WIN CONFERENCE 2009

It was my great privilege to attend the Womens Industry Network conference this year. The Board was also generous enough to support my travel and paid expenses with a scholarship that paid for me and my mom to attend at no cost. Thank you WIN!

We drove the 5 1/2 hours to Dallas to attend(Mom was excited to tag along), and when we arrived, we were graciously welcomed by Kim White whom I had spoken with, but was good to meet face to face. That night was the formal reception where I was introduced to the impressively unassuming CEO and president of I-CAR as well as a very unforgettable bunch of wonderful women, and my mentor for the weekend who also shared my name, and who made the experience so much more enjoyable for me! Thanks Jennifer!

The speakers were great too. Marjorie Brody, our keynote speaker Monday morning, spoke to us about marketing ourselves and image. There was a class on gender differences in the workplace which shed some light on dealing with inappropriate behavior between the genders and common sense ways to deal with it. Another class was conflict resolution strategies which one lady joking said "she was gonna use it for her marriage." The principles apply to all, but it was geared towards management, so I filed it away to use eventually. And my favorite class of the whole weekend was where the speaker had prepared gift bag full of topics and situations and we were to all go around the table and discuss each topic and add personal stories and just network and get good discussions going.

All in all it was a very fulfilling experience. There were just too many of you to thank personally, but I am very grateful to each and every one of these wonderful women.

Some Insurance Companies have treated Body Shops like Dumb and Dumber.

Dumb and Dumber is a "dumb" movie, but it's one that you've gotta like.  One of the scenes reminds me of the way some insurance companies have treated body shops.  

This is a scene of Lloyd and Harry in Aspen, CO in the freezing cold without any money to get a hotel room.  Lloyd is nice and warm with two pair of gloves on, while Harry is freezing to death and can't even feel his hands.  When Harry discovers that Lloyd had two pairs of gloves the whole time, he is ready to kill Lloyd.  

Well, in this analogy, Lloyd is like some insurance companies.  They are making profits and doing well.  Harry is like the shops, trying to make ends meet, while dealing with some insurances, which try to strip and cut any evidence of the shop's profit. 

I believe the end of the video conveys the main point of this blog post.  This is where Harry becomes very angry with Lloyd.  I believe that many shops have had it with insurance trying to reduce shop profits.  Or some insurance companies trying to steer their customers to shops that will  work cheaper.  

This is not fair for the shops that do not want to cut corners and do the job correctly.  Insurance should not steer customers to their direct repair shops to increase their profit.  Insurance companies need to learn how to share like Lloyd did in the video.  It's time to "share the wealth."  

Not all insurance companies are this way.  Therefore, you may shop around when considering car insurance.  

Here is the scene from the movie.

New Technology Makes Creating Obsolete Parts a Breeze

Sam Moser, a student of the collision repair program at Butler, sent me a video with Jay Leno explaining how antique car builders can now generate some of their parts with ease.  For example, in the video, they made an adjustable wrench out of plastic.  Not only did it look like a wrench, but it functioned too.  Take a few minute to check this video out.  I think that you will agree that this is an awesome tool.  

 

If this is something that fascinates you, check out our pre-engineering/manufacturing classes at Butler. I'm not sure if they have this specific set-up, but they do have a machine that makes aluminum parts.  They also have a composites class. Think about it, if you took some of those classes and our collision repair program, you'd be set to do some really cool things.  Not your cup of tea?  You may want to learn more about our auto tech program.

One thing is for certain, enrollment opens soon for fall and all of these classes will fill fast.  Once filled, you'll have to wait another year. 

Steering - what insurance companies don't want you to know

A student e-mailed me with questions concerning insurance steering. So, I thought I would post a blog about insurance steering. I don't claim to be an insurance expert, but I can "steer" you in the right direction.

First of all, it is illegal to steer customers to a repair shop. However, insurance companies have been doing it for years. Insurance companies facing a body shop is like Goliath facing David. They have the money and resources to take how ever long it takes in court to win their case and get their way.

The process

When you're involved in an accident, you'll need to turn your claim into your insurance company. From there, the insurance company directs the insurer to take their vehicle to their Direct Repair Program (DRP) shop. The shop is required to abide by the insurance company's guidelines. This may include discounts, using aftermarket parts, and other ways to cut costs. The problem is that some of the repair shops are performing poor and unsafe repairs. The shop has to cut corners to make a profit at the discounted rate.  However, the vehicle is delivered to the customer, which may not be in its pre-accidental condition. The good news is that you do not have to settle for this.

You have the legal right to have your vehicle repaired where you want

Some insurance companies have been using their weight to steer customers to their DRP shops. They may claim that they will not pay the claim at the repair shop you wish to have your vehicle repaired at or they may tell you that you will have to pay out of pocket if you don't use their recommended shops. They may also tell you that they will not guarantee the repairs, if it is not repaired at their recommended shop. However, this is not true, the insurance does not guarantee the repairs, the repair shop does. You have the right to have the vehicle repaired at the repair shop of your choosing.

Shops and insurers are fighting back

Shops and insurers are fighting back and making progress with their rights. Insurance companies agree that steering is illegal and they deny these types of accusations. We're hearing more stories like the post by SceneExchange "It's on-David vs. Goliath Insurance Style." This was a case where Progressive Insurance sued a repair shop for fraud and refused to pay the claim. At the same time, the repair shop was not a DRP shop and refused to settle for the discounted rate that Progressive offered to pay for the claim. To make a long story short, the repair shop won the case and Progressive was required to pay the full amount. That was a big day for the collision industry, as it gave us hope that we don't have to take this any more.

If you're involved in an accident

You have the right to have your vehicle repaired at the repair shop you choose. The insurance company may try to tell you where to take the car, but don't back down. It is illegal for the insurance company to steer you to a repair shop.

If you do not feel comfortable dealing with the insurance company, take your vehicle to the repair shop of choice and give the shop the authorization to contact the insurance on your behalf. This is something the shop does on a daily basis and they can negotiate with the insurance company for you. This will eliminate the hassles of dealing with the insurance company so you can focus on the more important things in life.

If you have a bad experience with your insurance company, I suggest shopping for another company.  Some insurance companies are quite easy to work with and they want the claim to be as hassle free as possible for the customer.  So choose wisely.

Below are a few videos about steering

BCC Student Attends WIN Conference

All of the arrangements have been made and Jenni is all set to attend the 2009 Women Industry Network (WIN) conference in Dallas, TX. She will need to be there Sunday (today) to kick the conference off at 7 PM. I believe the conference ends Tuesday at 4:30 PM. WIN has some excellent speakers selected to present at the conference, so I know that Jenni is in for a treat. Maybe she will bring back some positive stories and share her experience with the class.

I would like to thank WIN for selected Jenni to win the scholarship. The scholarship paid for all of her expenses to attend the 2009 annual conference. WIN is an excellent organization for the collision industry and Jenni is an outstanding student. Therefore, this is a win/win for everyone.

A Fast First Year!

When I chose to attend Butler's collision repair program, I was not 100% convinced that I had made the right choice. 

After about the first month of classes I was convinced that working in the collision repair industry was what I wanted to do and that has not changed. The first year is flying by, it is spring break now. We head back to class Monday for the final sprint until the end of the semester and the end of our first year already! The second year students will be graduating and moving on to work in the industry. 

So much stuff has happened already this semester. Butler being chosen to be a finalist for Tomorrow Tech's and Chicago Pneumatic School Of The Year! Also, we have seen so many cars come and go. The Mustang has come and gone twice! The Focus is really starting to come along. All and all this year so far has been great. I have learned alot and had alot of fun (never thought I would say that about school). Can't wait to get back to class and back to work with the rest of the class although Spring break is great too!

 

Anticipation - it’s worth the wait

Remember the Heinz Ketchup commercials. It talks about the anticipation of waiting for the ketchup to come out of the bottle is worth the wait. One of their commercials are below if you haven’t seen it.

Well, I have anticipation. I’m waiting to see who the 2009 Tomorrow’s Technician and Chicago Pneumatic Tools “School of the Year” is. I found out today that Tomorrow’s Technician had narrowed it down to the four finalist. Then the finalists were sent to Chicago Pneumatic. Unfortunately, the four final schools have not been announced yet. We’ll have to wait until the School of the Year has been named to learn who the winner and runner-up schools are. So, for this round, we’ll just have to wait.

I hope this story ends like the Heinz commercial; it’s worth the wait. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear who the winners are. They said we may hear something by the end of next week.

Do The Right Thing - Is There Any Such Thing..?

I watched a video by Liberty Mutual. It’s about doing the right thing. It states that doing the right thing is our responsibility as people, but Liberty Mutual is going the extra mile by doing the right thing. However, the bailout that I heard about AIG Insurance was discouraging and made me question if there is any such thing as corporate giants doing the right thing.

According to Fox, AIG received 30 billion in bailout money and then paid 400 of their employees a bonus. Eleven of them received three million dollars each. Is that doing the right thing? I know this hits a sensitive spot with Americans because they used bailout money to support the bonuses. However, I wonder how much of this has been going on in the past. It aggravates me the way some insurance companies nickel and dime collision shops over small items. They expect the customers and shops to use after market parts, they look for judgment time to cut, refuse to pay for non-included operations, and try to steer customers to their DRP shops. Meanwhile, executives are receiving millions in bonuses. Now, is that doing the right thing?

I don’t know if all insurances companies are guilty of these type of activities, but AIG has opened my eyes to the possibility. I have not had problems with Liberty Mutual. In fact, I use them for my home and auto. They haven’t received any bailout money that I’m aware of. I hope that they do reflect what their video conveys. If I’m involved in an accident or turn in a home claim, I will expect them to do the right thing.

Below is Liberty Mutual's do the right thing video. It’s a great video.



Below is Fox's AIG video - I don’t know about you, but I’m sticking with Liberty Mutual.



Your Thoughts? Leave us a comment.

Butler Collision Student Wins Women’s Industry Network Scholarship

We received an application for a scholarship to attend a conference with the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) in the mail.  The application asked for the collision repair instructors to select and encourage their best female student to apply.  I only have one second-year female student so I asked Jenni if she would be interested in attending the 2009 WIN conference, which is March 22 - 24 in Dallas, Texas. Jenni agreed that a scholarship to attend the conference would be interesting.  Therefore, Jenni wrote a small essay expressing why she would like to attend the conference, I completed the instructor portion of the application and we mailed it in.

Friday, I received an e-mail that Jenni won the scholarship.  I don’t have all the details about the scholarship yet, but I do have some information about WIN that I can share with you.  WIN is an organization for women in the collision repair industry.   Their mission statement is: “The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) is a not-for-profit association dedicated to encouraging, developing and cultivating opportunities to attract women to collision repair while recognizing excellence, promoting leadership, and fostering a network among the women who are shaping the industry.”

The 2009 conference keynote speaker is Marjorie Brody. You can see a short YouTube about Marjorie below.  Other speakers include John Edelen, CEO and President of I-CAR, and Stacy Bartnik, Assistant Vice President & Director of Field Services CARSTAR Franchise Systems, Inc.

Kudos to Jennifer Engelbrecht.  I feel confident that Jenni is among the top collision repair students in the nation.   She shows up on time everyday with a positive attitude and ready to tackle all challenges each day produces.  Therefore, she will be a great asset to the WIN organization.

Below is the short video of the key speaker.

The Key to a Successful Business

I watched a Starlink video this month featuring Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.  A few nights later I saw Tony on The Apprentice with Donald Trump.  It’s kind of strange because I’ve never heard of Tony or Zappos and now I hear about them every time that I turn around.  After learning more about the company, I became impressed.  I wondered, what if every company treated their employees and customers this way?  Or at least treated their customers like humans.  I know that I have experienced very poor customer service in the past and I’m sure that you have to.  It can be very aggravating.

My advice to you, as a technician, estimator, or manager is to treat your customers well. Remember, the customer is stressed after an accident and they’re looking for someone to help them through the repair process.  The process is a norm to you, but not the customer. Therefore, don’t assume that they know what’s going on.  It’s your job to help them understand the process and to help them eliminate the problem.  Excellent customer service is the key to a successful collision repair business.  Check out how Zappos does business in the video below. Let me know what you think of Tony’s theory of a successful business.  Would this concept work for a dealership or a collision center?

It All Starts With The Leadership

Every good organization starts with good leadership. That is what makes Butler the awesome place that it is. I have mentioned some of the accomplishments that our leaders have made in previous blog posts. However, here is another example of the stellar leadership we have at Butler.

Our President, Dr. Vietti, was named one of the "Most Influential Women in Wichita." That is awesome! Read more at
http://www.purelearningpower.com/influence.pdf

If you would like to learn more about Butler, feel free to contact me.

Donnie Smith
316-323-6890

Butler's Bid to be School of the Year

We've been keeping you updated with the Tomorrow's Technician/Chicago Pneumatic School of the Year award.  Here is a YouTube video with Butler's bid to be the award winner. We'll keep you updated on the progress, so check back often.

MAKE OR BREAK it's now or never

It's coming to that time of the year, amazing how quickly time seems to fly by. Just yesterday I was unloading my toolbox to start this two year class, all in the blink of an eye we now have less than 2 months remaining. Up until now we have covered everything needed to be set free, except what to do with all our free time just joking... This class has been an experience that I will never forget, I can honestly tell you I am walking away with a skill and knowledge that will never be outdated in this rapidly growing economy. Everyday more and more cars are put out on the road, which in turn only means more and more business for us. There are not many jobs that are guaranteed job security, but this is one that will never go out of business. As the days, months, and years pass the business of collision repair, and refinish will only sky rocket with no end in sight. I would like to thank Donnie Smith, for giving us the skills and knowledge needed to make it in the automotive industry, and Butler Community College, for giving students interested in this field of work, such a great environment to learn the skills needed to help make a stand in this ever changing industry.

February, 2009 BCRN Newsletter Blog

This is a newsletter blog that will be posted once a month to highlight other blog posts, videos, events, and other things going on in the collision repair program.

School of the Year Update

We've completed all of the information needed for the award and mailed it to Tomorrow’s Technician. We’ll have to wait until April to hear who the national and regional winners are. To see all of the schools that made it to the top 20 finalist visit Tomorrow’s Technician. I would like to thank all of the auto tech and collision repair students for providing all of the needed information.  Our division Dean, Jim Edwards, and Devin Olson’s mother, Karen Ottaway, also helped by writing a letter of recommendation.  Whether we win or not, I appreciate all of the help to meet the deadline.

First Year Students

The first year students have already completed damage analysis, bolt-on panel alignment, auto estimating, and are now in paint refinish.  Last semester the students completed body repair and plastic repair. We’re now using those projects to prime, block, paint, and clear coat. They are learning about safety, equipment, spray guns and adjustments, and spraying techniques. They have also been color sanding and buffing the parts that they paint. I have to admit, there is a lot of talent in my first-year class.  

Second Year Students

The second year students are currently learning an in-depth class about color matching, tinting, and blending.   Blending is the process of using a color close to the original finish and blending (or layering) it into the original color. While there may actually be two shades, blending fools the eye into seeing only one color.  Most of the shop owners that I talk to say they blend most jobs.  Some of the metallic, pearl, and tinted clears would make it too time consuming to panel paint without blending.

Focusing on the Focus

Both classes have been working on the Focus project. This project started out to be used for replacing skins; however, after hooking it up to our Shark measuring system and removing some of the skins, we found quite a bit of hidden damage. Layer-by layer, we remove the damaged parts. Luckily, we have another Focus that have most of the parts needed.   It takes a little time and skill to take weld-on parts off of one car to be used for another car. Care must be taken not to damage the parts during removal.   Here is a short video of the work in progress of the Focus.

 

Instructor Training

Instructors must become students to stay properly trained. This month I attended the Nuts & Bolts of Estimating in Galesburg, IL. This was an excellent class. Learn more about the class.

Ted Powe Scholarship Memorial Skate

There was a skating event at the Carousel Skate Center in Wichita, KS this month. The event was in memory of Ted Powe and benefited the Ted Powe Scholarship. Read more about the event. 

Blogs and videos found in the media.

I found one video and one blog post on Tomorrow's Technician magazine

Auto Damage Estimate Video

Jenni's rant for females in the Industry

Student Led Video

Auto Estimating - Part One

Other Blog and/or Videos

Ted Powe Skating Event Video
history in the making, IT'S ALL IN THE HP

You can watch all of our videos on our  YouTube BCRN channel at www.YouTube.com/ButlerCollision

BCRN in other places

Join us on FaceBook.  We have a group for all collision repair schools, students, and technicians to network. Join this group

Contact Information

For more information about the Collision Repair program contact:

Donnie Smith
Lead Collision Instructor
(316)323-6890
asmith73@butlercc.edu

For more information about the Auto Tech program contact:
Jeremy Carlson
Auto Tech Instructor
(316)322-3287
jcarlson5@butlercc.edu

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Collision Repair Tip
Anytime that your using the frame machine, make sure that the chain is a STRAIGHT 90 degrees to the tower and also have the hook pointing to the floor. You’ll have less of a chance of it coming loose from the car.
~Mark Lapes - Automotive Forums

Fact
Butler opened in 1927 and now enrolls over 8000 students.

Quote
“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude”
~Zig Ziglar

Question
In your opinion, what is the most important step when refinishing a vehicle?

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