PHILADELPHIA – The Collision Industry Conference (CIC) met in Philadelphia April 16 – 17. Here were some of the highlights.
CCC used an open microphone session to provide information about the company’s recent announcement that it would merge with Mitchell. CCC stressed three points. One, neither company was acquiring the other. The merger is to be “a merger of equals.” Two, with the exception of Githesh Ramamurthy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CCC, being named CEO of the combined company, Alex Sun, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mitchell, being named as president, and three other executive announcements, the companies have yet to determine which personnel they will retain. Three, CCC and Mitchell will create a single platform, although that platform may use multiple databases.
Tony Molla, chairman of the Repair Standards Committee described how the committee was breaking up standards into four specific areas: man, machine, materials and mechanisms (processes). The committee also had created a Web site, at www.collisionindustrystandards.org, to collect comments and suggestions on standards.
Speaking to ABRN, Aaron Schulenburg, an administrator for the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG), notes that since the DEG went “live” on December 1, 2007, the DEG has “handled just shy of 400 inquiries.”
“We have found the process, especially as it continues monthly, it continues to get better, and the relationships continue to grow. We have really seen a lot of success in the handling of these inquiries and the resolution of them,” says Schulenburg.
Also speaking to ABRN, Gary Wano, recently named chairman of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), calls Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) the issue that will “make or break the industry.” He praises CIC for giving repairers the opportunity to be around other professionals with critical AHSS knowledge.
“These meetings need to be part of the calendar or budgeting of every repairer, no if’s, and’s or but’s,” says Wano.
Former shop operator and current ABRN contributing editor Toby Chess provided a technical demonstration detailing how to win business the moment a customer calls or walks into a shop. Chess explained what opening phrases a shop representative should never use along with phrases that should be implemented since they inspire confidence and help sell a shop’s services.
Erica Eversman, chief council for Vehicle Information Services, spoke on ethics, and specifically on the importance of shop’s maintaining documentation when they believe an insurer is involved in anti-trust activities.
Speaking for the National Auto Body Council (NABC), Mike Quinn said the Recycled Rides program, which gets cars to needy families, was planning to get 100 shops to repair 100 vehicles this year. By 2010, the NABC hopes to have 500 shops repairing 500 vehicles for these families.
The Repairer-Insurer Relations Task Force continues to seek input for its Best Practices draft. The draft is available at the CIC Web site, www.ciclink.com. Industry members should forward comments to task force chairman Rick Tuuri at [email protected].
