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Anyone with out there transition into auto body?


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Hey guys, I am trying to gather information and advice about this subject. I am going to be adding a body shop to our current shop. For those of you out there who have started with auto repair and progressed into adding auto body, what advice can you give me?

 

I have searched high and low for some sort of primer on starting a body shop but there doesn't seem to be a source for all that information in one place. I have reseached and read a lot of articles on bodyshopbusiness.com however I feel that a lot of the business articles are geared toward existing body shops with not as much value for someone starting out.

 

Just for background sake, we are going to be installing a full downdraft booth as well as have a separate section completely divided by a wall for the body end. We will most likely not invest in a frame machine until the body work picks up and will have to outsource that. The booth with installation, permits, fire suppression system, etc is already costing over 60k :blink:

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My advice would be to try to seek out a body shop owner in a different area that you could buy lunch and pick his brain. My brother runs a body shop, and i will tell you that it is a total different animal than a repair shop. Do your homework, and you will be successful.

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Thanks Jmazur, I am trying to avoid the pitfalls I has experienced when I first got into the auto repair business.

 

I recognize that there is a huge different between auto body and repair. The biggest one i think that I have to really adapt to is the front end work and billing insurance companies. Trying to do my homework the best I can !

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         3 comments
      Got your attention? Good. The truth is, there is no such thing as the perfect technician pay plan. There are countless ways to create any pay plan. I’ve heard all the claims and opinions, and to be honest, it’s getting a little frustrating. Claims that an hourly paid pay plan cannot motivate. That flat rate is the only way to truly get the most production from your technicians. And then there’s the hybrid performance-based pay plan that many claim is the best.
      At a recent industry event, a shop owner from the Midwest boasted about his flat-rate techs and insisted that this pay plan should be adopted by all shops across the country. When I informed him that in states like New York, you cannot pay flat-rate, he was shocked. “Then how do you motivate your techs” he asked me.
      I remember the day in 1986 when I hired the best technician who ever worked for me in my 41 years as an automotive shop owner. We’ll call him Hal. When Hal reviewed my pay plan for him, and the incentive bonus document, he stared at it for a minute, looked up, and said, “Joe, this looks good, but here’s what I want.” He then wrote on top of the document the weekly salary he wanted. It was a BIG number. He went on to say, “Joe, I need to take home a certain amount of money. I have a home, a wife, two kids, and my Harly Davidson. I will work hard and produce for you. I don’t need an incentive bonus to do my work.” And he did, for the next 30 years, until the day he retired.
      Everyone is entitled to their opinion. So, here’s mine. Money is a motivator, but not the only motivator, and not the best motivator either. We have all heard this scenario, “She quit ABC Auto Center, to get a job at XYZ Auto Repair, and she’s making less money now at XYZ!” We all know that people don’t leave companies, they leave the people they work for or work with.
      With all this said, I do believe that an incentive-based pay plan can work. However, I also believe that a technician must be paid a very good base wage that is commensurate with their ability, experience, and certifications. I also believe that in addition to money, there needs to be a great benefits package. But the icing on the cake in any pay plan is the culture, mission, and vision of the company, which takes strong leadership. And let’s not forget that motivation also comes from praise, recognition, respect, and when technicians know that their work matters.
      Rather than looking for that elusive perfect pay plan, sit down with your technician. Find out what motivates them. What their goals are. Why do they get out of bed in the morning? When you tie their goals with your goals, you will have one powerful pay plan.
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