There’s a big discrepancy with how the auto body industry is regulated and how all other industries are regulated. Sure, like other places of business, we are required to acquire any related business permits and business licensing–that’s a given. However, when it comes to the professionals working at a body shop, you won’t see a licensed technician. In fact, the term doesn’t even exist in our industry nation-wide, and what’s saddening is that the average age of body and paint technicians is getting higher and higher while good technicians are becoming scarce. The collision repair industry needs to focus a lot more on education.

To put things into perspective, a hairdresser in Nevada has to complete a written and practical examination as well as have worked under a licensed hairdresser for a certain number of hours before he or she can become licensed. A body or paint technician can walk into a licensed body shop and perform any type of work without the supervision of a licensed auto body technician (once again, there’s no such thing), and be compensated at rates exceeding a $100,000 salary…not a small salary in any industry; this technician might be performing a complex procedure on a multiple types of metals, and not even realize that he or she is working on high strength steel with the wrong tools. Unqualified, untrained technicians are a common occurrence in the auto body industry.

To shed even further light on the aforementioned inter-industry discrepancy in licensure requirements, let’s look at a dentist. I hope I don’t sound like I’m trying to diminish the dental industry by giving this example, because I know that it’s quite literally a human life that’s at stake at times when a dentist is making decisions, prescribing medications, and performing procedures. A dentist in Nevada goes through rigorous testing, testing that I’ve witnessed myself, to become licensed. In fact, the testing is so difficult that a high failure rate is expected…not because the varying state boards don’t want more dentists, but because they only want good ones entering the industry. With the collision industry, consider the safety of drivers and the rapidly changing technologies in the auto industry–a properly repaired vehicle becomes more important than a properly repaired tooth. A person with an improperly repaired tooth isn’t nearly as dangerous as a car with an improperly installed frame rail or b-pillar; many lives are at stake when a car is repaired.

The collision repair program at our local college, CSN, is unofficially being shut down (all employees received a termination contract recently) because I’m guessing there’s just not enough demand for this type of education. Want to make the CSN body shop program relevant? Pass a law that requires body shops to employ licensed technicians and you’ll get an overwhelming response. Next, shore up the education requirements (no freebie classes any more) through proctored testing. I took a welding class at CSN and was impressed with the education I received; it will be a sad day when the body shop program is discontinued.

Can we expect body shops to develop technicians from within and create the rising generation of technicians? For the time being, body shops should be nurturing their technicians through existing continuing education programs like I-CAR, ASE, and programs provided by OEMs. I think that these continuing education programs should have to attain accreditation with a Nevada Collision Repair Board (does not exist), which will push I-CAR, ASE, and other educational institutions to provide more practical training and technical knowledge for our industry.

The changes to our industry that I’ve proposed in this article are not without shortcomings.  There are ethical issues, moral dilemmas, and stakeholders that could be shorted if it’s not done properly: How many shops would be put out of business with a law change requiring education? – If there were to be a collision board, paired with laws that empower them, there would be a lot of shops put out of business. Who does this really cater to? – With a large percentage of uneducated employees (after all, aren’t they in this industry because they’re good with their hands?) we’re definitely singling them out, if unintentionally. Even in the face of all these potential issues, the reality is that cars are becoming more and more complex. The technologies of today won’t even exist in tomorrow’s world so we’re going to have to embrace educational changes which can be done by requiring, and promoting professional and practical education.

~Jim

Body shops rejoice at the sound of new business, a law that was long overdue for change has been overhauled to give leeway to insurance companies allowing them to legally repair vehicles that they were once forced to total even after, in certain situations, many of the repairs had been completed. The new Nevada law, NRS 487.790 has been amended to exclude not only the costs of painting, towing and replacement of single parts to restore vehicles to their pre-loss condition, but also to exclude (this is the good part) the cost of “replacing electronic components in accordance with the specifications of the manufacturer” in calculation of a legal total loss. There’s not a body shop owner in Nevada that isn’t affected by this, and there’s not an insurance company in Nevada that isn’t affected in a positive way.

A significant percentage of vehicles that are totaled will now be deemed repairable which not only will please customers who have recently been, in these difficult economic times, forced to purchase a vehicle when they may already be living at their limits–putting them in extreme financial difficulty. Just because an airbag deployed and pushed the vehicle $500 over the legal limit in the past, the insurance company is forced to dutifully offer the customer the ability to retain salvage or accept payment for their vehicle (less applicable deductible). Today this arbitrary threshold is starting to seem a little less arbitrary with the electronic components now being excluded from the equation. Some in my circles have estimated that nearly 10% of vehicles today that are totaled would now not be considered a total loss, which presents the body shop industry with more work and has potential to create more jobs. Perhaps the newly changed law isn’t yet the summum bonum but who knows, maybe our local economy will benefit a little from this?

Today I got up early to prepare myself for what I thought would be just a little breakfast followed by some mock interviews for high schoolers at SECTA, a vocational school for Las Vegas and Henderson valley. Having arrived early, I thumbed through a book that was recommended to me not knowing that I could be rubbing shoulders with representatives from radio stations, news channels, Zappos, and other companies that seized the unique opportunity to interview SECTA’s students. If I only knew, I would have brought more business cards when I showed up to breakfast…

I was given the opportunity to sit on a panel of interviewers-one from Friendly Ford and the other from Henderson Chevrolet-on location at the school’s body shop classroom. There is something to be said for young students who are ambitious enough to actually seek employment aggressively during the interview process. One of the students told me that he had already tried to call me, to which I responded that he should leave me a message next time. He responded, “I did…[but] I’ll call you 100 times if that’s what it takes to get ahold of you.” Isn’t that somewhat refreshing to hear these days? As we interviewed the students, we often looked at each other wondering how it is that these high school students were so mature.

How great of a program they have for their students at SECTA High. I mean, you don’t just develop a culture of polite kids that are able to create a feel of concierge service without a true going concern for above-board service starting long ago. I find myself scratching my head right now (in between typing sentences) wondering how I can develop the same professionalism and attention to customer-service-detail at my body shop. I’ve graduated from two universities that don’t come anywhere close in terms of creating that inviting of an environment…and we’re talking about a high school here, not a nice restaurant.

I suppose we were considered special guests. Whatever the case may be I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, although I’d like to include the entire school this time: I’m really impressed with SECTA High!

Yeah, that’s right an Arcade! We have put together an arcade for our employees to privately enjoy during their break time or on the weekends. However, that doesn’t leave you out of the picture; we invite you to schedule private use of the arcade for groups larger than 10. You’ll enjoy pool, air hockey, and some of the classics including Track & Field and Kung Fu Master.

Use the Contact Us form to schedule private use of our arcade.