CollisionCast

How I Did It: Tiffany Menefee

FenderBender begins its How I Did It series, which features stories from the industry’s brightest leaders, and how they built the businesses we’ve come to admire. The inaugural episode kicks off with Tiffany Menefee, who took over Pronto Body Shop in El Paso, Texas, three years ago and rose annual revenue from around $250,000 to $1 million with a focus on insurance relationships and customer appreciation. As a former employee of the insurance industry, she brings a unique perspective to how shops can grow in any community.

Adapt: Inside a New Robotic Paint Drying System

Several years ago, gas catalytic drying technology was introduced. The equipment is designed to dramatically reduce paint drying time by drying vehicles within minutes instead of hours. Now, Tim Beal, owner of Beal's Auto Body & Paint, has developed his own technology, called the Phoenix. He spoke with FenderBender about why he entered into the robotic paint drying arena and how his technology works.

Disrupt: The Ins and Outs of Joining a Franchise

Is a franchise right for you? That's the question Jerald Stiele, owner of Hopkins Auto Body 1, had to ask himself before joining the 1Collision Network. And now that he's settled into his new model, he's ready to talk about the process of joining a franchise and in what ways it changed his business model.

Vision: Coaching Your Team to Success

Sheryl Driggers has been in the collision repair business for a long time, and she's come to understand that it's not enough to be a leader in your shop—you have train your employees to be better at what they do individually. And that means being a coach to your employees and providing an environment where everyone is constantly learning and improving.  In this episode, Driggers discusses how she's built a culture of continuous success for her employees, and how she empowers them to strengthen their leadership roles individually.

Disrupt: Get Your Employees Invested in Training

For this episode of CollisionCast, shop owner Carl Garcia will be discussing how to create space for training in your shop, and how to build a culture of training amongst your employees.

Adapt: Repairing vs. Replacing Plastic Parts

In its 2015 Q3 Industry Trends Report, Mitchell published the top 10 parts involved in collisions, and 68 percent was represented by bumper covers. However, 72 percent of bumper covers are being replaced as opposed to being repaired. The repair vs. replace issue carries into 2018. At the 2017 FenderBender Management Conference, Kurt Lammon and Mike Anderson spoke about repairing vs. replacing plastic parts.  For this episode of CollisionCast, Lammon, the president of Polyvance, speaks with FenderBender about the issue, and the time and costs associated with plastic repair training.  

Disrupt: Keeping Your Staff Happy and Motivated

For this Disrupt edition of CollisionCast, Jeff and Rick Feasel, owner and general manager of Feasel's Frame and Collision Inc., are going to be discussing something that every shop owner strives to do—but, as I’m sure any of them would acknowledge, can sometimes be very difficult: keeping your staff happy and motivated. From payment to incentives to team outings to everyday interactions, here's a rounded approach to building a culture of motivated, happy employees.

Adapt: The Importance of ADAS Calibrations

Sean O'Malley, senior test coordinator for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, discusses the importance of calibrating ADAS in vehicles—particularly front-facing cameras. Failure to calibrate windshield-mounted cameras could lead to issues with lane-departure and autobraking.

Disrupt: A System for Collecting Accounts Receivables

Phil O’Connor, owner of five POC Collision Centers in Maine, says shops can take measures to collect the money that is owed to them. In order to reduce accounts receivables, focus needs to be placed on the paperwork process that occurs in the front office. O’Connor shares his system for collecting on money owed to his business.

Vision: Be a Hungry (Yet Humble) Leader

Kevin Rains speaks with FenderBender to expand on one of his recent columns, “Hungry and Humble,” and discusses just how shop owners can set seemingly unattainable goals for their shops, yet remain grounded at the same time. This holistic approach not only pushes you to new heights as a leader, but inspires your team to follow in your footsteps.