Consider the Facts
By Tara Taffera
You can’t argue with the data. And whether or not your shop offers calibration services, you should be interested in the data resulting from research performed by collision repair shops in Canada (see page 47). According to the study, 88% of the 122 calibrations needed on vehicles were missed by estimators. That’s 107 calibrations that were unaccounted for in up-front estimates. The research also shows that nearly 50% of vehicles repaired include a charge on the estimate for Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) scanning.
Don’t believe that data? How about research from Mitchell International (see page 46), which says that calibrations have doubled in the past year—meaning that the aforementioned dilemma is only slated to get worse. The report said diagnostic scanning has become a critical part of the auto glass repair and replacement process, and that it should be the first and last step. Still, both of the data points above suggest that we have a long way to go—there are plenty of vehicles out there that need to be re-calibrated. For whatever reason, that just isn’t happening. Some companies, however, are realizing this void needs to be filled. In fact, turn to page 46 and you will see that Pilkington North America Aftermarket Glass Replacement business unit recently launched a new service called The Calibration People™.
In essence, the goal is to bring additional access to these services to auto glass shops and others who need them.
All of this begs the questions: If you offer calibration services, do you ensure that all vehicles requiring recalibration are getting this service?
If not, what is preventing you from doing so? Are you working on remedying these factors in order to increase your revenue? If you don’t offer these services, perhaps you already investigated whether or not this makes sense for your company? But when was that? If it was a year or two ago, perhaps you should take a look again, considering this data. Now is a wise time to ensure this previous decision still holds true.
Tara Taffera is the editorial director of AGRR magazine/glassBYTES.com.
ttaffera@glass.com
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