Independent Auto Body Association (IABA)
Independent Auto Body Association (IABA)
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P.O. Box 12507 . Raleigh, North Carolina 27605
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Independent Body Shops are suffering discrimination at the hands of
government agencies and insurance companies. IABA can be the best
friend you can have when you need help with a problem.
Join IABA today!
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Recent Article:
OPERATION EDUCATE: Body Shops Fight Back !
By Mike Causey
Knowledge is power. That old adage is as true as it has ever been, In today’s collision repair world, knowledge is your best form of ammunition with which to help your customer fight for the quality repairs they deserve.
It has also been said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
You can’t give what you don’t have. You can’t. How often do we make the mistake of trying to give what we don’t have. For example, there are those that know everything about everything.. On any subject they give advice. Then, once in a while, they display the
fact that they are speaking with authority from a vacuum of knowledge.
In our zeal to do the right thing for our customer and protect our business, we freely give advice that may or may not be completely accurate, up-to-date, or legal. We do more damage than good when we speak with authority from a lack of knowledge or information
Just remember- the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Educating consumers should be an important part of your day to day operations. The more your customer knows about his or her rights, the better able they are to stand up to the insurance company when told this or that. Just be sure that you are not giving legal advice, unless you are an attorney.
Some body shops make available the brochure, Ten Things You Should Know About Collision Repair, which outlines the customer’s rights and offers sound advice. Other shops hang eye-catching posters, advising customers of their rights, along with bulletin boards and handouts of current collision repair articles. A few shops go a step further and recommend Preferred Insurance Companies for consumers. A great idea.
Consumer Reports rates Amica Mutual (1-800-242-6422) the NumberOne insurance company for consumers, as it has for 12-consecutive years. J.D.Power & Associates ranks
Amica Mutual as the Best Insurance Company for consumers. This is one company that does the right thing when it comes to handling claims. Other top companies are Cincinatti Insurance (available through your Independent Agent) and Chubb Insurance. Look them
up on the web at: www.amica.com , www.cinfin.com , www.chubb.com Informing customers of better insurance choices is part of the educational process.
In addition, some body shop owners spend considerable money each year on advertising- radio, tv and newspapers- to inform customers of their rights in collision repair. Joining your state autobody association can further expand the advertising power of your business.
These are the kind of things we can all do to help educate our customers and the public in general. There are many creative and inexpensive things that can be done to help your customer and your business. If you need assistance in any of these areas, the Independent Auto Body Association (IABA), Insurance Consumer Advocate Network (I-CAN) or the North Carolina Glass Association will be glad to help.
Wisdom vs. Knowledge
What is the difference between wisdom and knowlege? The great theologian, Charles H. Spurgeon, said, “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool
than a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”
Knowing how to use knowledge is most important. Knowing when to speak your mind and when to mind your speech is the cornerstone of wisdom.
With a combination of wisdom and knowledge, you can increase your business, have happier customers and quite possibly, better relations with insurers.
Keep this proverb in mind, “A wise man changes his mind, a fool never.”
As our nation moves forward in the war against terrorism, known as Operation:Enduring Freedom, let us move forward in our war against insurance tyranny with our own Operation Educate. Working together to educate the public as well as ourselves we can improve the collision repair process and reduce the stress in our lives.
Here’s to Operation Educate and our increasing power through knowledge, wisdom and of course, hard work, perseverance, integrity and common sense. Your customers will thank you for fighting for their rights.-
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Mike Causey is a lobbyist in Raleigh, NC for the Independent Auto Body Association, the North Carolina Glass Association, and the law firm of McDonald & Myer, PLLC.
Email: gocausey@aol.com Phone (336) 210-1947
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