Safe Collision Repairs

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Pay Only As You Drive Auto Insurance Coming in 2009

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:36:02 PST

2009 will bring pay-only-as-you-drive (PAYD) auto insurance policies to the marketplace. It is reported that 14 insurers are already committed to launching such products in the coming year. Many more will, no doubt, jump on board quickly to prevent losing policyholders to competing companies. Not everyone agrees this insurance is worthwhile for consumers. In this article, we'll recap the pros and cons of PAYD products.

Minor Impacts to Toyota Prius Cause Expensive Repair Bills

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:14:32 PST

A recent series of low-speed crash tests were performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on twenty small cars. The tests shockingly revealed that it cost almost as much to repair a Toyota Prius as it does to repair a luxury car after a minor bump. IIHS senior vice president, Joe Nolen condemned carmaker's efforts to merge repairability with stylish designs by saying, "bumpers on most cars aren't worthy of the term...Small cars are supposed to be economical, but there's nothing economical about three or four thousand dollars in repairs after a low-speed collision." IIHS believes impacts such as these, which are typical of minor parking lot bumps, should not cause damage to cars. IIHS then worked with Tech-Cor, the research arm for Allstate Insurance to prove costs could be reduced without sacrificing style and minimal effort from auto manufacturers.

Experian Uncovers Branded Titles Being Laundered

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:11:28 PST

In the first half of 2008 alone, there were nearly 1.3 million cars and trucks totaled as a result of accidents and weather related catastrophes. While these vehicles received branded titles to reflect their totaled status, Experian Automotive recently found that the brand has since been dropped on more than 15 percent or about 185,000 vehicle tiles it has tracked...The problem for consumers is that title-washed cars are often among the most shoddily and carelessly repaired. Often, unsuspecting consumers think they are getting a great deal on a used car or truck, only to find sometime later they have purchased a vehicle that isn't safe to be on the road. Learn more about title laundering (also known as title washing) in this article.

Increased Roof Strength Aids SUV Occupants During Rollovers

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:03:49 PST

Every passenger vehicle meets federal requirements for roof strength, measured in a test, and some manufacturers see to it that cars and trucks in their product lines exceed the requirements by substantial amounts. The question has been whether stronger roofs actually reduce injury risk in real-world rollover crashes. Some studies have concluded that the strength of a vehicle's roof has little or no effect on the likelihood of injury, but a new Institute study indicates that roof strength definitely influences injury risk. Learn more about roof strength in rollover crashes in this article.

Sacrificing Vehicle Safety to Gain Fuel Economy Not Good

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:47:41 PST

Great strides have been made with regard to keeping vehicle occupants safe in accidents. This past year nearly every vehicle tested by NHTSA earned a top rating for frontal crashworthiness, and automakers are seeing tremendous gains in their quest for high ratings for side impact protection as well. As Congress looks to toughen federal fuel economy standards. it would be wise to first consider their effect on vehicle crashworthiness so we don't lose the benefits of safer vehicles newer technologies have allowed us to enjoy.

Repair Quality Below Average in Progressive Concierge Shops

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:53:36 PST

63 percent of Concierge customers blame their substandard repair directly on Progressive, the insurance company that took their money in exchange for the right to stand in their place in dealings with the body shop. As far as consumers are concerned, the hand-off approach makes the insurer solely responsible for the outcome of the repair, whether good or bad.According to J.D. Power and Associates, 48 percent of a customer’s overall impression of his/her insurer is driven by their claims experience. The worst part for Progressive is that we know from historical data that customers who are to some degree dissatisfied are more apt to shop for coverage among other insurance companies, and are less likely to renew policies with the same insurer. Can Progressive turn customer opinion of Concierge around?

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 Safety Expert Byron Bloch Discusses Aftermarket Parts and CAPA

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:06:10 PST

Auto safety expert, Byron Bloch, has issues with the fact that aftermarket sheetmetal parts, including CAPA Certified parts, are not crash tested. Additionally, Bloch states that because the parts are often made of metals with dissimilar properties and characteristics than original OEM parts, their use may prevent a car from folding predictably in a crash. Both text and audio versions of this article are provided so consumers will understand the importance of choosing OEM replacement sheetmetal parts after a crash so a vehicle can remain in full compliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

How Airbags Went From Controversial to Commonplace

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:24:52 PST

During the 1970-80s, automakers resisted airbags. By the late 1990s frontal airbags were standard in new cars in the US market, and automakers quickly began offering optional side airbags. Now head-protecting side airbags are in nearly 70 percent of new cars, and some manufacturers offer knee airbags. In this article you will step back in time to see a history of how airbags came to be used in American cars.

WreckCheck Inspectors Welcome Use of Document Defining Levels of Auto Repair Quality

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:23:59 PST

On October 17, 2001, Network Information Communications, Inc. announced the release of its Seven Levels of Repair and Diminished Value (SLR). While the document never really gained steam as a universal measurement of auto repair quality, it has, nonetheless, survived with the help of some visionaries as a tool capable of putting insurers, shops and consumers on the same page when discussing auto body repairs and expectations of quality at claimtime.

Seven Levels of Repair and Diminished Value

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:32:17 PST

Before creation of the Seven Levels of Repair and Diminished Value, insurance companies and auto body repair shops would claim a vehicle was "repaired." But, without defining what "repair" meant in relation to automobile damage reconstruction, quality was subjective and all over the board. Post repair inspections on hundreds of supposedly "repaired" cars and trucks still exhibiting evidence of accident damage, convinced Network Information Communications’ founder Jim Lynas that the word "repair" was far too ambiguous to describe the complicated processes necessary to fully restore a car after an auto accident. NIC developed the Seven Levels of Repair and Diminished Value in 2001 with the hope it would provide the standard by which insurance indemnification could finally be measured.

Self-Driving Cars

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:24:18 PST

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense that�s responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military. Their latest project is to encourage the development of vehicles that will drive themselves, autonomously.

New Technology Helps Drivers Stay in Their Lane and Avoid Lane-Change Collisions

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:47:08 PST

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 200,000 car crashes a year happen due to automobiles leaving their lanes. Now, two new safety technologies could serve as an extra set of "eyes" for drivers and help them avoid a collision caused by an inadvertent lane change or by colliding with a vehicle in the side blind spot while changing lanes.