THE REVIEWER:
Owner Harry Walat has been working on cars since he was seven years old. He began working on them with his father as a way to spend time together, and from that hobby, became a self-proclaimed car-junkie. He’s been working in the industry since 1979 and built his shop, Collision Technique Center, from the ground up in 1997 with the hopes of providing excellent customer service that he felt was missing in the industry. A few ways he does this is by providing vehicle pickup and deliveries, as well as free estimates. Walat also supports the local community by donating to different organizations, like his recent purchase of the scoreboard for Highland Lake’s Little League field.
THE SHOP:
The 10,000-square-foot shop is located in Wauconda, Ill. The shop has a staff of 11 and an annual revenue of $2 million with an average monthly car count between 60 and 100, depending on the time of year. Collision Technique Center has used Mitchell software since its opening and has made the most of the recently added Toyota Recommended Repair Procedures located within Mitchell’s UltraMate solution since 2015.
HOW IT WORKS:
Walat says that the system is extremely user friendly. To start, the vehicle’s VIN code is entered, and from there, the estimating tool decodes the VIN and breaks down the vehicle. The screen will then show a flat view of the vehicle, and the user can select the portions of the vehicle that need work. Once the problem areas are selected, a summary screen showing all of the recommended parts and labor will be displayed. The appropriate parts and labor are then selected and added to the estimate. The user will go through and do this procedure for all of the necessary vehicle components. Repair lines that are highlighted purple indicate they have a corresponding OEM documentation that can be accessed in the OE documents tab. The OE documents are numbered based on the corresponding line in the estimate.
The Review:
Walat has three employees that write estimates. They all use Mitchell and use the Toyota Recommended Repair Procedures on any Toyota vehicle that come in the shop. It’s used anywhere from three to five times per week.
“It gets very specific. It gives you a list of all the things to add and all of the things that are non-reusable, which is fantastic. It alleviates a lot of supplements. It really breaks down the procedures and it increases the bottom line on the estimate. You will get paid for what you do if you use the procedures,” Walat says.
THE ROI:
More accurate estimates provided by the tool add to Walat’s bottom line. He sees the total dollar amount increase 5–10 percent, depending on the vehicle and damage, on each Toyota estimate.
“I wish all car lines had it. I fight the insurance companies day in and day out. If it’s tangible and in writing, like it is with the Toyota Recommended Repair Procedures, I can show it and say it’s a necessary procedure and they stand down,” Walat says.
Interested in knowing the impact of a particular collision repair product in the shop? Send your suggestions to [email protected].