Fixed Ops Journal - June 2018 - F20

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

REPAIR
continued from Page 18

repair order on a loaded Buick Envision. The
compact crossover cost about twice as much
when it was new.
"These newer vehicles are designed to take a
hit," he says. "They are made for that and not
how we are going to repair them."
Lee Harkins, a dealership consultant in Pelham, Ala., who specializes in fixed operations,
calls insurers "the 800-pound gorilla in the
room." They force dealerships to "get big in the
body shop business or get out," Harkins says.
Moran's collision center is choosing to grow.
A drive-through lane for estimates and a new
facade are under construction. The improvements also include a customer waiting area.
"Even when this building wasn't appealing,
we were able to make money," Morrison says.
"If this place blows up like we all think," the
shop's business could grow 50 percent, he predicts. That may mean a second shift or other
ways to improve throughput.

But finding employees like Morrison is a
challenge. Estimators often stay in the job for a
long time. Some aspire to manage a body shop
or pursue a career in fixed ops.
Morrison says he is content in his job and in
no hurry to climb a career ladder. But "collision
is at a teetering point right now," he warns.
"There's nobody to fill the positions to meet
demand," he says. "We've got guys starting to
retire that have been doing this their whole life.
There's nobody young getting into it."
Dealership estimators in the Detroit area say
the job generally pays $40,000 to $60,000 a
year, usually a mix of salary and pay. That's less
than the typical dealership service technician
or adviser earns. But others say dealership estimators can earn more, and compensation varies widely around the country. The scarcity of
estimators could require dealerships to offer
higher salaries and signing bonuses, some
body shop managers say.
"If there's nobody to do it," Morrison says,
"they've got to pay the people who do know
how to do it." 

A day in the life
Aaron Morrison's typical day as an estimator at his body shop starts early.
He's supposed to be on the clock at 8 a.m.
but he usually arrives by 7:30. A couple of
customers typically are waiting.
The morning rush generally brings three
or four repair estimates to write. Then the
pace slows, but only briefly.
"Around noon, lunchtime, when you're
supposed to be taking a break, is when you
get your mad rush," Morrison says. Representatives of three or four auto insurers
typically stop in to examine supplemental
reports of unseen damage that wasn't
identified in the initial estimate.
Then comes a third rush in the afternoon, with body technicians seeking more
supplements and office managers asking
about other accounts.
Around 6 p.m., Morrison calls it a day.
- Alan L. Adler

QUORUM DMS

DRIVING REVENUE
Quorum DMS Customers Average Over
$70,000 in Additional Customer-pay
Revenue Each Month.
Is your DMS making you
money, or is it just
an expense?

quorumdms.com

877.770.0036
PAGE 20

JUNE 2018

http://www.quorumdms.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - June 2018