 Paintless Dent Repair Updates I have been working with several of the PDR shops to re-examine their industry and see how it stacks up to SGI’s Safe & Quality Auto Repair Program (SQARP). It is interesting that save for some adjustments to the Access Time for tailgates and sunroofs there has been precious little attention to the PDR industry since the mid 1990’s. Just like we recently witnessed with the auto body industry, SGI is realizing that the PDR operators need to up their game when it comes to industry certification and delivering Safe & Quality repairs. I know that they are in regular meetings with regards to how their industry fits the current SQARP program so we will see where that goes. We had been kicking the PDR can down the road on certification for the past year but not getting much done because there was no urgency to do so. Well, with the major hailstorm in the southern part of the province a lot of issues have been brought to both my and SGI’s attention. There have also been some AHA! Moments – things like the 70% Max to Repair rule – I think it was put in place to appease body shops and have them more readily accept PDR as an alternative to traditional repair. Well today because of Advanced Metal Repair techniques like Betag we are very aware that anytime we can save a panel from being replaced generally we have a much better situation for the key stakeholder in this entire equation – the vehicle owner! If we can keep the factory coatings and seams intact while reducing cycle time it is a big win for the consumer to increase the Max to Repair amount to 100%. I know some body shops don’t agree with this but I believe we need to do what is in the best interest of the customer and if your body shop business depends on hail repair to survive you need to re-think your business model. I was in Regina on September 21st to witness the new hail scanner from Chief Automotive and it was certainly impressive! In 6 minutes, this machine scanned a hail damaged vehicle, gave a detailed report of dents per panel and supplied images to back it up. Because the technology is so new it appears that SGI is not going to utilize this technology for the most recent storm but I hope they will be in a position to utilize it next year. The time savings are impressive and the $125 USD per scan is, in my opinion, worth the money for the time savings. The key is who will pay for it? SGI or the body shops? Stay tuned for more changes to the current PDR agreement, we have identified a number of areas that will enhance the cycle time of numerous jobs while saving SGI money on claims and potentially saving car rental time for shops that provide free loaners to their customers. |
 Some of you are familiar with Jessica Hill-Flaman, she was a speaker at our recent SAAR Fall Conference during the SGI presentation. Essentially Jessica is the Senior Director of Claims Operations meaning that she is responsible for the adjuster side of SGI. She contacted me about 2 weeks ago to give a quick update on a project SGI is initiating. They have heard your concerns regarding the total loss process and the impacts on shops so they put a team together with Claims, Appraisals, and Salvage representation to map the process and identify opportunities for improvement. She has asked the team to reach out to a number of shop partners, to better understand the challenges from their perspective. Karen Klein, SGI’s go-to person for adjuster issues will be on the team to provide the “voice” of the shop.Once they have a better understanding of the issues and identify solutions, they will validate their conclusions and report back to the collision industry. Folks, don’t take this for granted – nowhere else that I know of has an insurance company that is as responsive as SGI to the concerns of collision shops. Let’s do our best to provide thoughtful feedback that can lead to positive change for all stakeholders in the repair process. Hats off to Ryan Smith and Jessica Hill-Flaman for listening to our concerns. |
 DONALD COOPER’S BLOGSEPTEMBER 29TH, 20214 ‘Business Improvement Questions’ we should all ask:When doing Biz Coaching, there are 4 ‘Business Improvement Questions’ I love to ask my clients. They have led to very productive conversations. Here they are, no charge.What 1 to 3 new positions, filled by talented top-performers, will make a big difference in our business? 1. ________________________________________. 2. ________________________________________. 3. ________________________________________. In what existing positions in our business, if mediocre or toxic staff were replaced by talented top-performers, will it make a big difference to our customers, our team and to our bottom line? 1. ________________________________________. 2. ________________________________________. 3. ________________________________________. What pieces of new equipment, or technology or systems upgrades will make a big difference in our business? 1. ________________________________________. 2. ________________________________________. 3. ________________________________________. What additional staff training, in which departments, done effectively, will make a big difference in our business? 1. ________________________________________. 2. ________________________________________. 3. ________________________________________. Note: You may have more than 3 ideas for some of these. If so, add them in. But try to come up with at least 3. These are 4 great questions to work on, by yourself, or at your next Managers’ Meeting. For each decision you make, agree on and document what will be done, by whom, by when, at what cost, with what outcomes, measured how and rewarded how. Then follow up. The world is run by those who follow up! |
 Dave Luehr is upping his game with a new website! Don’t forget that Dave is offering access to his Operations Monthly Live training, normally $79 USD per month at par in Canadian dollars. His services are probably the best training and support that I have seen for body shops in my entire career. You need to check this out!The Brand-New Elite Website Has Launched!You’ve visited the site to read articles and explore resources to help independent collision repairers succeed. Now, there is even more to love! Our mission is to help you tap into your limitless potential – and it starts here…A few highlights:The Blog – One of our most popular pages has a fresh new look and is re-organized to make it easier than ever to find articles to help you succeed! From the financial health of your business to your culture, customer sustainability, processes, and so much more, we’ve got you covered.Events – Stay in the know on all the learning going on at Elite each month. From our free Elite Webinar Series with industry experts to the in-depth training of Operations Monthly LIVE, there’s always something exciting happening!Services – As a body shop leader, you know when something isn’t working in your business, but how to fix it can feel like an elusive quest. There are many ‘solutions’ at Elite and we’re here to help you succeed! Take a look at the ways we help our clients and email us at info@elitebodyshopsolutions.com. We’re here to help you find your starting point. |
| One of the most amazing relationships we have is with the Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Saskatoon and Regina. Paul Carter, the Dean of Continuing Education at Saskatchewan Polytechnic has been an amazing partner with our collision industry. Paul’s willingness to find solutions to provide affordable training is unheard of anywhere in Canada. Many of you took advantage of the Canada Saskatchewan job training grant to secure your I-CAR Gold Class thanks in part to Jeremy Shaw. In the coming year you will be able to get similar support to participate in Betag Innovations Advanced Metal Repair Training that will be hosted by both Polytechnic Body Shop Programs. This will be a first in Canada and I strongly encourage you to watch for the announcement of this program when it is announced. In the meantime, take2 minutes to review Scott Kucharyshen’ s elevator pitch from our Fall Conference on September 10th https://youtu.be/ap7Tjp8zLas |
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