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Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Right to Appraisal empowers policyholders to dispute unfair insurance claim settlements following a car accident, but as an increasing number of New Jersey carriers remove or limit the Appraisal Clause offered in their policies, AASP/NJ has voiced its support of Senate Bill (SB) 4534, legislation proposed by Senator Paul Moriarty (D-District 4) that seeks to require all automotive insurance policies issued in the Garden State to include the Appraisal Clause, providing policyholders with the means for a fair appraisal and adequate indemnification. (Read the bill in its entirety at bit.ly/SB4534.) Last month, New Jersey Automotive discussed why it’s so important for policyholders to retain…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be everywhere these days. Call your credit card company to question a suspicious charge, and you’re likely to encounter an automated “customer service representative.” Or simply queue up Siri on your iPhone to initiate a search.  AI has also made its way into the automotive industry with many ADAS features – including lane assist, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance and more – relying on this technology to analyze data from sensors and cameras to enhance vehicle safety and prevent accidents. Insurers have also embraced AI with an increasing use of chatbots and reliance on photo…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Collision repair is a diverse industry that offers a multitude of career opportunities, and while one may typically think of those options as including roles within the shop – owner, estimator, technician, refinish, admin, etc. – a whole world of possibilities exists outside of those four walls with a plethora of positions that offer individuals to play to their strengths as a part of this fascinating field. For some, the journey begins in the shop. Mike Johnson (Crown Collision Solutions) is a 42-year collision industry veteran who worked in various roles as a body, paint and frame technician, an independent appraiser, shop…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing While it may come as no surprise to body shop owners who deal with insurance companies every day, many consumers may be shocked when their carrier offers a significantly lower settlement to cover the cost of repairs after an accident. Instead of fully indemnifying them for the amount of loss, insurers employ tactics designed to increase insurer profits at the expense of their policyholders.  Of course, in this situation, consumers can turn to small claims court to sue their insurer for the difference, but litigation is expensive, time-consuming and overwhelming. Fortunately, there’s a better way! Many auto insurance policies contain the…

Published in Hammer & Dolly – Thomas Greco Publishing Maintaining the health of your business is similar to nurturing your physical health; both require training, fueling it with the right supplies and managing stress. And when something seems out of whack, it just might be time to make a change. In last month’s Hammer & Dolly (available at grecopublishing.com/hd0725coverstory), several industry “doctors” prescribed repair planning as the right medicine for creating consistency and enhancing the customer experience, which results in improving profitability. An accurate repair plan allows shops to know exactly what to anticipate throughout the repair process, reducing administrative burden and preventing workflow interruptions. It is not surprising that shops focused on…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Every day, the collision repair industry changes. Shops face a heavy load of challenges that come in many forms – from consolidation and workforce shortages to technological advances and contention with third-party payers. Yet, the need for vehicle repairs remains consistent, demanding shops keep up with the constant evolution of the industry to remain competitive and profitable. Those unwilling to put in the work to strengthen their businesses just might see their doors shuttered before long.  But what are the biggest changes and challenges facing the industry? And how can shops make sure they’re strong enough to carry the burden? New Jersey…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing ABAT’s Texas Auto Body Trade Show has grown exponentially since it began in 2016, and its success can largely be attributed to the association’s willingness to branch out and try something new. This has been the case each year, and 2025 is certainly no different! Taking place September 12-13 in its new location, at the Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel and Convention Center in Allen, the 2025 Texas Auto Body Trade Show promises to deliver the same high-energy education presentations that attendees have come to expect from the event, but as always (in true Texan fashion), it just keeps getting bigger and better…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing OEM procedures – jump! ADAS – jump! EVs – jump! Insurer estimates – jump (and try not to fall)! Change is the only constant in the ever-evolving auto body industry, and it seems like clearing one hurdle only brings you closer to the next one on the path. As you spring over each one, the likelihood of stumbling and falling may seem like an inevitability, but shops determined to go the distance recognize the best way to overcome those obstacles is to “pole vault” over the barriers keeping them from moving forward. Association membership provides collision professionals with the right equipment…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing For nearly half a decade, body shops have been juggling more work than they could handle, and then suddenly – BOOM! Things shifted; volume has been decreasing in repair facilities across the country since last year.  “Not since the pandemic year of 2020 have so many US shops reported six-month sales and net profit being below the same period a year earlier,” Crash Network reported in April, citing its recent “Collision Industry Business Perspectives” survey. “Nearly half (46 percent) said their sales and net profit in the second half [of] 2024 were down from what they were in the second half of…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Running a collision repair shop is a tough gig – between contending with customers’ expectations, insurers’ demands and rising costs of, well, everything, many owners report struggles to turn a profit. Yet, for over a decade, consolidation has been ballooning forth in markets from coast to coast! How did the MSO boom begin, and are there any indications of implosion? Repairers first noticed an increase in consolidation in the late 1990s and early 2000s when Caliber, Gerber and Service King entered the market in California and Texas, purchasing independent shops and converting them to their brands. But beginning in 2013, more…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Running a collision repair shop is a tough gig – between contending with customers’ expectations, insurers’ demands and rising costs of, well, everything, many owners report struggles to turn a profit. Yet, for over a decade, consolidation has been ballooning forth in markets from coast to coast! How did the MSO boom begin, and are there any indications of implosion? Repairers first noticed an increase in consolidation in the late 1990s and early 2000s when Caliber, Gerber and Service King entered the market in California and Texas, purchasing independent shops and converting them to their brands. But beginning in 2013, more…

Published in AASPMN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Once upon a time, vehicles entered a repair shop – mechanical or collision – and could be repaired based upon the repairers’ knowledge and experience. Those days are long gone! With vehicles growing increasingly complex due to the use of new materials, inclusion of ADAS and telematics, not to mention the challenges related to electric vehicles (EVs), researching the OEM repair procedures for every job has become a necessity, even when the repair order calls for something as simple as replacing a bumper or a wheel alignment, either of which may require calibrations. Even if a shop performed the exact same repair on the…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Last month, New England Automotive Report explored the ineffectiveness of the Auto Damage Appraiser Licensing Board’s (ADALB) actions regarding its never-ending review of proposed revisions to 212 CMR 2.00 et seq (available to read online at grecopublishing.com/near0325coverstory). But are those regulations even enforced? Anyone who has witnessed their handling of complaints in recent years has certainly asked this question, and it seems to be a topic worth exploring more closely. Disorder. Mayhem. Hullabaloo. These are all synonyms for madhouse, which Websters defines as “a place of uproar or confusion.” Thus, the term madhouse certainly seems to apply to meetings of the Auto Damage…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing ADAS features have become pretty standard on most vehicles; in fact, around 95 percent of light duty vehicles manufactured in 2023 came equipped with automatic emergency braking, according to CCC Intelligent Solutions’ 2024 Q1 Crash Course Report (bit.ly/CCC-CC2024q1). These days, around 70 percent of vehicles being brought to a body shop require at least one calibration, but there’s a lot of debate about whether it makes more sense to sublet this task or to bring calibrations in-house. Simple answer: there isn’t one! It all depends on your business model and what makes sense for each shop.  “Calibrations are an absolutely integral part…

Published in AASPMN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Running a successful automotive repair business is similar to playing a game in that respect – only whether you win or lose ultimately comes down to whether or not the shop is successful, and the best way to “keep score” requires monitoring and tracking certain key performance indicators (KPIs). But with so many moving parts, how does a shop owner or manager know which KPIs are most important? Last month, AASPMN News explored this subject on behalf of collision repair facilities (available at grecopublishing.com/aasp0325coverstory), but while mechanical shops share some of the same KPIs, they typically need to look at things a little differently. Jeff…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing “I can’t find help for my shop.” “No one wants to be a technician anymore.” “Kids these days just aren’t interested in collision repair.” Nearly every shop owner in New Jersey and across the country shares the same complaint, but it just may be time to recognize the issue doesn’t lie with the next generation – shops are largely to blame for this ongoing problem! Although the number of collision repair educational programs have dwindled in recent years, the remainder report high interest in collision technology; however, instructors often fail to get the support they need from the industry to keep students engaged…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing It’s commonly said that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” but how crazy is it to repeat the same actions and yield NO results? Yet, that’s exactly what happens at the Auto Damage Appraiser Licensing Board (ADALB) meetings time and time again! Seated under the Division of Insurance (DOI), the ADALB is charged with the regulation of motor vehicle damage appraisers in the Commonwealth. Although the Board is charged with a laundry list of duties, the bulk of its agenda in recent years seems to be consumed with two specific responsibilities: maintaining…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Getting in a car crash tends to be a traumatic experience for any driver, but when their insurance carrier – the entity sworn to make them whole after an accident – adds insult to injury by under-indemnifying them for the claim, many vehicle owners find themselves shivering with apprehension as to how they’re going to get their car repaired or afford a replacement. But then a ray of light appears amidst the clouds for those who learn that they have the ability to contest value through their policy’s Appraisal Clause without being forced to pursue costly litigation.  Unfortunately, few consumers realize they…