Ed Attanasio (31)
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco. Ed enjoys sports of all kinds and is a part time stand-up comedian. He can be reached at
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See also Ed's Shop Showcase and Company Connections columns
Yelping Back, an Interview with Yelp’s Business Outreach Manager
Written by Ed AttanasioBack in July I wrote an article about Yelp—the well-known review website where customers can comment about businesses and rate their performance. My article was about body shops having a love-hate relationship with it. See www.autobodynews.com and search ‘yelp’ if you missed it. Like any business, shops appreciate postive reviews from customers and bristle at negative ones, but the issue we were addressing is what shops can do to mitigate negative reviews. Since then there have been some developments.
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
Darnell Holloway is Manager for Local Business Outreach for Yelp, the on-line review site. Holloway recently spoke at a Santa Clara California Autobody Association meeting and Autobody News subsequently interviewed him about what he said in more depth.
ABN: If a shop receives a bad review, what options does it have to respond?
DH: Generally speaking, the business owners who have the most success with reputation management on Yelp are the ones who are dedicated to providing a great customer experience in the offline world. Beyond that, we provide a free suite of tools via www.biz.yelp.com that allows business owners to respond privately as well as publicly to reviews, upload information about themselves and add photos, among other things. Once a business starts receiving reviews, it’s important for business owners to join the conversation. We provide a whole host of information on Yelp for business owners, including how to respond to online critics. We also recently released a video featuring business owners as they share their thoughts on this subject. The most important takeaway for business owners is: 1) Remain calm. 2) Think about the complaint in relation to our existing customer service policy and then respond diplomatically.
How to Use Five Different Forms of Social Media to Gain Customers
Written by Ed AttanasioI mentioned social media to a body shop owner recently and, to my surprise, he was almost hostile to the concept. There seems to be a very localized group in the collision industry that really understands social media and this guy was not one of them.
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
“Why would I put my shop on Facebook?” he said. “I don’t have a lot of customers who are teenage girls!” I told this gentleman that Facebook and most other forms of social media aren’t being used exclusively by teenage girls. Facebook’s 800 million members aren’t all teenagers, and they certainly aren’t all girls.
Last month’s NACE meeting featured a keynote speaker, Chris Brogan, who’s a social media guru accustomed to talking to large automotive groups like those attending NACE/CARS, and the GM Dealers of Canada, for example.
What’s going on here? Why would some shops and associations spend valuable time instructing on social media while others can’t run away from it fast enough?
David Moore, the owner of CollisionBuilder.com, a company that designs web sites and develops social media plans for body shops and related businesses, has seen a recent spike in body shops getting involved in several forms of social media.
In an article in July’s Autobody News I wrote about Yelp and how shops have objected to the way this review site seems to perpetuate negative reviews on shops unless they’re members of the premium (paid) user program. If you missed it see www.autobodynews.com and search: Yelp. The question for many shops in this situation is: what can I do about it?
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
Okay, let’s assume your name and the reputation of your shop has been thrown under the bus and now you want to fight back. Maybe it’s a bad review on Yelp, or maybe a disgruntled former employee has trashed you on the Web and posted a collection of half-truths coupled with some outright lies. Or, maybe one of “those customers” that is never be happy is posting negative things online about you and they are beginning to get noticed and starting to affect your business.
Okay, it looks bad and it can be very frustrating, but don’t panic—there are some strategies you can use to defend yourself online and clean up your damaged reputation in the process.
To get started, you can initially do some things on your own that can distance you from the snarky online comments or bad reviews about you and your business. If you have any even rudimentary computer skills, you can help yourself considerably by making the right moves. The basic rule here is always take the high road. Don’t’ respond directly to anything in a negative or combative fashion. If you jump in the mud with your online accusers, than all you’re really doing is adding credibility to their claims.
Brown Auto Body Appreciates Mattei’s Rotary Vane Compressors
Written by Ed AttanasioDana Cooper, the owner of Brown Auto Body, a busy, modest-size shop located in southwest Iowa, has been in the collision industry for more than three decades. Cooper knows the value of reliable equipment and he’s convinced there’s no more important need in a shop than having a reliable air compressor. Not only is it critical for his painting needs but he depends on it for air tools needed to maintain his cycle times. That’s why Cooper was so pleased when his Keystone rep introduced him to Mattei compressors for the first time late last year.
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
“With a machine like an air compressor, I want to be able to buy it and never worry about it ever again. We’re fixing 30-40 cars per month here, and it’s just another thing I don’t want to have to think about. We’ve had this Mattei unit for about seven months now, and they’ve been very good about keeping us on the right maintenance schedule. I know this is important. If my air compressor goes down, we’re dead in the water. Almost everything from buffers to paint guns depends on air. It would be like trying to fix vehicles without paint or techs—that’s how important it is to have a good air compressor that won’t quit or need service all the time.”
Darrin Cook, General Manager for Keystone Automotive Industries Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska has worked for Keystone for more than 22 years, so he’s seen (and heard) his share of air compressors of all brands, sizes and styles. It’s not just a lot of hot air when Cook enthusiastically lauds the quality and performance of Mattei’s rotary vane compressors.
CollisionLink Represents ‘Inevitable Change’ Says Major Parts Dealer
Written by Ed AttanasioBack when Galpin Motors’ Parts Manager Butch Lemen was 12 years old, he worked with his father in the aircraft parts industry, some time before the advent of personal computers. Computers are now indispensible in parts departments and body shops worldwide. But, although many body shops have embraced the software and the Internet methods, there are still a ton of shops out there that are reluctant to accept what Lemen calls, “the inevitable.”
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
Lemen is a strong advocate for CollisionLink, the Internet-based electronic parts ordering system designed by OEConnection for OEM parts dealerships and body shops. By using the system, shops can save time and money while including more original factory parts in their repairs. CollisionLink’s price comparison feature is currently used by shops of all sizes, from little independent facilities all the way to large chains.
Lemen manages a multi-million dollar wholesale parts operation at Galpin Motors in North Hills, Calif. With 75 employees in his department and selling parts for the 10 brands they represent (Ford, Lincoln, Subaru, Mazda, Honda, Volvo, Jaguar, Aston-Martin, Lotus and Spyker), Lemen values the time-saving aspect associated with using CollisionLink.
“CollisionLink makes us more efficient and can save time for the shops that participate,” Lemen explained. “It frees up the shops’ time, because they don’t have to make phone calls searching for a part and/or waiting for a response. All of the correspondence through CollisionLink is handled via e-mails, and our parts people will call once we receive the order. It’s a streamlined process and allows shops to go on with the other multiple tasks that happen every day in your average body shop.”
Pennsylvania Body Shop Outshines with PPG’s Aquabase® Plus Waterborne
Written by Ed AttanasioProactive body shops that are embracing the inexorable change to waterborne paint in states where the laws are looming, but not yet a reality, are anticipating an advantage over their feet-dragging competitors over the next few years. One of these forward thinking shops is Old Forge Collision Centers, a 20-year-old company with two locations in Pennsylvania that repair an average of nearly 200 vehicles monthly.
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
Old Forge’s General Manager, Bob Scarpello, 54, is a 30-year veteran of the collision industry and a former painter. Three decades ago, his first job out of tech school was as a painter’s helper and by continually learning and improving his skills, Scarpello eventually progressed up the ladder into upper management.
One of the first things Scarpello did when he was hired at Old Forge, was to take a long, serious look at converting both of his locations to waterborne paint, he told Autobody News.
“We were one of the first body shops in Pennsylvania to go with waterborne paint. When I came here in 2003, after reading everything I could get my hands on about waterborne painting systems, I realized that it would eventually be coming here. I mean, Europe has been using it for decades, and so what are we waiting for?”
Trial by Fire: Indianapolis Body Shop Turns a Potential Tragedy into a Win-Win with a State-of-the-Art GFS Paint Booth
Written by Ed AttanasioSometimes a negative, even tragic, event can lead to a positive outcome. When a serious fire hit Collision Solutions in Indianapolis, IN, and destroyed its paint booth, management took the opportunity to make lemonade from lemons. The fire offered the owners a chance to rearrange the shop’s layout and take the leap into the world of waterborne. Instead of being paralyzed by the devastation, the shop bought a new cutting-edge ECO Expert paint booth from Global Finishing Solutions (GFS) and converted one of their locations to waterborne paint before any restrictions mandated it. As a result, Collision Solutions was soon turning out amazing paint jobs and their crew quickly became fully comfortable with waterborne and the numerous benefits offered by their new GFS paint booth.
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
“We took a couple of the prep stations and replaced all of the old equipment with GFS equipment after looking at several companies. We went with GFS based on what people out there in the industry were telling us about the company and its track record.
Owner Aaron Clark, 40, is a second generation body shop owner whose parents operated a shop more than three decades ago. “I started working in our family’s shop when I was 16 and worked my way up from porter to technician,” Clark told Autobody News. “In 1994, my partner and I opened our own shop in friendly competition with my parents’ company. It was a very successful operation that eventually grew into a two-location business in the Indianapolis area.”
Prestige Imports is a BASF Waterborne Advocate in Colorado
Written by Ed AttanasioWhen his customers are spending big money on vehicles costing more than $50,000 and sometimes well into six figures, Jim Frost, the manager at Prestige Imports Collision Center in Lakewood, Colorado, knows his paint jobs have to be top-tier every single time. That’s why he’s enthused on several levels about his conversion to waterborne paint. Frost is pleased about the performance and the finished product he’s getting with Glasurit 90-Line, BASF’s waterborne product, and Prestige is proud to be a Colorado waterborne pioneer—the very first body shop in the Centennial State to adopt the green approach nearly three years ago.
To view the full text of this article with photos please click HERE.
Frost, 41, started working for his father’s shop at age 15. Now his collision center serves three Colorado dealerships: Prestige Imports Porsche Audi, Mercedes-Benz of Littleton and Mile High Honda Acura Mitsubishi. Prestige Imports Collision Center will repair any type of vehicle, but primarily focuses on the European brands its dealership sells, as well as Ferraris, Bentleys, Maseratis and Lotuses, among others. With 19 employees, this 19,000 square-ft. facility has an average repair ticket of approximately $3,300 and at any given point it’s likely that the shop will have more than a dozen repair orders in-house averaging more than $20,000 each.
Frost conducted an in-depth study before he chose BASF as his paint vendor, he told Autobody News. “We decided to change to waterborne and adopt all of the California laws even before they went into effect there. We analyzed all of the waterborne paint lines that were out there starting a little more than three years ago. We discovered that BASF offered an ideal solution for us in our environment. Many of the cars we repair were originally painted with BASF waterborne from the factory. We liked the product and appreciate their support, so that was a big part of the decision.”
Body Shops and Yelp: It’s a Love-Hate Relationship
Written by Ed AttanasioThe other day I overheard a woman talking on her cell phone. I couldn’t help it. She was upset and yelling.
To view the text of this article with photos please click HERE.
“Try me, buddy,” she screamed into the phone. “I will Yelp you right out of business!”
Wow, I thought. ‘Yelp’ is now a verb (like ‘Google’), and obviously a part of some people’s daily language.
If you don’t know about Yelp, it’s a nationwide review site where people post comments about their experiences with particular businesses. It promotes itself with the tagline: Real People. Real Reviews. It’s easy to find at Yelp.com.
For many companies, including body shops, Yelp can boost a business with great reviews or damage their bottom lines with snarky comments and low ratings from unhappy customers. The problem is that those ‘unhappy customers’ might really be jealous competitors, terminated former employees, or a disgruntled ex-spouse or two.
Yelp is currently getting unfavorable reviews from a lot of body shops throughout the country due to their policies on editing the reviews that are posted. Some shops are suing the San Francisco startup or considering doing so. They allege that the website manipulates customer reviews while the company claims that their system is done by computers, not people with an agenda, such as Yelp advertising salespeople, for example.
California Shop Owner Endorses Shop Education and Training
Written by Ed AttanasioShawn Saidi, 48, owns Active Auto Body in Sunnyvale, Calif., a highly successful shop whose motto is “Making Friends by Accident.” It might be a catchy slogan, but Saidi has succeeded in the collision industry not by chance or by accident. He’s the current president of the California Autobody Association’s (CAA) Santa Clara chapter, and has enthusiastically embraced the leadership role, because he wants to make this industry better and help other shops in the process.
To view a PDF of this article please CLICK HERE.
Active Auto Body is located in a 13,300 square-foot facility. They fix 75–90 vehicles monthly and have two DRP relationships, from which the company derives approximately 25% off their total business. Saidi works alongside his wife Lisa, who handles payroll and human resources. The shop employs 13 people, including Saidi’s niece Desiree, who works part-time as a receptionist.
Saidi’s journey into collision repair began with his passion for restoring classic cars. “I was relying on body shops to do the body and the paint on these older cars, after I had done all of the mechanical work,” he told Autobody News.
“But, I was running into problems with the body shops, because they would tell me ‘three months’ and the car would still be sitting there a year or more later. Then when I got the cars back, the work wasn’t right, so I would basically lose interest in the vehicle and just eventually sell it. It was very frustrating because it kept happening over and over. I told my wife that if I ever go into business for myself, I’m going to get a body shop, and I’ll make sure we do the job right and meet all our deadlines. We’ll give it back to the customer better than what they were expecting.”
