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Page 2 of 2 A lack of skilled estimators A panel discussion addressed the Estimating Committee report on reducing the number of supplements written. Five panelists - Craig Griffin, Laney's Collision, El Dorado, Arkansas; Roger Wright, AIG Insurance; Aaron Schulenberg, Bill Denney's CARSTAR, Havre de Grace, Maryland; and George Avery, State Farm Insurance, Bloomington, Illinois - fielded questions from committee chairman Chad Sulkala, ACME Body and Paint, Boston, Massachusetts. The Estimating Committee addressed how supplements affected the consumer, the insurance provider and the shop. It was suggested by many that the lack of skilled estimators may be at the core of the supplement problem. Stacy Bartnik takes over leadership of Collision Industry Council (CIC)
Outgoing CIC Chairman Rick Tuuri introduced his successor 2007 Collision Industry Conference Chair Stacy Bartnik. Bartnik is CARSTAR Director of Franchise Services for the Chicago area and a long-time participant in the conference. "I have big shoes to fill and I'm following some of my mentors in this business," Bartnik said. "It is an awesome responsibility and I'm thrilled to do it. I will do my best to help everyone in this industry." Bartnik is the second woman to hold this position. In 1993, Nikki McDonald, Perry and Terry's Auto Body, Denver, Colorado, chaired the conference. Bartnik's career is steeped in the collision repair industry. She has managed a multi-million dollar repair facility and worked as a consultant for the international company Carter and Carter. In 2004, Stacy was recognized by Akzo Nobel as one of the "Most Influential Women in the Collision Industry." She also currently serves as vice president of the National Auto Body Council and secretary of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists. |
Collision repair shop owners are reporting "out of control" accounts receivable due to supplemental repairs. One overall consensus is that technology is diluting the skill sets of estimators. Some of the panelists indicated that the industry needs to change training to meet the technological level of today's car, stating that today's estimating skill set is diluted and estimators should still be handwriting a few estimates. The audience spoke out about the need to keep database prices updated and current; about shops wanting to order parts only once; whether we can blueprint the repair; and the core issue of trust and control. Sulkala asked if we have over-complicated the collision repair process, sharing this analogy: "NASA spent millions of dollars to develop a pen to write in space and Russia used a pencil." Quick Start Jerry Burns, Automotive Impressions, Albuquerque, New Mexico, introduced the Automotive Service Association's new OEM Web Site - Quick Start. Burns said the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) is working to simplify the process of gathering OEM technical information. "NASTF is working to see that all repairers have OEM repair information," stated Burns. "ASA's OEM Quick Start will walk repairers through the complicated process of finding the correct information," he continued. Quick Start can be found at www. asashop.org. Executive Director Fred Iantorno of the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) an-nounced a Scholarship Memberships initiative. The program offers an unlimited number of one-year scholarship memberships allowing companies access and use of CIECA standards. Health alert - Hexavelent chromium Hexavelent chromium, a product widely used by collision repairers in the past, has been linked to health problems such as lung cancer and asthma. The product is less prevalent today, however, stricter OSHA regulations have recently gone into effect. Air monitoring and employee medical screening will be regulated by OSHA starting November 27, 2006 for shops with more than 19 employees and May 30, 2007 for shops with fewer than 19 employees. For detailed information go to www.epa.gov/ dfe/pubs/projects/auto/index .htm. To review all CIC committee power point presentations go to www.ciclink.com, click on Committees and click on Committee Reports. The next CIC will be at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, October 31. Janet Chaney has been in many facets of the collision industry. She is serving the best interest of her clients through Cave Creek Business Development. She can be reached at
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