Safe Collision Repairs

Keep This Job

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:59:59 PST

Insurers are illegally trying to control the cost of repairs by steering consumers to particular shops, while at the same time, trying to distance themselves from any liability associated with negligent repairs. Chicago, Illinois attorney Patrick McGuire says insurance companies can't have it both ways. In this article, McGuire makes some suggestions body shops can iimplement to curb steering and end this abuse.

9 Steps To Protect Your Body Shop From Diminished Value Claims

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:12:08 PST

Post-repair inspectors, on average, see proper collision repairs one time out of every 100 inspections. Sloppy auto repairs are on the rise - and due to insurers forcing shops to carry liability insurance policies with limits of one-million dollars or more, so are attorneys looking to hold shops accountable. But, auto body shops don't have to fear getting caught by auto inspectors or paying diminished value claims and soaring legal bills, if they perform high-quality repairs and follow sound business principles. In this article body shop owners and managers can learn nine steps to reduce the risk of litigation and costly payments for diminished value.

Innovative Marketing of New Trucks Proves Profitable

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:41:40 PST

Forget for a minute that this video is about vehicle sales and consider that it could be about selling any product - even services for that matter. If you are in business with a product or service to offer, picture yourself in this video as the star of the show - the one making sales in uncharacteristic ways as others holding to traditional methods go hungry! Think about the unusual and innovative things you can do to market your auto repair business to potential customers who might not have considered stopping by for an estimate.

Is Your Customer Experience Deliberate?

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:37:31 PST

Auto collision repair business owners need to ensure that their companies can define the customer experience they desire for consumers, and that their employees can clearly articulate the customer experience the business wants them to deliver. In other words, the customer experience must be deliberate from the shop's end to be effective on the consumer's end. When businesses leave the treatment of customers to chance the haphazard and inconsistent treatment can, at times, leave them feeling that they have been treated fairly, and at other times unfairly depending on the mannerisms and beliefs of employees that assisted them. Marketing expert, Tom Hughes teaches us that a good customer experience is one that is planned at every moment of contact with the customer. In this article, he urges us to be consistent in training employees so the customer exerience will be deliberately great!

How To Build Referral Business With Word Of Mouth Marketing

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 11:07:04 PST

In this article provided by auto repair marketing guru, Tom Hughes, business owners learn strategic ways to optimize word of mouth marketing. Most business owners talk about the importance of referral business. Unfortunately, many do not have marketing plans that include a section on word of mouth. Word of mouth marketing should be as organized, thoughtful and systematic as other forms of marketing. By reading this article you will gain an understanding about what it takes to get your customers involved in spreading the word about your business to their friends and relatives.

Fact V Fiction: People Will Behave Realistically

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 09:57:05 PST

In the world of marketing, perception takes prescidence over almost everything else. Therefore, as auto repair shop marketing whiz Tom Hughes says, "A trusted and credible service isn't a success until it is believed to be trustworthy and credible by prospects." Getting the message of your ability and credibility into the minds of prospects comes through repitition. Learn more about successfully marketing your auto repair business in this article.

Would YOUR Shop's Repairs Pass an Auto Safety Expert's Test?

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:13:32 PST

When auto safety expert Byron Bloch is called in to testify about a car he has forensically examined, auto manufacturers feel the heat. For more than 40 years Bloch has been holding them accountable for product failures and poor designs that resulted in serious injuries and death to vehicle occupants. With his vast knowledge of auto repair and safety, some worry that Bloch will turn his attention to shoddy collision repairs that are so flagrant in independent and dealership collision shops, and begin taking to task auto body shops whose repairs fail to restore a car's compliance to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Safe Collision Repairs founder David Williams interviewed Block, garnering his opinion of the auto collision repair industry, the need for standards, and insurance company interference in the repair process. This enlightening article is a summation of that interview and Bloch's recommendations for the auto collision repair industry.

Auto Repair Shop Ads Curb Insurance Company Steering

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:02:18 PST

A large number of auto body and glass shops are sick and tired of losing the privilege of doing business with customers who have long patronized their shops simply because insurance company claims adjusters prefer these consumers go to partnering shops where kickbacks and discounts have been prearranged. Led by advertising executive, Tom Hughes, a growing number of these shops are fighting back and using the power of the media to do so. In this article you�ll read of two shops � one in New York and another in Arizona � that have had phenomenal success with marketing and advertising messages that expose insurance company claims practices and tactics. Hughes dominates this marketing niche and believes its time for insurance companies to get out of the way so shops can vie for the business and be competitive or fail.

Educating Customers Means Bigger Profits

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:11:15 PST

Auto repair shops are often haphazard in educating consumers about the need to purchase safe, high quality auto repairs. �It�s as if we expect our customers to know about features of safety, reliability and convenience in auto parts and auto repair services we provide without ever taking the time and effort to educate them,� says auto marketing guru, Tom Hughes, HUGHES Advertising, LLC. In this article, author Thom Winninger, reminds auto repair shops that they have every reason to invest time in teaching their customers about the safety, reliability and value they build into their products. Why? Because in the end, Educating Customers Means Bigger Profits.

Dealing With Angry Customers

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:16:10 PST

Did you ever wish you had a plan for dealing with disgruntled customers? Well, here it is � a step-by-step guide that auto repair businesses can use to smooth things over when customers are upset. This easy to use approach is laced with common sense and some proven methods that are relied upon everyday in retail establishments where the frequency of complaints, due to a higher volume of customers, are more numerous than in the auto service businesses, many of which only process a handful of jobs in any given week. Is it really necessary to have a plan in place to deal with angry customers? Yes, because in almost all states auto repair is among the top generators of complaints presented to Attorneys General and Departments of Insurance. Grasp this information before you are confronted, and when the red-faced customer enters your office you�ll be prepared to not only diffuse the situation, but also to make them an advocate for your business. [MORE]

Monday Marketing Tips for Auto Body Repair and Glass Shops

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 08:38:49 PST

Monday Marketing Tips is a collection of short informative articles designed to help auto repair businesses connect with consumers and increase the power of their brand These insightful articles are provided free of charge by HUGHES Advertising, LLC . Tom Hughes, owner of the Columbus, Ohio based business consulting company calls his work "Performance Marketing". "For shops," he adds, "it's not just a way of doing, but a way of being." Click this link for a complete index of articles in the Monday Marketing Tips series and commit to taking your business to a level of performance you never thought possible. [MORE]

Perception IS Your Customer's Reality

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:15:20 PST

Customers, more often than not, follow their gut in making buying decisions. If their perception is that your business provides good value and can be trusted, congratulations - you've made it to first base in convincing them to do business with you. In this Monday Marketing Tip, author and marketing guru Tom Hughes, states, "perception is far more important in marketing than reality." The best part is that with the right message repeated over and over again a business can create the perception it desires in the minds of its customers and potential customers. What do consumers in your market perceive of your business?

Integrity: The Heart of a Business

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 16:38:58 PST

Marketing guru, Tom Hughes, recently asked this question of several businessmen and businesswomen in the auto repair industry: �Give Me One Good Reason Why I Should Buy From You.� Mike Ognibene of Benny and Sons Body Shop in Rockford, Illinois answered briefly with only one word -integrity. It's a small word full of meaning that reveals in daily practice the heart of every business. Is the foundation of your auto repair business built on integrity?

Customer Education: A Success Story

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:33:55 PST

AGRSS registrant, Jason Polzin, is the manager of an AGRSS-registered shop that has taken the first step to educate consumers about the importance of proper windshield installations. Polzin, store manager with Polzin Glass in Faribault, Minn., recently talked with AGRR magazine about his safety-centered marketing program. This is a good lesson in marketing for all high-quality auto repair businesses, even collision repair shops, that find themselves competing with shops emphasizing price over quality. [MORE]