“The Last Great Place.” That’s Montana’s new tag line inviting more tourism and commercial growth to the state. One cannot get through an Architectural Digest, Country Living or Cowboys and Indians magazine without seeing a spectacular image of extraordinary beauty from Montana.
Something else extraordinary has happened in Montana in the collision repair business. Rick Booth, a Montana native, has built his small body shop into a 21st Century, state-of-the-art, fast-paced collision repair center. In fact, it was named the CARQUEST 2003 Business of the Year.
SNAPSHOP
Name: Rick’s Auto Body
Location: Missoula, Mt
Size: 19,000 sq.ft.
Employees: 28
Number of Bays: 32
Years in Business: 26
Volume: 35-45 per week
Web site: www.ricksautobodymissoula.com
Although Rick’s was successful from the start, by 1985 Rick remembers, “I knew enough to know I didn’t know!” He saw “the pond as getting too shallow” and knew he had to make a change. So he told his wife they needed to look further down the road and start doing things differently. And different has transformed into better at this shop. His path of discovery has put Rick’s Auto Body on the fast track.
Rick tasked himself to study business through every avenue available to him. The brand new Rick’s Auto Body, designed by Rick and his team, opened in 2003. The 19,000-sq.-ft. shop opens its doors every morning to the Bitterroot Mountain Range under Montana’s big sky. The facility sits on 13⁄4-fenced acres and is built to maximize production and efficiency. Thirty employees work two shifts to meet customer demands. Customers walk into a professional atmosphere that bustles with efficiency and confidence, due in part to the systems and processes that are in place.
Good communication starts at the morning release meeting. “The only opportunity you have is your bottlenecks,” says Rick. The release meetings are strategic planning and problem-solving sessions as well as opportunities to manage the intricacies of the large shop’s production. The release meeting produces two “go” lists. The technician’s list shows a delivery time 30 minutes before the delivery time on the administrative list. Tom Booth, Rick’s brother, is production manager. Rick knows Tom’s abilities, saying, “I would put him up against anybody in the country.” The production office is elevated with picture windows looking over the shop. The parts room is behind the production office, and everything is on wheels, for efficiency and cleanliness. There are false walls between stalls to better organize tools and equipment, and all technicians have frame equipment built into the floor of their stalls for ease of use. There are two downdraft paint booths, one for large trucks and motor homes and a two car prep station. A business within the business is Excalibur, the division that repairs large trucks and recreational vehicles.
The three estimators work closely with Tom. They manage the scheduling calendar, per target hours, based on three production areas: express repair (no parts, light damage, a two-day turnaround); heavy hit collision damage; and motor-home and heavy-truck repair. There are actually four production areas, if you include synchronizing work for the second shift.
The estimators come from varied backgrounds that blend well together to keep the momentum on track. Kevin Booth, Rick’s son, has been involved in the business since he was old enough to carry a broom. Jolene Burke, comes from Kenworth, and Mark Treynor brings a unique side to this successful triangle—he comes from the high-end shoe business.
Having developed a strong place in the community, Rick’s ongoing relationships with consumers and insurance companies maintains a dynamic customer base. Booth attributes much of his business understanding to his father, who taught him a strong sense of right and wrong. His father also started him out with some pretty savvy marketing skills. For his paper route customers at Christmas, 10-year-old Rick made Christmas cards, put his name on them and stapled them to the paper.
Rick’s Auto Body stays in front of the public through aggressive television and radio campaigns. Booth’s inherent philosophy is the “corporate culture” at this shop. “Make everything right for the customer,” he says. “If there is ever an error, err on the side of the customer.” His strict attention to this detail is proven by his customer loyalty.
The shop’s focus on customer service extends all the way to the East Coast. Massachusetts Auto Body Association Executive Director Steve Regan has a good rapport with Rick’s Auto Body. “My brother was involved in an accident while vacationing in Montana,” remembers Regan. Regan put him in touch with the Montana Auto Body Association. The association identified all Missoula shops, and Regan’s brother landed at Rick’s Auto Body. Rick did not know of the industry affiliation.
Burke was the estimator on the job, and she took great care of the out-of-town customer working with the insurance company, doing temporary repairs and getting him back on the road.