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Nissan announces new collision repair program for dealers and independents by Rob Merwin Orlando, Fla.—Nissan North America launched its nationwide Nissan Certified Collision Repair Network at the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE), in Orlando, Fla., in October. The new certification program is open to dealer-owned and independent collision shops, which have the option of becoming either Nissan-certified, Infiniti-certified, or both, said Mark Zoba, Nissan’s manager of collision parts sales growth. “We really want our dealer-owner base to begin focusing on using certified shops,” Zoba said. “We want the customer to know they can go to the dealer for everything.” Currently, about 20 percent of Nissan dealerships are associated with a collision shop, Zoba said, and the long-term goal of the program is customer focus and to align one collision shop with each of its dealerships. “Customers know they can purchase a vehicle at a dealership and get it maintained there,” he said. “But whenever there’s a collision, 80 percent of our dealerships have no direct line to a vetted collision shop — that’s what we want to establish.” Participating collision shops will be provided incentives for parts discounts, and dealership owners will be provided with a shop locater through which they can enter their ZIP code and be directed to a certified collision shop in their area, Zoba said. As part of the program, selected collision shops will “live up” to the brands and make sure customers are “taken care of, first and foremost,” he said. The program began development more than two years ago by “We want to make sure we get coverage in the major markets across the country with one shop, at a minimum, for every one of our dealers depending on demand,” says Mark Zoba, manager, collision parts sales growth for Nissan. bench-marking different programs and using best practices of other OEMs, he added. Certified facilities will have the benefit of training and the ability to fix new technology, how to work with metals such as aluminum, access to all technical information, and repair procedures, he said. “Even some DRPs might not know some of the new technologies as they come out,” Zoba said. “With the electric Leaf there’s some “We really want our dealerowner base to begin focusing on using certified shops. We want the customer to know they can go to the dealer for everything.” knowledge and training that needs to take place to ensure the safety of technicians — not just anyone can repair them.” Nissan has teamed up with DuPont Performance Coatings (DPC) to assist in the implementation of the program’s certification process and the Inter- Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) to conduct technician training. “We’re the first program to implement the new I-CAR Gold Class training development so the shops that get certified must identify their work groups within their facility and its specific training to those individuals,” Zoba said. “That’s unlike the past when I-CAR certification was a point system where a painter might go to frame classes just so shops could get enough points to earn their certification,” he said. “Now that I-CAR certification is focused on the responsibilities of each individual, it ensures that training is going to the right people and that all our shops have strong foundations — we’re happy to be the first ones to implement it.” Collision shops interested in becoming part of the network are required to obtain a dealer sponsorship, followed by an online enrollment process that involves providing a shop profile, including facility photos, in order to establish that a shop can maintain the Nissan/Infiniti brand, Zoba said. A DPC representative will then visit a facility for a standards audit, after which a shop will have 12 months to fill any existing gaps, he said. After successfully passing the inspection, a shop will be certified and a second review will be conducted in 12 months to ensure that those gaps have been satisfied, as well as be informed of any new requirements for the following year, Zoba said. “It’s a great opportunity for the shops and a way for them to differentiate themselves from other area facilities,” he said. “We want to make sure we get coverage in the major markets across the country with one shop, at a minimum, for every one of our dealers depending on demand.” n Continuous improvement means implementing problem-solving teamwork by Steve Birmingham St. Charles, Mo.—To get to the top of the collision industry and stay there requires teamwork and knowing how to continuously improve a shop’s procedures, said Mike Anderson, founder of CollisionAdvice, at the 30th annual Missouri-AASP EXCEL Trade Show & Training Conference. As an AMI-approved seminar presenter and past collision shop owner, Anderson knows of what he speaks. After 20 years owning Wagonwork Collision Centers in Alexandria, Va., he sold the businesses in 2010 and founded CollisionAdvice, a consulting firm that offers workshops and seminars . In his “Understanding Continuous Improvement” seminar, Anderson showed collision shop managers and owners how they can improve their facilities’ cycle times and reduce a stressful environment by turning their organization into a “problem-solving organization.” Anderson said the current state of the collision repair industry is such that shop owners must “think out of the box.” “In 2010 there were $48 billion worth of automotive accidents and $20 billion of those were declared total losses,” he said. “There were also $30 billion worth of cars to fix and of that amount, 25 percent were customer pay. That's more than it’s ever been in the U.S.” Anderson said that 25-percent figure was expected to grow to 40 percent by 2015, “and that means that right now, if 10 people come to your shop, 2.5 of them will not go through their insurance, either because they have a high deductible or they only have liability. That absolutely effects how we do business. “Here’s the deal: You can be a business that just survives, or you can be a business that thrives,” he said. “I don't know about you, but I choose to be in a business to thrive, not just survive. Shops that are thriving and not just surviving are doing things to really focus on that 25-percent customer pay.” Anderson said many of those shops offer no-interest financing for up to year while others offer 90 days same-as-cash. “People are thinking outside the box,” he said. “Last, but not least, some of them are offering good, better, best options. They're not trying to fix every car perfectly; they understand that some people who pay out of pocket might be looking for a little less.” Continued on page C-4 PHOTO BY ROB MERWIN Mike Anderson, founder of CollisonAdvice, advises collision repair shop owners and managers on how to change their shop culture in order to increase their profits at the 30th annual AASP-Missouri EXCEL Trade Show & Training Conference. Page C-2 November 2011 Parts & People www.partsandpeople.com
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LKQ of Washington invests $2.5 million in recycling ... - Parts & People

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