How shops approach repair planning is often not optimal for where collision repair is headed, with added repair cost and complexity. Although much of repair planning is currently focused on identification through the pre-scan, it needs to move to data-driven repair recommendations, says Sam Poradish, director of automotive intelligence at asTech, one of the sponsors of our inaugural Best Repair Planner/Estimator of the Year Award.
Apr 23, 2024•18 min•Ep. 16
The tech shortage is impacting many trade industries, including the collision repair industry. Eddie Hightower, the senior vice president of sustainability and social responsibility at Caliber Collision, shares how their Technician Apprentice Program (TAP) is making a difference in addressing the issue not only for their repair centers but also across the industry in the U.S.
Apr 09, 2024•21 min•Ep. 15
If something is expensive to buy, it’s likely even more expensive to repair. This certainly applies to EVs. Kevin FitzPatrick, the senior vice president of North America operations at Opus IVS, explains why this is the case and how quickly one should get certified to repair them.
Mar 26, 2024•14 min•Ep. 14
The Women's Industry Network provides great networking and connection opportunities for women in the mail-dominated collision repair industry. WIN 2024 Conference Chair Blair Womble and member Kim Frasher talk about what attendees can expect at the conference, May 6-8 in Newport Beach, California. For more information, check out the website at thewomensindustrynetwork.site-ym.com. Check out more CollisionCast episodes here!...
Mar 12, 2024•27 min•Ep. 13
The first impression of your business often starts with your phone call-handling process. In this episode, FenderBender Columnist Drew Bryant, owner of DB Orlando Collision Center, expands on his February column and talks about why it's essential to implement a call auditing process that is regularly reviewed by the administration against defined standards. Check out MORE CollisionCast episodes online here!
Feb 27, 2024•21 min•Ep. 12
Events out of your control can happen that will keep your shop closed, such as storms, fires, and more. You may be covered to repair your building and replace its contents, but how will you keep the business afloat if you are unable to operate? David Willett, the chief underwriting officer at Spark Underwriters, shares how shop owners and operators leave themselves exposed to loss without this coverage.
Feb 13, 2024•24 min•Ep. 11
As new-car dealerships pull back from collision repair, are you developing relationships with local car dealers to ensure their customers come to you when they need your services? FenderBender Columnist Drew Bryant, owner of DB Orlando Collision Center, expands on his January column and talks about what makes for a relationship that’s beneficial to both the dealer and independent collision repair shop. Check out MORE CollisionCast episodes online here!...
Jan 30, 2024•21 min•Ep. 10
Check out MORE CollisionCast episodes online here!
Jan 24, 2024•21 min•Ep. 9
In this CollisionCast episode, Sam Poradish, director of automotive intelligence at asTech, talks about how AI can be used to increase quality and efficiency of collision repairs. With machine learning, the data gathered from millions of scans and hundreds of technicians can now be used to guide a technician down the appropriate repair path in mere seconds.
Dec 19, 2023•12 min•Ep. 8
Accudraft's Jeremy Winters rejoins CollisionCast to give some education on a topic of vital importance to any shop that paints cars: lighting.
Jun 20, 2023•15 min•Ep. 7
FenderBender columnist Drew Bryant joins the show to expand on his May column about how referring to your employees as "team members" helps engender a culture of respect and accountability.
Jun 13, 2023•13 min•Ep. 6
Accudraft Content Creator Jeremy Winters joins CollisionCast to discuss the differences in direct vs. indirect heating of paint booths and what shop owners need to know.
Jun 06, 2023•15 min•Ep. 5
Industry expert Chris Maimone rejoins CollisionCast to discuss when to perform quality control checks during a repair and what to look for in each one to ensure safe, quality repairs are being performed every single time.
May 30, 2023•17 min•Ep. 4
In this crossover episode with FenderBender's sister publication Ratchet + Wrench, Ratchet + Wrench editor Chris Jones talks with HR professional Deanna Baumgardner of Employers Advantage LLC about how beneficial it can be to get feedback from employees and how to encourage that feedback.
May 23, 2023•19 min•Ep. 3
FenderBender columnist Drew Bryant joins the show to take a closer look at his April column and explain how to overcome resistance and build in accountability when trying to implement new processes in your business.
May 16, 2023•12 min•Ep. 2
FenderBender columnist Greg Lobsiger joins CollisionCast to discuss his May edition of "Shop Profits" on the importance of knowing your shop's cost per hour. Greg explains how costly it is to have processes interrupted and how to keep your shop's "conveyer belt of cash" moving right along.
May 09, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Shop owners face a myriad of external challenges today that can have a downstream impact on quality. Chris Maimone rejoins CollisionCast with a few reminders: Control what you can control, and fall back on your standards to weather any storm.
May 02, 2023•14 min
FenderBender columnist Greg Lobsiger breaks down his April column "The Cashflow Fix" in greater detail, helping shop owners understand in greater detail where their profit is coming from.
Apr 18, 2023•21 min
NABC Executive Director and collision repair marketing whiz Debby Robinson joins the show to discuss how community relations can help get your shop become top of mind to potential customers and also do some tangible good to your shop's hometown.
Apr 11, 2023•14 min
Columnist Greg Lobsiger joins CollisionCast to break down his March column, asking if owners really know what their break even point is and how to increase their profits.
Mar 28, 2023•14 min
FenderBender columnist joins CollisionCast again to discuss his March column in greater detail and breakdown how brain chemistry might play a role in how you implement processes at your shop. Check out the March edition of "Due Process" here .
Mar 21, 2023•14 min
Dave Dunn of Dave's Auto Body, the 2023 Best Workplaces winner in the large shop category, joins CollisionCast to share a bit more about why his shop was chosen for the award and how he's managed to build a successful business overall. For more, check out the feature story on Dave's Auto Body from FenderBender's Best Workplaces issue.
Mar 14, 2023•20 min
FenderBender's own Greg Lobsiger joins the show to go more in depth on his February column, "Estimating for Higher Gross Profits." Check that out here before diving into our conversation.
Feb 21, 2023•19 min
In this episode new FenderBender columnist Drew Bryant introduces the topics he'll be writing about each month as well as giving some background on his career and what he's learned in more than a decade of running a successful shop.
Feb 07, 2023•15 min
In this episode Chris Maimone rejoins CollisionCast to talk through researching repair procedures and give some examples of why being thorough is so important.
Jan 31, 2023•21 min
There's a new face in the column pages of FenderBender and his name is Greg Lobsiger. In this episode we'll learn a little more about Greg and what he's going to be covering in his monthly columns.
Jan 18, 2023•11 min
Car Crafters Director Sean Guthrie joins CollisionCast to discuss the lessons his family's business has learned in getting into the calibration game and how a partnership with Car ADAS has helped lead the way.
Jan 10, 2023•17 min
Chris Lawson of Technician Find joins CollisionCast to give some helpful tips on getting as many eyes as possible on your job postings and what information to include to attract the best applicants possible. For more from Technician Find, head to TechnicianFind.com.
Dec 20, 2022•22 min
The end of the year can be a challenging and stressful time for shop owners. Chris Maimone rejoins CollisionCast to offer a few tips to re-center your mindset and finish the year with quality.
Dec 13, 2022•19 min
Industry expert Chris Maimone rejoins the show to recap his presentation at the 2022 SEMA Show and use real-world examples to emphasize how mindset is everything in running a collision repair shop.
Nov 30, 2022•21 min
