The Body Shop Advocate
~ WE ALL DO BETTER TOGETHER ~

Janet Weir and Ryan Pawlicki from Trubuilt Collision Center
One of our most commented on sections of the advocate, the
Featured Shop of the Month, is missing in this edition due to a
lack of participants. If you're proud of your shop and what you
do, let us know and we will add it into a future edition.
Please contact Katy @ dentout9610@gmail.com
FROM THE DESK OF OUR PRESIDENT

You'll find a great opportunity offered in this month's Advocate. Dave Luehr of Elite Body Shop Solutions is presenting his 5 Pillars of Success program via Zoom. (You have no excuses not to attend! It's even during the work day) As shop owners / managers you're often just too busy to actually "manage" your business, and you'll soon become "managed" by the business, out of your control and perhaps mismanaged. Profits suffer, morale suffers, stress builds...you know. I hope you can make time to join us!

Larry Terrien
President WCRP

***Receipt of this Body Shop Advocate E-news does not equate to a membership. Please consider becoming a member of WCRP by clicking here.
KNOW OF ANY SHOPS LOOKING TO JOIN WCRP?
Forward this newsletter to them! They can click here to go straight to the membership form or they can call Deb at 262-542-7707.
DUES ARE NOW ONLY $150 / LOCATION!
PLEASE WELCOME A FEW NEW MEMBERS!
SCRS VIDEO SERIES

Click on the link below to view Mike Anderson and Danny Gredinberg's SCRS Quick Tips video series. You can subscribe to them here. We have access to all the information we need to thrive in this industry, we just need to commit to utilizing some of it!
 
Click here for the video: Battery Support During Pre/Post Scans - You Might Be Using The Wrong Tools
Estimating Tip: CCC, Mitchell and Audatex-
Cleaning of spilled fluids is not included

Cleaning of spilled fluids in the repair facility and the vehicle due to accident damage is NOT INCLUDED in all three estimating systems.

Mitchell Response DEG Inquiry 18351
Thank you for your inquiry,
"Cleaning spilled or leaked fluids caused by an impact has not been factored into the labor allowance."

CCC/MOTOR response DEG Inquiry 18350
"Clean up of fluids leaked on the vehicle or the workspace caused by a collision is not included. "

Audatex response DEG Inquiry 18349
"Because each vehicle´s collision damage is unique, Audatex labor values do not include time to clean spilled or leaked fluids."

Do you have a "not-included" tip to share with everyone? Send it to Katy at dentout9610@gmail.com and we may include it in a future e-news.
KNOW THE LAWS!
Consumer Protection Fact Sheet - Motor Vehicle Care and Repair Tips (click headline or picture to be taken to the State of WI site)
Wisconsin car repair shops must get your authorization for any repair and must offer you an estimate or firm price quote if repairs will cost $50 or more.
*No unauthorized repairs are allowed. But if you drop off your car before the shop opens with a note to repair something – and you do not ask them to call you with an estimate – the shop can charge what it wants.
*No unauthorized price increases are allowed. If a shop provided an estimated or quote, they need your permission to increase the price.
*A shop may hold your vehicle until you pay for authorized repairs. However, once you have paid for authorized repairs, the shop cannot keep your vehicle because you refused to pay for unauthorized repairs.
*When requesting additional authorization, the shop must tell you both the cost for the additional repairs and the new total cost of the complete job. Make sure you leave a telephone number where the shop can reach you.
*The shop must return replaced parts to you if you ask for them before repair begins. Warranty parts or parts exchanged for rebuilding need not be returned, but must be made available to you for inspection.
*When work is completed, the shop must provide you with an invoice describing the repairs, replaced parts (specifying if used or rebuilt), and warranties for repairs and parts.
*If you need expensive or complicated repairs, or if you have questions about their recommended repairs, consider getting a second opinion.
Shops that do only diagnostic work and do not sell parts or repairs may be able to give you an objective opinion about which repairs are necessary.
Double damages - if the vehicle repair law is violated, you may be able to start an action in small claims court. Wis. Stat. s. 100.20(5) enables consumers to recover twice the amount of any monetary damages, court costs and reasonable attorney's fees.
HARRISON AUTO BODY OF CHETEK
LOOKING FOR TECHNICIANS?
Check out the following resources:

You can also post jobs on Craigslist, your Facebook page, your Google page, and check with your local Chamber of Commerce to see if you can list jobs on their website. It is a good idea to keep in touch with the instructors at your local tech colleges as well.
GUEST EDITORIAL

The views expressed below may or may not be the opinion of more than one WCRP member…(that’s what happens when you solicit someone’s opinion)

"I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American Business."  Warren Buffet

I suspect it's almost unheard of in American body shops. Who has time for that? Certainly no one does during the work day but how about a cup of coffee at 6 a.m.? Walk the floor and think about what's going to be happening soon. Anything that should be managed a little differently? Success is not one monumental change, it's a bunch of seemingly insignificant changes that add up. Warren didn't start with $105 billion.
If you can't do 6 a.m. coffee, how about a nicely chilled 6 p.m. rosé? You'll relax a little, review the day, what can be done differently, better?
The other glaring issue is we all know what we should do or be doing and we just don't do it. Overwhelmed already, too busy, too tired, too lazy...if you're reading this you're likely not really accountable to anyone but yourself. For the most part. That can be a problem. You need to manage yourself, motivate yourself and hold yourself accountable for the things you manage. That's a trifecta very hard to achieve. You'll have no chance if you don't take time to think it all through. Forever delegated to managing those fires that could have been prevented or minimized. (I'm pretty happy with minimizing. Firefighting goes with the job and I'd be bored otherwise.)
Have you ever watched someone working and thought, why don't they just do this or do that they'd be so much more efficient! Don't be them, be you and strive to be better.

Just think about it,
Steve

 Do you have an opinion on a subject that pertains to our industry? If you can tone it down and keep it under 300 words, we could print it here. Keep it clean and try not to offend more than 10% of our members.
Please submit your wording to wcrpinfo@gmail.com

P.O. Box 841
Merrill, WI 54452-2841
262-542-7707