geared only to the most elite businesses and have dismissed any thought of joining one.
In reality, 20 Groups have been springing up across the county and are suited to a wide range of shops. Interested shops can join one through a number of sources, including their paint vendors. Sherwin-Williams, PPG and BASF, along with companies such as Square One Systems. Shops need only review the available groups and their requirements and be prepared to dedicate time each month to take part. Shops also need to be ready to open their books and share their financial numbers (typically to shops in noncompeting areas).
The time and effort invested is significant, but the payoff is multiple sources of new ideas, information and help, along with 19 industry experts a repairer can go to with questions at virtually any time. Members also share in an important lesson for thriving in the industry: If you want to find repair resources, be prepared to be one.
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