#72
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[00:00:00] One, two
What is up, guys? Welcome back to the All Access Podcast from Dent Repair Now. Bet you guys thought I forgot about you. Bet you thought I was gonna break my streak of not missing a week. However, Shannon is trying to interrupt me. Anyways, here's the quote for the week What a privilege it is to be tired from the work you once dreamed about.
Now, last night when I decided that, that that was the opening line to the show, was having a hard time wrapping my head around that, uh, because the last seven, eight days, Tuesday to Tuesday, I guess that's eight days, [00:01:00] the last eight days kicked my ass. However, we kicked its ass right back, and I am headed to vacation, right?
We made it. That was sort of the, the goal was to make it to today, Wednesday, uh, and hopefully I'll get this uploaded to you guys today, um, to leave for vacation for a few days, actually 10 days, uh, just to get away from it all, unwind, unplug, taking the kids. It's gonna be a great time. Um, and I think next week's show, uh, I'm gonna record closer to, uh, Monday, get it out for you Monday.
Uh, but I wanna talk about how I feel after taking a couple days off and really unplugging and re- you know, unwinding and, and, and getting there. So anyways, that, that like what a privilege it is to be tired of the work you once dreamed of, like- [00:02:00] It's almost unfathomable, unfathomable to me to think back to when I started in PDR and the many goals I set mys- for myself and the daily sales numbers that I chased, and the weekly numbers, and how I thought when I hit those numbers, man, I would be set.
What, what more does a guy need than that? And now, like, just what we did in the last eight days is, is like almost hard to comprehend, without a hailstorm, of course. Right? We did a couple hail cars, but, like, not a direct hailstorm. But it, it's unbelievable where we've been able to grow this company to. I wanna challenge you to do the same thing, right?
May- I guess if you're just starting out, maybe not so much. But if you've been in this business for three years, or five, or 10, or 20, or almost 25 like me, [00:03:00] stop and look back to how far you've come, right? Think of all the things that you've chased, all the goals you chased, all the techniques you've learned, and where you are today, and just appreciate that for a minute.
I think we all spend too much time chasing, chasing, chasing, chasing what's next, what's next, what's next, and we're not taking the time to stop and really look at what we've built and what we have going on today, right? Even just going back a few years and, and looking at how... You know, for us, right, we're in a new, way bigger shop.
Uh, we're doing more volume than ever. We're doing bigger repairs than ever. I'm getting to teach more than I ever thought I would get to Just a handful of years ago, right? None of... Well, I mean, not none of that existed. It was a whole different world. Pause and [00:04:00] reflect and look back on where you've come i- in life, where you've come in your business, your career.
Uh, and let's be thankful, man. Like, that's... You know, when I'm getting my ass kicked all week on cars, I'm grateful, one, to be able to get my ass kicked, but two, grateful that we get to build this amazing life. Like, it really truly is super cool. Like, man, it's... I can't get it. Can't, can't wrap my head around it, but to the universe, man, thank you for making all this happen, or letting all this happen, or whatever that works, or however that works.
Unbelievable. So update from last episode. We had the Jake's Insurance Company car, and I don't remember the adjusters' names I used. It doesn't matter. Um, I was able to, through a body shop buddy of mine, get in contact [00:05:00] with another adjuster that works for Bob's... or no, I'm sorry, that works for Jake's. It'd be so much easier if I just said the names.
But anyways, another adjuster that works for Jake's Insurance Company. Um, cool dude. Came out, uh, and really could not have been any cooler. Like, I was able to... He was actually the original virtual adjuster, right? They g- they sent it to him as a virtual claim, and i- instantly, when he saw the truck, he's like, "Well, this is way worse than the pictures."
Uh, y- you think? You really, you couldn't see all the damage in a, in a still photograph? Hmm, shocker. Anyways, I don't mean to be so cynical. Anyways, he looked at the car, went around it, you know, looked at, looked at our estimate and how we wanted to repair it and what we were going after. Um, and really the only change he made was [00:06:00] we had written to replace the flare and have it refinished.
Uh, and really upon closer inspection, uh, it was a pretty easily repairable, uh, scratch, scuff on the flare. It didn't need to be replaced, so really he backed out essentially the cost of, um- The flare and got me to where I needed to be. Now what's so hard about that? Like, a human being came out and looked at the vehicle and was like, "Oh, I, I see exactly what you're describing to me.
Yeah, that's all justifiable. Oh, that makes sense. So if we do... If we're gonna do this, we need to do this, this, this, and this, and replace this and do this." Yeah, of course your numbers work. This is part of what is so scary with how the insurance companies are pushing to more [00:07:00] virtual, more AI-driven estimates, right?
That dude on the phone that we originally called that, or that, you know, that called us that was supposed to come out, and he's like, "Well, I'm not coming out. We're not gonna do that. You're a PDR shop. You can go to hell."
It's easy to sit on the other side of this, right? And just say, "No, uh-uh, no, not worried about it, nothing." Where if you come out in person, one, you can actually physically see exactly what's going on. You can use your own camera to take whatever photos you need to justify it. We can make a connection, right?
Like, that dude was coming at me like I was some sort of jagoff, and if you're not from Pittsburgh, that means, like, not nice dude or idiot. I'm not a jagoff. I'm, I never try to be a jagoff. I mean, unless you really irritate... Like, if he would've shown up at the shop after that phone call, I might've been a jagoff.
[00:08:00] But I didn't get a chance to connect with him. I, you can't make that human connection, that good human connection through the phone the same way that you can in person. I really think, and man, a lot of you guys commented on the, the, the little short or the reel we did talking about how that went- A lot of people are seeing struggles like this, right?
The delay in claims processing, the stonewalling, the, um, the pushback, the we don't pay for that, we don't do it this way, we don't, we don't. What the hell do you do, is what I wanna know, right? If you're gonna do all this BS of making us jump through all your hoops, and then you don't wanna pay for anything, and then you don't wanna pay admin fees, give us a playbook on what the hell we can do.
Or is there a playbook out there that exists on how to deal with these companies, with these virtual adjusters? Thank God at least these virtual adjusters for now, for [00:09:00] now, are still human. What's gonna happen when we're arguing with a computer, right? With AI, and AI saying, "We do not pay for that." What do we do?
Get our own AI and be like, "You must pay us for that"? I, I really am not excited about where ... In fact, this is the first time in a long time I'm not excited about the PDR industry, the PDR business of where are we headed? What do these claims look like? Or are they gonna push so hard that- call it smash claims and hail claims are, are not gonna be able to really be processed by independent companies?
Well, that's not fair. That's a bunch of BS. I really think there needs to be some sort of voice out there for the PDR industry. In fact, we're all categorized as auto body, right? When, [00:10:00] when you look up my NAIC or whatever the national something insurance code, we're classified the same as a body shop Do these body shop trade organizations go to bat for us?
Do we need to get engaged with these organizations to have the back of the independent repairer? Right? I used to be a member of SCRS. Maybe I need to go back and see that. Maybe I need to reach out to SCRS and get an interview on here and see what this looks like. Again, right, like I mentioned at last, uh, last episode, Kristen Felder, love her or hate her, uh, put together a great one-hour talk for all of the attendees at the CAM Auto event.
Right? I need to go back and listen to that and figure out what this playbook is. Guys, we need, we are going to need to build a playbook that helps us deal with these insurance companies [00:11:00] and how they're going. Right? I mentioned in the last episode that Erie, which is a huge insurer for us, a great company to work with, in fact, I have all my insurance with them, but, like even great to work with as a repairer, they're pulling all of their auto guys into the office and taking them off the road.
How are you supposed to inspect physical damage to a car virtually through a phone? I just don't understand it. I suppose we're gonna have to get really good at photos, and these guys are gonna have to start accepting videos. Right? Like I know Mobile Tech RX will allow you to upload a video into your, um, file or into your estimate.
I think we're gonna have to start sending videos to these insurance companies. Right? I remember for a couple of years where they were pushing the, uh ... It was almost like the FaceTime call. It wasn't FaceTime. It was inside their app. But, like you had a person, and then they [00:12:00] would pull their BS of like, "Oh, bad connection.
Sorry. Oh, I can't see what you're talking about." Like, "Martha, it's right there. I don't know why you can't see it. It's right here." It's just getting more and more difficult. Is there a resource out there that- helps us combat this, right? I know, um, I would imagine SCRS has it. I know Collision Hub, right?
That's Kristen's thing. I know they have some educational series. Uh, I think I'm gonna have to reach out to maybe Collision Hub and, uh, SCRS and see if there isn't some sort of education series where we as PDR techs can learn how to deal and work with, uh, and navigate these claims. Hmm. Maybe this episode is for me.
Maybe this is just a brainstorm session between us. Hmm Hmm. I'll have to think about that. I'm gonna have to ponder it. [00:13:00] So anyways, my week, right? So eventually the, uh, adjuster did, uh, come out and finally approved everything on Tuesday. So we took the car in on the previous Monday, so it sat all through there, and then it was Memorial Day, and then it was Tuesday.
Man, it's all blurring together. Got approval Tuesday afternoon. Well, I already had a busy week, like a crazy busy week scheduled, and then I get that $4,800, uh, or 4,500, whatever it was, the- the dollar, the smash repair approved. Inside of there, there was another, call it hail car, or it was actually not damaged, but a- a- another claimed vehicle from Jake's insurance company, which is how the dude ended up coming out.
We got approved for that, you know, so immediately had like two decent insurance jobs booked for the week that was already [00:14:00] booked solid. Oh, thanks to Louie and Mac for stepping up and helping get everything done and putting in some late nights. Thanks to Mac for coming in on Sunday, uh, you know, instead of hanging out with his girlfriend.
Came in and helped me work through that smash, helped me put it together the other night
How do you, why do, maybe not how, why do w- we let ourselves get shoved into this? But on the flip side, like, I don't even know that, that I really feel like I let myself get shoved into this. We scheduled these cars. It just took eight days, and the other one I think was more like 10 days for the adjuster to come out and approve it If we're a body shop, I understand, like, we got a whole yard full of wrecked cars that everything's sort of in limbo, and just as they get approved, you just start grabbing them and going.
Most of our [00:15:00] repairs are not insurance claims. How are we supposed to schedule at the shop when literally thousands of dollars in damage is scheduled for one week, and they don't even come out until the next week when it's already scheduled? How do you, how do you do this? Do we need to start keeping these cars longer?
Do we start to play some sort of rental car game with, right, it's dropped for repair. All right, they're in a rental car. Great. It's here. Well, the clock will start ticking when I get to it because it's not there. I, I'm just ... I'm struggling with how do you schedule around these cars, right? 'Cause I really, as grateful as I am to have the work that we have, I have no desire to work 12 or 13 or 14 hours a day.
I have no desire to work all weekend, all day Saturday and Sunday, leave dinner Sunday, leave Sunday family dinner early to go back to work to finish a car. I don't wanna do that. [00:16:00] But especially when I'm against the, when I'm up against a hard deadline like vacation, thank goodness, we gotta get the cars done before I go
Man, it was just a... Again, last night when I decided to use the, the, "What a privilege it is to be tired from the work we once dreamed of" quote, uh, in the thick of it, it was tough. Like, getting burned out. Even watching Mac, right? He's 19, putting in some long-ass hours and getting burned out. That's tough.
That's real tough. I don't know what the answer is. Do you guys have the answer? Send me a DM. Hit me a comment. Whatever you wanna do , like hit it up and make it happen
So let's talk a little bit about some tools, right? Because we had this, this smash on this door, and I'm certain, like, if you've been in business for a while, [00:17:00] you've got a collection of tools you never use. And the hoarder part of me is like, "Well, I don't wanna throw them away. I don't wanna get rid of them."
And the other part is like, "Man, it's taking up all this room. It's just clutter. Why do I even need this? I never use this. I haven't used this tool in 10 years." Well, we had a few of those I never used those tools in 10 years, uh, is what it took to fix that door. Like- What, what do you guys do with tools?
What's the answer there? Like, we obviously keep buying tools. I went on dent reaper, uh, .com to buy the football tip that I didn't know existed, and then spent $700 on tools that I didn't realize I needed until I looked at them. Um, what do you guys do with those old tools? Do you keep them around? How do you organize them?
How do you even remember what tools you had? The one tool that really saved our ass on that door was actually a tool [00:18:00] that a guy that worked for us, man, 20 years ago, who got out of the business, uh, but saved his tools, right? And then he was moving last year and he called me up and he's like, "Hey, do you want my tools?"
And, uh, I'm like, "Okay." Right? The lights certainly were outdated. The knockdowns were outdated. But a metal rod is just a metal rod. And, uh, you know, Mac was working on the door and he's like, "Man, I need a, I need this tool." He was using like the longest, longest circus, um, finesse tool, right, which is super sharp.
He's like, "Man, I need this tool, but like with a blunt end. I don't wanna hit-- I don't want the sharp tool in there. I'm trying to bring this body line up." And, uh, I went down and hit the old stash of tools that we keep in the basement, and sure enough, I had like an old... It was either A1 or Inventure, right?
Like old school, old school tools, um, that was like the same length, the same kick, but a, just a nice round [00:19:00] tip instead of-- or round shaved tip instead of that sharp tip. Got right in on the body line, right under the brace. It was beautiful. But that, I believe, is why we save all of these tools. Um, unreal.
Like, I, I had another, it, it was maybe last year, uh, with this goofy spot. I, I wanna say maybe it was up and a quarter through the vent. And I'm like, "Man, I need a tool that does this and this and this," and I went down to that old box of tools and pulled out an old A1. Uh, it's like a five-sixteenths tool, blue handle, maybe 24 inches long with a long 45-degree kick, um, semi-shave.
Not shaved skinny, but like not a round bar, not a round tab. I still have this thing hanging on the wall because it got me to exactly where I needed to go. But like it's bent like an S in here and this way and bent this tip, and we were able [00:20:00] to fish it in and make it happen. Um, you know, w- like with that, uh- I remember last year, uh, at the advanced skills seminar running camera, and Bryce kept running back and forth, uh, bending tools to get the exact right push.
Like, he didn't care how many times back and forth, he wanted that push. Same thing when we were in Italy, uh, and whatever that was, March I guess. Um, he would take his time and find the tool, and wait until it gets that exact perfect push. And I guess that's why we save all these tools. We're not hoarders, we just know that they could be handy someday.
So anyways, what's your favorite old tool that's just around that you can't and won't get rid of, or that's saved your butt, or like what is it? What, what tools are you guys using? Um, anyways, that's that. So coming up, we have got, uh, [00:21:00] after vacation, some work. Uh, and then, uh, dent worldwise, uh, we've got the PDR Expo coming up.
I think it's September 25th and 26th at the Rio in Las Vegas. Um, we're doing some sort of round table. I'm not sure exactly what Kevin has in mind, but it'll be good. Uh, there's gonna be a whole lot of experience up on that stage. You don't wanna miss that talk. And then Saturday morning, I've got a believe a two-hour session on cold glue.
First cla- first half is, like, typical classroom talk, like talking about it, talking about techniques and everything. Second half is what I'm really stoked about. Live car in the room, and we are going to get to do not just demos with a camera crew, but pull you, pull a few of you out of class, out of your seat, and up onto the stage to work with me and learn some of my tips and techniques, and get to do it [00:22:00] live on a live car.
Super excited. I really hope that that takes off and that we can make something like that happen in Florida as well. Uh, really would love to see a little bit of change in the education process at MTE, uh, where it's a little less like ... Right now it's like speed dating, it's like speed education. I'd rather see it slowed down, maybe extended over a couple of days.
Get some longer classes, give you a break from being on the floor. Anyways, super excited to see how the education goes out in Vegas at the PDR Expo. What else we got going on? Oh. Now, I understand that most of my audience is, uh, is or are, uh, existing PDR techs, but I've also got some body techs, and I'm certain that there are some newbies rolling around out there that end up coming across me We are starting a new podcast.[00:23:00]
Now, it's not gonna be an every week podcast. In fact, once it's done, it's gonna be a 10-episode podcast. Think of it like Netflix style, where we're gonna have 10 episodes all about, um, the PDR life, right? Like, some of the amazing things that this business, this career, this craft has allowed me to do, allowed us to do, right, as a whole, right?
We're all pretty blessed, uh, amazing people, right? With amazing opportunities to get to do what we do. But anyways, we're dropping a new beginner style podcast, dropping some real truths about what the industry looks like, about what it looks like to get into the industry. Uh, got a cool interview set up in July that y'all have to wait for.
Um, that'll be part of that, that beginner's... You know, I s- I call it a beginner's [00:24:00] podcast, and it really is gonna be aimed for that, but I think there's gonna be a lot of information across the board for everybody, right? I, I think it's gonna be great. So keep an eye out. Keep an eye out here. Keep an eye on Dent Repair Now for what we've got going on.
Um, this fall, uh, we are going to be doing a soft skills seminar, uh, here in Pittsburgh at my shop. Uh, I've had a lot of people reach out about, uh, sales and, and marketing. Uh, and also, right as this insurance stuff evolves, I, I think we're gonna be starting to work on handling insurance deals and what that looks like, and we will see what, uh, what we can turn that into.
Uh, but that will be part of the soft skills seminar, so keep an eye on that. That will be in the fall, thinking probably October, early November, right before the holiday season gets here, but after everything else that's going on. Um, as always, go follow [00:25:00] us on social media at Dent Repair Now. We're do- we're so close to 5,000 on Facebook, which is another milestone for us.
Go follow us on Facebook. Tell your friends to follow us on Facebook. In fact, I think I asked all of you to ask some of your friends to go follow us on Facebook, and I didn't see the s- the big spike that I was looking for. So go do that. Share the profile or whatever you gotta do. Give us some more likes on Facebook.
I appreciate it. All right, guys, that is a wrap. I will see you on the next episode, possibly even from the beach. And, uh, let's see what's going on. As always, thank you for watching, and here is the outro. One, two.
