Close Up: Meet the Mitchell Editorial Team, Tom Champion

At the core of Mitchell's philosophy is providing easy and direct access to our expert editorial staff. We interviewed our Editorial staff to find out what makes Mitchell Estimating unique, why they love working at Mitchell and where they see the future of the collision industry going. 

This time we’re sitting down with Content Specialist Tom Champion! 

What did you do before you came to Mitchell?  

Before Mitchell, I was a collision repair technician. I worked at body shops and dealerships around San Diego County. I was what is known in the industry as a heavy-hit collision technician. Heavy hits are like train wrecks, basically. If a car was hit with a lot of severe damage, I would be getting most of those jobs.

So my job really consisted of bringing in the vehicle and making a complete tear-down, and then basically blue-printing the vehicle, writing a supplement, every nut and bolt, clip, everything that's necessary for the repair. As the repair order was ready for me, I would bring the vehicle in and put it on a frame machine if it needed to be or a dedicated fixture system and make the necessary pulls to basically align and square the vehicle, the dimensions of the frame.

Why is your experience important to Mitchell Estimating?  

It's important for customers to have accurate data because, if they are spending time replacing something and not getting enough time to do it, it affects the bottom line. You really need to do a lot of research, investigate. With the experience that I do have, I know how long it takes to do something, what's involved in it. Without that research and experience, you're going to be just guessing at it. So it's very important for them to have the accurate labor times.

As you know, data is always changing, technology is always changing. So how do you stay current in your job?

I stay current by paying attention to the industry and just keeping up with new things that come out, always scouring through the manufacturers' service procedures and looking for new data, changes that they make, just always constantly keeping an eye on that. If anything is new, jumping all over it and taking care of it.

Can you walk us through a recent customer interaction, what was the problem and how you resolved it?

Recently a customer called in with an inquiry. It was a disparity in labor times from our database with another information provider. Ours seemed to be lower labor time, and he basically wanted to understand the disparity. Doing a little detective work we looked at what was included in the other system, and we're able to identify that the radiator support that this customer called in was unique to most of the other radiator supports.

It really didn't involve all the operations that were usually included. So I was able to explain to the customer, "Hey, you know what? This time is accurate. It seems like the other system that you're using, there included operations that really aren't necessary and create an overpayment.”  So he was pleased with that, to hear what was going on, why it's such a difference.

What do you personally get out of coming to work every day?
I feel like I'm making a difference to the user out there, because I was out there. If the times aren't accurate, it affects our livelihood. If they spend three hours replacing something, and it pays less than that, that's not good for the industry at all, for anybody really. So I feel like I make a difference every day that I come in to Mitchell.

Want to learn more about how Mitchell Estimating can improve accuracy and profitability for your auto body repair shop? To schedule a demo call (800) 238-9111.

WIN 2015 Addresses Change and Challenges for Women in Collision Repair

WIN (Women's Industry Network) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting leadership, recognizing excellence and fostering networking opportunities for women in the collision repair industry. This year's annual educational conference, May 4-6 in Washington D.C., will focus on facing change and challenges under the theme "Connect to Cultivate."

Industry leader Mike Anderson of Collision Advice will deliver the keynote address, "Choosing Your Destiny." According to WIN, Anderson will offer inspiration and guidance for creating a success story through self-determination, motivation and personal responsibility.

Representing Mitchell in the line-up of featured speakers will be Marianne Godwin, Director, Organizational Learning and Development, Human Resources, and Mary Yama, Specialist 2 from that same department. The two women will lead the session "Feedback: Giving and Receiving." The following are highlights from an interview we recently conducted with Marianne and Mary.

Which presentations are you most looking forward to?
Mary: "Paul Gange from Fix Auto USA’s session, 'Change Makes Me Happy… Or is it the Other Way Around?' I personally love change but not everyone does, so we can learn from each other by understanding that people approach it with different mindsets, some comfortable, some not so much. Seeing how change impacts people’s emotions can help us learn skills for our own change management."

"I’m also looking forward to hearing Mike Anderson’s Keynote. Mitchell has partnered with him on some of our corporate sponsored collision industry events in the past. Engagement is always high with good feedback."

Marianne:  "I’m also intrigued by Paul Gange’s presentation. Mitchell has gone through a lot of change and will continue to. I’m interested in seeing how other companies are handling change. It’s a learning opportunity for me."

What can people expect from your session? What do you hope they’ll take away from it?
Marianne:  "Feedback gives people the willies. We want to remove some of the stigma so that people become less uncomfortable with the process. Giving and receiving feedback doesn't need to be difficult or scary. Attendees will walk away with specific tools to help them give and receive feedback more effectively that very moment."

Why is it important to give feedback properly? What is some risk from just winging it or not giving it at all? 
Marianne: "When it’s given properly and appropriately, feedback is a gift that the recipient can only benefit from. It can help us change for the better by learning to do things differently. It can also reinforce good behaviors. Bad feedback is when you tell a person how you 'feel'. Effective feedback isn't about feelings. It’s about behavior.

Mary:  "If you don’t structure your feedback tactfully, you run the risk of offending the recipient. You can’t expect people to change their behavior if you go about it the wrong way."

Are there specific concerns about feedback for women in the collision repair industry?
Mary:  "Well, women are less prominent in our industry, so giving or getting feedback can be intimidating. It’s scary enough in everyday situations, but when you’re a woman emerging in a field like ours, it can be especially difficult. That’s why WIN was interested in addressing the topic."

What’s the best feedback you've ever received?
Mary:  "In general, I appreciate feedback from people who don’t typically give a lot of it. When they do, I really value it because I know it took a lot for them. Because they got up the courage or were passionate to give it, it means more to me."

Marianne: "I recently got feedback that I was intimidating! My first reaction was, 'that’s crazy. I’m 5'1", how intimidating can I be?' But when I thought about it and took it to heart, I realized that sometimes what I think is being passionate is intimidating to the recipient. My takeaway: sometimes, I have to temper my passion. See, the feedback was about behavior, not emotions."

Are there women in our industry you especially admire?
Mary: "Nina Smith-Garmon [Mitchell’s Executive Vice President and General Manager] has shown how you can come from a different industry, step into a role, and take on more and more responsibility. She listens and she cares. She’s a great role model for women."

Marianne: "For me, it’s Pat Rundel [Mitchell’s Senior Director, Content Management Editorial Team, Production & Management]. Pat is from the collision repair industry. She truly understands what it’s like to be out there in a male-dominated industry. Then she stepped inside and she fits here really well."

Mobilegeddon is today! Is your shop ready?

Does your shop have a "mobile friendly" website? If not, beginning this week there is a good chance your shop's position in Google rankings will be negatively affected!

Google is launching a change that gives a ranking boost to mobile-friendly pages in Google’s mobile search results. While this change is just one of many signals Google takes into account when ranking a shop's website, it is going to be an important one. Google says it will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide, and have "a significant impact" in search results.

Why? It just makes sense since many people spend the majority of their time on their mobile devices. Mobile is not going away. If your shop's website isn't mobile-friendly, you're doing yourself and your potential customers a disservice, regardless of how Google is ranking your content.

Google states, "When it comes to search on mobile devices, users should get the most relevant and timely results, no matter if the information lives on mobile-friendly web pages or apps. As more people use mobile devices to access the Internet, our algorithms have to adapt to these usage patterns."

 So what should you do if your site isn’t optimized for mobile devices? Well, we suggest you start by utilizing Google's Mobile-Friendly test tool to test your website:

Enter your website URL, and hit "analyze". Hopefully you'll get something that looks like this, telling you your site is mobile-friendly:

If your URL is not deemed mobile-friendly, Google will tell you specific reasons, as well as info about how Googlebot sees it. They’ll also give resources to help you fix issues. Reasons a page isn't mobile friendly might include things like: "content wider than screen," "uses incompatible plugins," "links too close together," and "text too small to read."

Based on our research and experience, if your shop implemented a website over 4 years ago and you have not made any changes or created a separate mobile site you probably need some help ASAP. We have also found that many sites built by AutoWatch/SeeProgress some time ago are not "mobile friendly."

Google recommends the following platforms for creating new sites, and chances are you're already using one of them: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Blogger, vBulletin, Tumblr, DataLife Engine, Magento, Prestashop, Bitrix, and Google Sites.

When it comes to creating a mobile site for an auto body or repair shop you need to focus on the most important and common tasks your customers are going to perform on their mobile device. From our perspective a mobile site for auto body and repair shops should include but not be limited to the following:

• Tap to Call Button
• Find Us with Map and Directions. If you own multiple shops you should provide a list of all your shops
• Schedule an Appointment
• Check Your Repair Status (if you offer this)
• Online Reviews (Check and the Ability to Give Reviews) 

Below are examples of mobile sites in the collision repair industry.

      
If you need a mobile site and have a good relationship with your existing website developer they should be able to help you design and implement a "mobile friendly" website fairly quickly.

Having a mobile-friendly site for your shop is good for more than just Google rankings. It's good for your site visitors, and could mean the difference in getting a new customer or not!

Next Steps
Mitchell’s Digital Marketing Platform has combined several powerful tools to effectively market your business online and drive more profit through increased sales. Contact us or call us at 866-639-7075 to learn more about how to attract new customers and manage your customer experience with the Mitchell Complete Digital Marketing Solution.

What you’re missing by not using Hub

Unclear, delayed and missed communication costs your shop thousands of dollars every year in wasted time, decreased productivity, missed deadlines, employee turnover and most importantly, dissatisfied customers and partners such as insurance carriers. That’s why we created Hub for RepairCenter^TM; an all new way to communicate and collaborate.

Hub will be officially released to Mitchell'sShop Management customers on April 23rd
That means our customers will have an all-new communication tool to increase productivity, reduce mistakes, build trust, strengthen relationships, create satisfied long-term customers, foster happier employees, and ultimately increase profits… All this at no added cost! Hub addresses a number of issues reported by auto body shop owners, technicians and estimators like you. Do any of these sound familiar?

• Messages and notes get lost, buried or used as a coaster on your desktop.
• Nobody has a defensible history of a job- or opportunity-related conversation. For instance, you can’t remember if or who update the customer or insurance rep on the status of the repair.
• There’s a lot of time-consuming rekeying, copying and pasting happening to get information from email into RepairCenter or vice-versa.
• Private customer information is floating around creating potential liability issues.
• You're using old-school communication tools such as sticky notes or fax that don’t present a professional appearance or inspire customer confidence.

Hub is here to help! Here's how:

#1. Real-time collaboration from one central and secure place

• Start and view all your conversations and notifications from one central location.
• Access messages from anywhere in RepairCenter so no switching between programs.
• Have private one-on-one conversations similar to Instant Messenger.

#2. Built in privacy controls with personal distribution list

• Manage your own private address books for secure, confidential conversations and collaborations.
• Streamline frequent communications with different groups of colleagues.
• Gain greater control over privacy and content distribution.

#3. Build in privacy controls with personal distribution list 

• Manage your own private address books for secure, confidential conversations and collaborations.
• Streamline frequent communications with different groups of colleagues.
• Gain greater control over privacy and content distribution. 

Here’s what shops that have been using Hub have to say 

Watch this short video to hear for yourself what Kevin Miller, Collision Advisor for BMW Concord Collision Center and others have to say about this power new enhancement to the RepairCenter suite. 

Learn more
To learn more about Hub, log into your RepairCenter and request access to Hub. Or call 866-639-7075 to request a demo.

Good Estimates: Your Blueprint to Profits

The insurance industry’s direct repair programs (DRPs) have grown rapidly since 2000. A FenderBender 2014 KPI Survey found that 70% of collision shops generated at least some revenue from DRP participation. And 50% reported that they generated 30% or more of their income from DRPs.¹ A recent Automotive Service Association® collision survey, which tracks the percentage of U.S. repair shops participating in DRPs, found that it has held steady at about 90% since 2001. Only 7.7% of respondents reported that they currently participated in no DRPs.²

An estimate is so much more than a price-to-fix quote. It’s a blueprint for the entire repair process, the key to customer satisfaction, and vital to your relationship with insurers. In fact, properly managing the repair process could make the difference between staying on a DRP or not.

What can go wrong? 
Many factors, some beyond the repair shop’s control, affect the integrity of an estimate and hurt cycle time. Somebody forgets to include the cost of common R&I. The lead time to order parts or the need for supplements cause direct delays. Backed-up production flow and last-minute schedule changes result in indirect delays.

According to Mitchell Vice President of Industry Relations Greg Horn, "The average additional administrative impact cost of a supplement is thought to be around $225 because of the administrative costs and increased rental time impact. For other delays, we can figure on at minimum the average $31.95 a day for a rental."

Kevin Mehok, CEO of Crashcosts.com and collision industry veteran of over 30 years, agrees. As he wrote in a SearchAutoParts.com article, "I recently performed a study for two large industry groups and determined that on every estimate written, they were missing a minimum of $35 just on forgettable items."³ That may not sound like a lot. But multiply it by the number of vehicles your shop repairs in a year and you’re likely losing significant revenue.

The end result of imprecise estimating? Throughput is disrupted, jobs can get backed up, time is wasted and everybody loses: the shop, the insurer and the customer.

Still in doubt? Then consider this… In a survey of over 50,000 vehicle owners, Customer Research, Inc. found that increased cycle time has a direct negative influence on CSI in several key areas including whether or not customers would recommend the facility. At a one- to five-day cycle time 98.1% said “yes,” at six to 10 days it dropped to 96.9% and at over 10 days it dropped to 94.1%. ⁴

Shrinking cycle time
As far back as 1999, WardAuto.com reported that Allstate had set a goal of a 72-hour cycle time⁵. The industry hasn’t achieved this ambitious goal yet. But, in just the past three years, the average cycle time has gone from 11 to eight days.

Why does cycle time matter? In evaluating DRP participants, insurance companies favor shops with better cycle time averages. So, the higher a shop’s cycle time, the more likely that shop will be removed from the program.

Replacing lost DRP revenue could be difficult, leading to an emotional impact as valuable employees get laid off or leave for better job offers. Ultimately, reducing cycle time could help you improve your bottom line. Research on four target shops showed that the effect of cycle time improvement over a year resulted in an increase in net profit from a low of plus 16.12% to a high of plus 21.26%. ⁶

A new way forward
The good news is that there’s a better way to accurately blueprint the repair process before a vehicle enters your body shop’s production stream. It doesn’t require fancy gadgets or a rocket-science learning curve. It’s as simple taking back control of the repair process by writing your own estimates. Patrick Yurek, owner and president of Collision Consulting LLC and writer for Body Shop Business, explains it this way in a BodyShopBusiness.com article:

"Most insurance appraisers have absolutely zero hands-on experience. So when they write four hours on a quarter panel, in their mind, they think it’s fair. When you call for a supplement asking for eight hours, they think you’re hijacking them because they simply don’t know....Why not get it right the first time? If you hand them a sheet that shows eight hours, there’s a better chance they’ll at least start at six. And then when you explain why it’s eight, you’ve got a far better chance of getting what you need."⁷

The Mitchell solution
Mitchell Estimating, helps you write accurate, defensible estimates right the first time. Mitchell Estimating, also known as UltraMate, combines accuracy and technology to provide reliable collision estimating data. Optional add-ons give you flexibility to enhance the solution.

Build the right blueprint and master the balance between quality repairs and tighter cycle time. When you do, you may find your DRP partners sending more business your way.

¹Bryce Evans, "A Changing Landscape”
²Susanna Gotsch, "Collision Industry Continues to Transform”
³Kevin Mehok, “Collision shop profits begin with writing a proper estimate”
⁴James E. Guyette, “Reversing the Cycle Time”
⁵John Yoskwick, “Body Repair Industry’s No. 1 Issue”
⁶Tony Passwater, “Stop Wasting Time”
⁷Patrick Yurek, “Estimates: Waste of Time or Path to Profit?” 

Join our Seattle Body Shop Boot Camp

Our industry is undergoing major changes. The Mitchell Body Shop Boot Camp is an opportunity for repair shops to stay ahead of the curve. Tune-up your business skills and learn how to make your shop more productive and profitable. 

This two-day training is a forum for shop owners and industry leaders to examine the newest resources for navigating the changing repair industry landscape and streamlining operations. Attendees will learn about emerging marketing techniques geared toward an increasingly mobile world. Plus, you'll hear about the latest tools for accurate estimating, as well as a glimpse into technologies available to propel shops to the next level. 

Matt Heubner, Solution Specialist for Mitchell   

Our panel of industry leaders includes the following speakers: 

• Rick Leos - Collision Program Director, Toyota Motor Sales 
• Ron Reichen - Chairman, Society of Collision Repair Specialists and Owner, Precision Body and Paint
• Paul Massie (via Video Conference) - Powertrain and Collision Product Marketing Manager,
  Ford Motor Company
• Frank Terlep - CEO, Summit eMarketing Sherpas
• Wayne Krause - Manager-Technical Writing, Mitchell International

"Technological advances in the auto repair industry continue to modernize operations," said Brian Moss, Director, Solution Advising West at Mitchell. Mitchell's body shop boot camp series aims to educate and inspire repair facilities to take advantage of the industry's latest and greatest tools and strategies to improve their business and retain loyal customers."

Mitchell hosted a successful local Body Shop Boot Camp for repair shops in the Chicago area last year. The next Body Shop Boot Camp will take place Tuesday, April 21 and Wednesday, April 22 in Seattle, Washington. To learn more about the body shop boot camp, please visit www.etouches.com/bodyshopbootcamp or email repaircenterinfo@Mitchell.com.

Want to attend a Body Shop Boot Camp near you? Local interest decides where we'll be next. Email repaircenterinfo@Mitchell.com to request Mitchell to bring the Body Shop Boot Camp to you!

Using Video to Sell and Service Customers

Video is a very powerful communication medium. It has been said that a "picture is worth a 1000 words". If that’s true, then a video is worth...1.8 MILLION words!

If you’ve seen the AC360° CNN video that outlines the issues between insurers, repairers and consumers, you know that video is a very powerful communication tool.

AC360° Video: CNN's Drew Griffin investigates claims that some insurance companies
are skimping on repairing damaged vehicles to pad their profits. 

Did You Know? 

• One minute of video equates to 1.8 Million Words (Dr. James McQuivey, Forrester)


• 59% of viewers will watch a video from start to finish that is less than one minute (Wistia)


• 92% of mobile video viewers share videos with others (Invodo)


• 65% of executives have visited a vendor's site after watching a video (According to Forbes, 39% have called a vendor after watching a video)


• 70% of marketing professionals report that video converts better than any other medium (MarketingProfs)


• When marketers included a video in an email, the click-through rate increased by 200 to 300% (Forrester)


• The average internet user spends 88% more time on a website with video (Mist Media)


• 64% of consumers are more likely to buy a product or service after watching a video about it (comScore)


• Visitors who view videos stay on websites an average of 2 minutes longer than those who don't view videos (comScore)


• Website homepage videos are shown to increase site conversion rates by 20% or more (ReelSEO)


• Using video on website landing pages can increase conversion by 80% (Unbounce) 

Top 5 Online Video Ideas
So what is your plan to incorporate video into your company's sales, marketing and customer service strategy? Here are five ideas to get you started. 

1.    Create, Share and Distribute Company Video Profiles and Customer Testimonials: Use video to share your unique story with your various audiences. This can include customer testimonials, employee spotlights, unique business processes or your company's culture and values. Brands like Papa John's and Samuel Adams® have fully committed to telling their stories this way.

2.    Company, Service and other Video Updates:
Consider delivering regular company or service information with staff, insurance partners, customers and prospects through online videos. Offer something new to inboxes by embedding a video in your emails to your partners and customers. You should also consider utilizing video as part of your company's DRP application process.

3.    Explainer Videos:
An explainer or how to video is usually a 1-2 minute video that a shop can use promote their business; educate the consumer on the repair process and/or to introduce a new product or service. Below is an example of a repair process explainer video.

 

4.    Behind-the-Scenes Repair Process Footage:
Provide your customers, insurers and other partners an inside look at your company's business and repair processes. Sharing behind-the-scenes footage offers a sense of inclusion rewarding current and potential customers.

5.    Document Events:
Enter the realm of "brand journalism" by capturing and sharing the events your shop is involved in or supports. Your customers will feel like they're part of the action, creating a stronger bond.

It doesn't matter if you’re an independent auto body shop, franchise, local, regional or national MSO or Repair Network. If you are able to utilize visual media better than your competition, you will come out on top.

Sharing what you and your company do through video builds an emotional connection with your audience in a way that's impossible to establish with just plain old text.

Next Steps
Mitchell’s Digital Marketing Platform has combined several powerful tools to effectively market your business online and drive more profit through increased sales. Contact us or call us at 866-639-7075 to learn more about how to attract new customers and manage your customer experience with the Mitchell Complete Digital Marketing Solution.

The Premier Achiever Awards -- Showing the Customer You Care

In today’s always-connected world your customers are much more than kings and queens. They’re masters of universe, judge and jury able to spread their opinions about your repair shop to millions with a couple of well-placed keystrokes. Or to put it another way, you aren't in the auto collision repair business, you’re in the customer satisfaction business. And you’re doing a darned good job, too! That’s why Mitchell is proud to sponsor the annual AutocheX Premier Achiever Award (PAA) program to loudly give credit where exemplary credit is due.

Since 2002, the PAA program has presented nearly 4,000 awards to the collision repair facilities that achieve extraordinary customer satisfaction ratings. Winners come in every size, from small family-run operations to large consolidations, and they’re located in 41 U.S. states and British Columbia.

This isn't a popularity contest, either. The customer satisfaction numbers are arrived at scientifically using Mitchell’s industry-leading RepairCenter™ Customer Engagement Tools (CET) powered by the AutocheX solution, either independently or as part of an insurance-sponsored repair program. That makes getting a PAA the equivalent of a collision repair industry Academy Award™ -- something the recipients earn through outstanding performance and are justifiably proud to win. As Sam Arvizu of Mike Rose’s Auto Body in Walnut Creek, CA said after winning last year, "It’s like winning an Oscar! We pride ourselves on our customer service and this award is our red carpet."

The PAA is Recognition for Hard Work 
For some recipients, a PAA is validation of their efforts. From Darren Davis of Tyler, Texas-based Davis-Green Paint & Body, "Receiving this award validates all the time and effort we put into focusing on a first-class customer experience with our collision repair facility. This award will serve as a huge morale boost to our employees."  To Tom Fisher of Depew, of New York's Northeast Collision, "Validation by AutocheX in this consumer-driven world is a big feather in our cap and we will wear it proudly." And John Blanks of Paint & Body Perfectors in Nashville, Tennessee, a PAA "gives our staff a ‘pat on the back.'"

It's a Learning Tool
Many PAA award winners report that just participating in the process of measuring customer satisfaction is a valuable learning tool. According to Russell Freeman of Auto Exterior in Lancaster, South Carolina, "AutocheX has given us the opportunity to see our weak areas and work toward improvement." David Capps of Craftsman Auto Body in Chantilly, Virginia agrees. "AutocheX CSI reporting has enabled us to identify downward trends. This gives us an opportunity to coach employees and refine our processes before it becomes an issue."

It's a Business-Builder
Many recipients comment on the business-building value that comes from winning a PAA. "There's no better advertising for a business than providing an unforgettable customer experience,"says Al Bell of Willis Collision Center in Des Moines, Iowa. For Kirk Robinson of Service King #2 in Arlington, Texas, "the word-of-mouth is the most important advertising tool you can receive."

It Cements Relationships
For Preston James of Southaven, Mississippi's Service King #301, "It tells our…insurance partners we are doing things right for our customers." 

And everyone agrees that a PAA trophy or certificate in the lobby is reassuring to customers. Scott Cammisa of Cammisa's Auto Body, Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania sums that up nicely: "Being an AutoChex Premier Achiever Award winner has helped our business in showing our customers that we truly try to help them the best we can. It's the proof that we try to make an unpleasant experience a great one. It is more than just words when have the award to show we stand behind our work and our word." 

Stay tuned. We'll be announcing the 2014 Premier Achiever Award winners this month and launching a PAA microsite where you can learn more about the program and the winners.

Collision Repair Analytics: How to Reduce Cycle Time with Scheduling Data

Blog post by Willis Colpitts |Senior Manager, Collision Solutions Training

One of the most important administrative pieces of a repair is the dates of the repair. The dates should drive production, and the measurement of cycle times for your shop. We all also know that insurance carriers look at Length of Rental (LOR) as a measure of your shop’s performance.

So how are you managing dates today? Do you drive the production based on the Out Date or the date you told the customer you would complete the repairs? Or maybe you use an Internal out Date to drive production? Or do you simply not enter dates?

How do you measure your Cycle time – Keys to Keys?


Manage Cycle Time at Every Stage of the Repair Process to Improve Performance 

RepairCenter Repair Analytics gives you the ability to automatically generate Due In and Due Out Dates. You can also auto populate your Start and Completed dates based on production status. This only leaves the Arrived and Delivered dates, which are normally entered by the CSR when the vehicle drops and delivery is made. Closed dates are generated and controlled by the accounting department normally.

So, using the dates we have, the calculations are pretty simple. Within each of these stages, there is room to improve cycle time.

• From Arrived to Start is controlled by your intake process. A good teardown or discovery process will help shorten this time.
• Start to Complete is the actual time spent working on the vehicle up until detail. A good process teardown process as well as ensuring that supplements are a priority will help reduce time in production
• Complete to Delivered is a product of cleaning and delivering the vehicle. Customer communication is key to get the customer into the shop in a timely manner.
  
  Delivered to Closed, or simply put, was the file completed and did you have the paperwork ahead of the repair process? If you have done the discovery and made supplements a priority this time should be reduced.
  
  Remember that all of these measures and suggestions will help you reduce your Keys to Keys time and help with LOR.

How to Pull Actionable Data from Production Reports

RepairCenter Standard Analytics:
Sort the Job Listing by Date Range report (Report #2) and apply the Due Out, Not Completed filter. This will give you a list of the most urgent jobs to review with the production staff and technicians on a daily basis. Doing this will help you deliver the vehicles on the date promised to the customer and identify areas that need immediate attention.

RepairCenter Standard Analytics, Production Report

RepairCenter Premium Analytics: 

If you are using RepairCenter Premiere, you can find this data under Analytics > Performance Indicators > Cycle Times. Filter the screen by Date type, normally Closed and Carrier, and apply the filter. Now select the date range to look at the data in summary for all repairs. You will also have the ability to see each individual job and remove jobs like Total Loss.

RepairCenter Premium Analytics, Production Report

Getting control of your production dates allows you to improve production, drive a sense of urgency on repairs, and reduce cycle times.

You may also be interested in…

• Learn more about RepairCenter, Mitchell’s Shop Management Solution
• Which RepairCenter Package is right for you? 
• What does RepairCenter Analytics offer for shop owners, production managers, and technicians? 
• New Research for Insurance and Collision Repair: Industry Trends Report Q1 2015 

Ford F-150 Repair Labor Estimating: Mitchell Gets It Right by Getting It Right from the Source

Even before the first Ford F-150 all-aluminum-body trucks started rolling off the production line and into showrooms late last year the buzz was BIG. Sales so far are living up to expectations--in January 2015, Ford dealers moved 54,370 units (Source: Fortune.com).  They are, as Ford CFO Bob Shanks told AutoNews.com, “flying off the lots.” (Source: AutoNews.com)

Although we won’t have a realistic handle on how successful the new Ford F-150 is until later this summer, it’s probably safe to say it will continue Ford’s decades-long run as the top-selling U.S. truck of all time. That means, before long, every body shop in America will be dealing first-hand with the unique repair protocols aluminum-bodied vehicles require.

One of the biggest challenges will be accurately estimating labor for a process that is new to for most technicians.  To make sure our customers have the most accurate labor times available, Mitchell went straight to the source, drawing on the long, close relationship we enjoy with OEMs like Ford.

Getting it right included several learning sessions for the entire team of Mitchell labor content specialists, a group of collision industry veterans with years of body repair experience:

• The team visited the ProSpot factory, one of only two Ford approved manufacturers of the specialized welding and riveting tools needed to join aluminum panels. While there, they made repairs using the ProSpot equipment.


• The team attended and passed an eight-hour F-150 training program developed by Ford and I-CAR.


• After meeting with Ford engineers at the 2014 NACE trade conference, a representative of the team was invited to spend a day at Ford’s Paint & Body Technology Center where all F-150 labor and repair procedures are developed. They learned Ford recommended techniques for aluminum repair and did more hands-on practice repairs.

(Images above courtesy of Ford Motor Company)

Members of the team continued to correspond with Ford, collaborating on different repair scenarios and getting clarification on repair procedures, a process that yielded invaluable insights.

According to Greg Horn, Mitchell’s Vice President of Industry Relations, the high level of collaboration with Ford was one of the company’s most comprehensive ever, and right in line with Ford’s philosophy for the F-150. “Ford spent over five years developing this vehicle. It’s designed to be repairable, in such a way that there will be minimal impact to disrupting other parts of the vehicle to replace a single component. They’re very proud of the results and they wanted to partner with Mitchell to ensure that our efforts translated into fair, equitable labor times for component replacement.” said Horn.

Horn pointed out that Ford has done something else that is unique in the industry. “When you order any major structural component for the new F-150 it comes with a sheet of instructions that essentially tell you ‘cut here, don’t cut here.’ Each sheet includes a detailed list of consumables down to the number of rivets needed. Our team had access to all those repair instruction sheets when developing labor times. There’s nothing else out there for this vehicle that’s as well researched or as accurate.”

Mitchell has released three TechAdvisor collision repair articles for the new F-150 Regular, Crew, and Extended Cab models. Ford F-150 technical information including graphics, labor times and part pricing are currently available in the February release of Mitchell Estimating.

Blog Post Contributors include:
Greg Horn - VP of Industry Relations, Mitchell International
Jerry Gastineau - Manager, Technical Writing, Mitchell International
Rick Hodawanus - Collision Labor Content Specialist, Mitchell International


If you enjoyed this blog post, you may also be interested in:

• Mitchell Estimating - Easy-to-use estimating software improves accuracy and profitability


• When will America embrace diesel passenger cars? by Greg Horn


• Mitchell's Q1 2015 Industry Trends Report (PDF)

Take Shop Communication to the Next Level with Hub for RepairCenter

Hub is Coming
Mitchell is adding a new real-time communications and collaboration feature to your shop management system, RepairCenter™.

Effective communication with your customers, staff and partners plays a critical role in your shop’s success.  The addition of Hub takes it to a new level by fostering collaboration within your workspace. Hub streamlines collision repair shop communication and it’s coming soon to your RepairCenter.

Hub Capabilities
Hub enables real-time communication and collaboration from anywhere within RepairCenter. Collision repair shop pros that have tested Hub are impressed with the way it tracks essential repair order information and improves communications.

In a nutshell, Hub lets you:

• Share information with your auto body repair shop staff in real-time.


• Document and securely save all communications, and improve quality control in the process.


• End information overload. Hub lets you subscribe to receive updates about specific jobs (repair orders or opportunities) that matter most to you so you can make timely decisions.


• Get alerts notifying you about important updates or items that need immediate action.


• Reduce emailing, faxes and phone calls. Hub lets you conduct conversations in a private, secure environment. You can even create a private address book to ensure privacy.

Learn more about Hub’s powerful features and benefits by watching the video below and at the Hub product page on our website.



Request Your Hub Access Invitation
Hub is by Invitation Only. Have your shop ID ready and request your invitation to be an early Hub adopter. Then stay tuned. We’ll start rolling out access to Hub very soon.

New Research for Insurance and Collision Repair: Industry Trends Report Q1 2015

Mitchell’s Industry Trends Report, published quarterly and available online, bridges the gap between what is perception and what is reality in key areas of the industry. Every issue includes insightful articles by subject matter experts, current data on KPIs and news affecting the collision repair industry in the U.S. and Canada. Read the latest issue and sign up for free delivery of future issues. 

Register for our ITR Webinar
Thursday, February 12, 2015 - 8 AM PST, 10 AM CST, 11 AM EST

Greg Horn, Mitchell VP of Industry Relations, will give you a deeper look into the latest information, trends, and studies from the Q1 2015 Industry Trends Report.

Topics will include:

•   Mitchell Collision Parts Index 2014 Review
•   Severity Trends
•   Parts and Paint KPIs
•   Changes in Length of Rental Days

Space is limited. Register now.

Follow the Trends on Twitter
Get more info on the tools you need to manage repairs and generate more profit by following @MitchellRepair on Twitter. Be sure to use the #MitchellITR hashtag to join the conversation.

Documenting Damage: Make Sure Every Picture Tells a Story

One picture is worth a thousand words. That may be a cliché, but when it comes to documenting vehicle damage and repairs it should be the credo for every estimator and body shop. You want photos that support the estimate and provide irrefutable proof that the repairs were necessary and completed. To ensure you get the shots that clearly tell the story follow these best practices and tips.

 

As you point and shoot, keep in mind why good pictures matter:

• Pictures can make the difference between whether or not you get paid for the repairs. Look at your photos from the insurer’s point of view. Ask yourself: If you had to base your decision on the photos alone, without a written estimate, would you pay the bill?


• Your estimates may be letter perfect, but it’s the quality of your photographic documentation that will save you in a DRP program audit.

Invest in the right tools to get the best pictures:

• Don’t depend on a cell phone camera or cheap disposables. Get one with macro lens ability so you can capture close-ups. Cell phone cameras can’t get you much closer than 9 to 12 inches, which often isn’t adequate to show mechanical damage. A macro lens puts your focal length within an inch. That’s critical in tight spaces like the engine compartment.


• Choose a camera with built-in flash, decent battery life, adequate built-in storage capacity and the ability to accept SD memory cards for additional storage.


• Cameras used in shop environments get dropped. You want a sturdy camera that can stand up to real life conditions.


• Look for easy uploading capability.


• Consider an estimate photo management system. The best systems allow you to automatically link vehicle photos to the correct repair order or estimate, eliminating the manual upload process.

Get the best shots with these professional tips:

• Stay out of the shot. Use the viewfinder to make certain you or your fingers aren’t part of the picture. Stand to one side with the camera at eye level to the damage. If you need to call something out, use a pointer.


• To indicate hard-to-see dents on dark finishes, use graph paper.


• Avoid overexposure and blown-out photos. Turn off the auto flash or use a secondary light source to override it. LED lights are especially good for shooting inside a dark area like the engine compartment. Remember, the picture in the viewfinder may appear overly dark, but will usually lighten up when viewed on a monitor screen. You can always edit the brightness later, although it may not be acceptable as legal documentation. If possible, review the original shot on a monitor and reshoot if necessary under better lighting conditions.


• Use tools like gap gauges and rulers to show scale and extent of damage. When possible, take a shot of the same undamaged part on the vehicle for contrast.


• Take the time needed to get the right shots the first time. It will save your time and money later.

Take all the shots needed to tell the whole story:

• Every U.S. state has different requirements for photographic damage documentation. Familiarize yourself with the laws of your state.


• At minimum, get all four corners of the vehicle--full front, full rear, full left and full right--or as many of those as possible given the vehicle’s location and condition following the accident.


• Get shots of the license plate, the publicly visible VIN in the window, the VIN sticker (usually on the door post or inside the glove box), the mileage on the odometer and the model emblem to help identify standard equipment.


• Now go for the damage detail shots, following your written estimate protocol. Take these from several focal lengths including macro.
  For the best pictures, shoot so the lens is eye level with the damage.


• Remember to take before and after shots that show the damaged part removed from the vehicle and the new part installed.


• Review all your shots before uploading. Do they tell the story you want to tell? Would you be willing to pay for the repairs based on the pictures? If not, reshoot.

Our Solution: RepairCenter™ FastPhoto Manager
Mitchell’s RepairCenter™ FastPhoto Manager is a powerful, easy-to-use tool that integrates seamlessly within the RepairCenter Shop solution and other popular business management systems. It includes a ruggedized digital camera, which can be purchased as a standalone.

The camera is designed for demanding field and shop conditions, and features an on-screen menu of pre-programmed states documents and time-stamps photos from intake to delivery. 

FastPhoto’s barcode technology automatically links your photos to your repair order or estimate, and instantly sorts, sizes, and loads them wirelessly for secure, easy sharing with customers and carriers.

Photos can be accessed from anywhere, making this an ideal solution for shops with multiple locations. FastPhoto Manager also includes online support.


Save time and money with this special FastPhoto offer!
For a limited time, when you purchase the basic FastPhoto hardware kit with software and server, you'll get all cameras at 50% off. Call a Mitchell sales rep for more information at 1-866-639-7075 or contact us today to schedule a free online demo.

5 Local Online Search Tactics All Shops (That Care About Consumers) Must Employ in 2015

Statistics tell us that 86% of consumers perform an online search and 88% check out online reviews prior to purchasing a product or service from a local business.

Even collision repair shops that think they know everyone in their town are held to the fact that, increasingly, most buying decisions start out with an online search!

The category of local search engine optimization (local SEO) has picked up steam over the last few years as search behavior combined with the rapid growth of smart phone use created a truly mobile search consumer.

Local SEO is the process of optimizing your website so that you can gain higher local search rankings. Over a third of all searches in 2015 will be local and when you include non geo-targeted keywords that trigger local results, the number nears 50%!

As Google continues to gain a better understanding of users search intent they are going to show local results for more non-location specific search terms as well, making local search the leading type.

This means searching a phrase like "best auto body shops" could return local businesses mixed in with the organic results. The bottom line? If you have a business that can service local customers or has a physical address, you need to be optimizing for local search.

Below are five local search tactics that demand your attention today if you are a local oriented business.

Get the NAP right

NAP stands for Name, Address and Phone. Obviously, the search engines want to make sure that when someone is looking for a local business there's no ambiguity around what and where the business is.

Google depends upon list and data compilers to make sure this information is accurate and up to date. If you've been in business more than a few months there's a good chance your business is in one or more of the directories that Google depends on. However, in addition to adding business to these directories, you must make certain that the information is correct and consistent.

Local profiles matter

Profiles in social, local and review sites such as Yelp, Google+, Yahoo Local, and dozens of others can be a great place to add lots of local information about your business.

While many people are familiar with the more popular networks such as Google+ and Facebook, there are other important directories (~ 50) that might help in giving your local business an edge.

Localize your content

Many people forget to consider their web content and make sure that they are adding localized content where it makes sense. Obvious things like listing the local communities and suburb names you service as well as maps with directions are a must. You might also consider adding a community calendar and blogging about events that happen in your town.

The Yoast Local SEO Plugin is an invaluable tool for optimizing content on WordPress sites. Consider adding location specific, individual landing pages where you might have content specific to a suburb, town or even neighborhood.

Reviews drive local trust and better search engine results

As I mentioned earlier, 88% of consumers check out online reviews prior to purchasing a product or service from a local company. Reviews are one of the many ranking factors Google throws into what businesses show up for a local search.

If you search on a term like "Auto Body Shop" and Google thinks you are in say, Kansas City, you are going to see a list of Kansas City-based auto body shops.

If you do this search yourself take note of the fact that all of the local pages listed also have Google+ Pages associated and while not all have reviews, the ones that do certainly stand out. Our experience tells us that a shop with 25 or more Google+ reviews will, almost certainly have a spot on the first search page!

Your shop must get serious about collecting reviews! Tools like Mitchell's Digital Marketing platform can help your shop request, capture and share reviews on most major review sites, your website and your Facebook page.

SoLoMo (short for social-local-mobile)

Don't forget to add to your overall local approach by localizing much of your social media activity. As mentioned above, your profiles are a great place to start, but you can go beyond that as you post new content and updates.

Think about ways to curate local content to share in social media. GeoTarget your social media advertising with local personalization.

Find and use popular localized hashtags. See if anyone has created local Twitter lists of influencers you can tap into.

When you work consistently on the local search tactics outlined above you can expect to gradually start raising your local search profile to the point where Google may become your greatest source of leads.

Need help with you local search optimization? Capturing, managing and sharing online reviews? Need a new website? Want to start an email based newsletter? Need help with your social media marketing?Want more information?

Call us at 1-866-639-7075 or contact us for a quick demo of our Digital Marketing platform, a marketing automation system designed exclusively for collision repair shops.

Read More about Digital Marketing:
•    50 Most Important Stats for your 2015 Auto Body Shop Business Strategy
•    Digital Marketing Product Overview
•    Digital Marketing Product Video on YouTube
•    Request a 5-minute Demo of Digital Marketing

Wish your Customers a Happy New Year with New Years’ Resolutions for Every Responsible Car Owner

It’s hard to believe that it’s 2015! Every year, we ask ourselves: Where did the year go?!

Just like you, your shop customers will be making a New Years’ Resolution that (hopefully) they can keep. Help them achieve success with attainable goals that will keep them driving in style and maybe generate more revenue for you. How? Send them an email with a list of new years’ resolutions for responsible car owners like them.

Mitchell’s Digital Marketing is a Sales and Marketing Automation platform that includes a powerful email marketing engine. With it, you can not only send out email blasts to all of your customers, but you can even segment them by vehicle make, model and year. Imagine how pleasantly surprised your customers will be to receive a helpful list of ways to help them better care for their unique vehicle in 2015. Most likely, they’ll be delighted enough to bring their car in for a detail or other service by your skilled auto body repair technicians.

Here’s an example of an email template available via our Digital Marketing platform. In addition to easily branding all your emails like this one, you’ll find pre-written content for educating customers, example templates to create special deals or promotions, and fun newsletters, thank you cards, and holiday greetings. These emails designed and written exclusively for your auto body shop business are available through Digital Marketing at no additional cost.

  

Happy New Year from all of us at Mitchell International!

Read More about Digital Marketing:
•    50 Most Important Stats for your 2015 Auto Body Shop Business Strategy
•    Digital Marketing Product Overview
•    Digital Marketing Product Video on YouTube
•    Request a 5-minute Demo of Digital Marketing