This event is a cornerstone in the history of collision repair education - the first 8-hour negotiating workshop designed specifically for the industry upon the request from this dedicated California group. Furthermore, once again, this program was sponsored by Santa Maria local jobbers showing support for the shops they work with.

Hunke began the workshop with a brief history to bring into perspective the critical nature of the negotiation process in today's collision repair business.

Peter Romero (left) of Prestigious Auto Body in Goleta doing some 'negotiating' role playing with Cory Balaam of Foster's Body & Paint in Santa Maria with instructor Hunke as the referee

With no statistical documentation to reference, it is a fair assumption that at least half of the interactions between repairers and insurance representatives leave one, if not both parties, feeling like they have been "beaten" or taken advantage of, Hunke began. The tragedy of the current process is that it should not be that way, assuming both repairer and insurer are committed to the same goal of making a vehicle owner whole after an "insurance-covered event."

 

What's the confusion?

The plan of action is pretty much established. A part or panel is either bent or it is straight. It needs to be either repaired or replaced. The database publishers, I-CAR, Tech-Cor, vehicle manufacturers and others provide rather specific information regarding procedures and implementation. In general terms, someone from the outside looking in would wonder what all the confusion is about. The auto collision repair process has significant authoritative resources to nearly eliminate disagreement. However, company policies, individual perceptions and constant change do not allow an agreement to be reached easily.

Hunke asked the group "Have you ever been involved in an emotionally-charged argument where someone didn't walk away hurt or angry? It's part of the deal - someone has to lose an argument." As soon as the argument is over the loser begins looking for ways to retaliate, leading to what currently exists in the collision repair industry - one giant search by repairers as well as insurers for the next opportunity to get even.

Hunke suggests that the industry look at negotiation as a new skill, much the same as welding or color matching, the difference being the tools will be information and words rather than torches and paint guns.

"You don't get what you deserve,"professed Hunke, "you get what you negotiate." At times, this workshop seemed more like a college psychology class than one on collision repair. Power, pressure and fear are the subjects the negotiation process is based on. Power - who has it? Pressure - are you feeling it or applying it? Fear - there are several ways the very powerful emotion of fear is present in the negotiating process.

Analysis of many negotiation sessions in the collision repair environment exposes considerable abuse of fear tactics. Repairers fear they will be ousted from the DRP program. Vehicle owners fear having to pay more than their deductible or rate increases or cancellation. Appraisers often fear performance reviews and the threat of losing their jobs if they authorize procedures beyond the profiles given them. Hunke talked about the actual physiology one's body goes through when the brain senses fear - something most people in the room could relate to on a daily basis.