October - December - Auto Body Association

NEWS REPORT
Send all News Report articles to home
address listed below:
OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2009
Clyde Nelson
1507 19th St. NW
Turtle Lake, ND 58575-9492
701-448-2568
Cell 701-460-0954
Fax 701-448-2568
Email ndabnews@westriv.com
President’s Letter...........................................................................................3
NDABA Code of Ethics.................................................................................3
Some Thoughts From Your Editor.................................................................3
Larry Graf Retirement....................................................................................5
Lana Ose, NDABA Secretary........................................................................5
Verla Rostad, NDABA Treasurer...................................................................5
Don’t Quit......................................................................................................6
Meeting Minutes - October 3, 2009...............................................................7
Next Meeting Information................................................................................ 7
Join Now Application....................................................................................... 7
Win Fans for Life....................................................................................... 10-11
NWNDCTC Certified..................................................................................13
Publisher......................... Larry Berget
Co-Editors..... Bonnie & Clyde Nelson
2008-2009 Officers
President........................Paul Mohagen
Grafton, 352-3180
1st Vice President........... Ed Barnhardt
Washburn, 462-3374
2nd Vice President................ Tom Ose
Lisbon, 683-4462
Treasurer......................... Verla Rostad
Minot, 839-0989
Secretary...............................Lana Ose
683-4462
Past President........................ Jeff Pfau
New Rockford, 947-5511
Exec. Director.....Clarence Meidinger
Edgeley, 493-2301, 493-2788 (h)
Board of Directors
District 1.......................Robert Zantow
Forman, 724-6368
District 2..................... Kent Meidinger
Edgeley, 493-2301
District 3...................... Bryant Retzlaff
Bismarck, 663-7484
District 4..................... Jerome Hohertz
Cooperstown, 797-3418
District 5...............................................
District 6...............................................
District 7..........................Ron Knutson
Devils Lake, 662-3324
District 8...................... Bryce Hancock
Medicine Lake, MT, 406-789-2321
District 9.................... Scott Heintzman
Fargo, 293-1266
District 10............................Miles Doll
Bismarck, 258-9571
District 11....................... Mark Steinke
Grand Forks, 792-2846
District 12.............................................
2010 Convention
Chairperson............... Scott Heintzman
293-1266
Published quarterly for the North
Dakota Auto Body Association.
Copyright 2009 by the North
Dakota Auto Body Association. All
rights reserved. Materials may not be
reproduced without written permission
of Clyde Nelson, North Dakota Auto
Body Association, 1507 19th St. NW,
Turtle Lake, ND 58575-9492.
VOL. 24, NO. 4
Contents
Advertisers
Gateway Chevrolet............................................................ Inside Front Cover
Luther Parts Express......................................................................................2
Midwest Auto Dealers Parts Association.......................................................4
Stan Puklich Chevrolet..................................................................................6
Minot Chrysler & Toyota Center...................................................................6
Free For Members NDABA Classified Ads...................................................6
Fargo-Moorhead Auto Dealers.................................................................. 8-9
Corwin Wholesale Parts...............................................................................11
Rydell Auto Center.......................................................................................12
Westlie Motor Company..............................................................................13
Hedahls Auto Parts.......................................................................................14
Valley Imports..............................................................................................14
Cedric Theel, Inc..........................................................................................15
Luther Family Ford......................................................................................15
Dakotaland Autoglass, Inc...........................................................................16
Sturdevant’s Refinish Supply Center...........................................................16
St. Paul-Mpls. Wholesale Parts Association/dentsmart.....Inside Back Cover
Ryan Chevrolet.............................................................................Back Cover
Thank You!!!!
Issue
February-March
Issues for NDABA News Report
Copy Deadline
Mar. 1
(Note: Dates for the pre-convention issue may vary.)
May-June
August-September
November-December
June 1
Sept. 1
Dec. 1
Printing Date
Mar. 15
June 15
Sept. 15
Dec. 15
CLASSIFIED ADS: Classified ads are divided into two categories - member and nonmember.
Each member is allowed 5 lines, 25 characters per line, plus name & phone number. If you’d
like to put your address in, please include that within the 5 line, 25 character portion. FREE to
members only. For nonmembers the charge is 50 cents a word, including the words, “For Sale”
and name, address and phone number. Initials and numbers count as words. All ad copy must
be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication. See ad elsewhere in this magazine.
POSTMASTER: Send Form 3579 to Clyde Nelson, NDABA, 1507 19th St. NW, Turtle Lake,
ND 58575-9492. Send front cover with address only.
1
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PARTS
EXPRESS
Luther Brookdale Honda
Brooklyn Center, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763-561-2222
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-899-8900
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-569-6169
Luther Hopkins Honda
Hopkins, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952-908-8585
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-328-6016
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .952-908-8581
Luther Mankato Honda
Mankato, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507-386-7800
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-733-8059
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .507-386-7801
Luther Toyota City
Brooklyn Park, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763-566-0313
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-328-2486
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-560-0343
RudyLuther Toyota Scion
Golden Valley, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763-222-2170
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-742-5690
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-222-2171
Luther Kia
Inver Grove Heights, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651-453-9296
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-377-4125
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .651-457-5009
Luther Park Place Motors Cars & Kia
Rochester, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507-535-3225
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-745-1358
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .507-424-0195
Luther Bloomington Kia
Bloomington, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952-346-1170
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .952-567-7232
Luther Nissan
Inver Grove Heights, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651-453-9296
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-377-4125
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .651-457-5009
Luther Brookdale Mitsubishi
Brooklyn Center, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763-503-4695
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-877-566-7171
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-503-4764
Luther Bloomington Mitsubishi
Bloomington, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952-346-1170
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .952-567-7232
Your Total
Source For
Wholesale
Parts
Luther Bloomington Hyundai
Bloomington, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952-346-1170
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .952-567-7232
Luther Brookdale Mazda
Brooklyn Center, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763-503-4695
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-877-466-7171
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-503-4764
Luther North Country Ford-Lincoln-Mercury
Coon Rapids, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763-259-2282
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-877-417-4203
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-767-7266
Luther Family Ford
Fargo, ND
Direct Mechanical . . . . . . 701-277-4121
Direct Collision . . . . . . . . 701-277-1861
Toll-Free Mechanical . . .1-800-253-8712
Toll-Free Collision . . . . .1-800-274-2639
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .701-277-4037
Luther Infiniti of Bloomington
Bloomington, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952-885-7050
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-888-857-2787
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .952-885-7051
Luther Bloomington Acura Subaru
Bloomington, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952-887-0600
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-451-5078
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .952-881-1787
Luther White Bear Acura Subaru
White Bear Lake, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651-481-3180
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-852-3992
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .651-486-2775
Luther White Bear Isuzu
White Bear Lake, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651-481-3180
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-852-3992
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .651-486-2775
Jaguar Land Rover Lotus of Minneapolis
Golden Valley, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763-222-2290
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-328-8436
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-222-2281
Luther Park Place Motor Cars
Rochester, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507-535-3225
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-745-1358
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .507-424-0195
Luther Brookdale Chevrolet Buick
Pontiac GMC
Brooklyn Park, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763-222-1860
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-727-0427
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-222-1861
Luther Family Buick Pontiac GMC
Fargo, ND
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 701-356-7160
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-347-0074
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .701-356-7161
Luther Family Chevrolet
Duluth, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218-723-6844
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-551-8638
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218-723-6873
Luther Hudson Chevrolet Pontiac GMC
Hudson, WI
Direct (WI) . . . . . . . . . . . . 715-386-2341
Direct (MN). . . . . . . . . . . . 651-436-5231
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-221-3711
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .715-377-4955
Luther John Hirsch’s Cambridge Motors
Cambridge, MN
Toll Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-247-1168
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-689-4650
Luther Burnsville Volkswagen
Burnsville, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952-895-4371
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-328-2842
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .952-895-4374
Luther Brookdale Chrysler Jeep Dodge
Brooklyn Center, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763-536-7644
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-442-3004
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-536-2292
Luther Westside Volkswagen
St. Louis Park, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952-374-0700
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-888-464-5426
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .952-374-0705
Luther Hudson Chrysler Dodge Jeep
Hudson, WI
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715-377-5396
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-236-1333
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .715-377-5394
Luther Park Place Motor Cars
Rochester, MN
Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507-535-3225
Toll-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-745-1358
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .507-424-0195
Luther John Hirsch’s Cambridge Motors
Cambridge, MN
Toll Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-247-1168
Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763-689-4650
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
I would like to start by thanking Verla Rostad for taking
the treasurers position and Lana Ose for taking over as
secretary. These are two very important positions and we
are very fortunate to have these two very qualified people
to volunteer. Thank you!
As far as the director shortage in certain areas I think we
need several “directors at large” to represent the entire state.
I’m thinking that if we can’t get people to attend meetings,
it is not surprising that we can’t get people to fill positions.
We sent out a “feeler” to see if members were still
interested in having the management seminar (the one that
was flooded out last March in Fargo) on Saturday, March 20,
2010 after the Convention which is March 18 and 19, 2010.
So far we have had very poor response. I really thought we
had put together something that was beneficial to the needs
of our business and was surprised at the poor response. If
we don’t have some interest shown, we will probably lose
this seminar. PPG will not speak to an empty room.
The membership needs to take a day or part of a day and
Code of
Ethics
1.To promote good will between
the motorist and members of the
Association.
2.To have a sense of personal obligation
to each individual customer.
3.To perform high quality repairs at a
fair and just price.
4.To employ the most skilled mechanics
obtainable.
5.To use only proven merchandise of
high quality sold by reputable firms.
6.To itemize all parts and adjustments in
the price charges for services rendered.
7.To retain all replaced parts for the
customer’s inspection.
8.To uphold the high standards of
our profession, always seeking to
correct any and all abuses within the
automotive service industry.
9.To uphold the integrity of all members
of the North Dakota Auto Body
Association.
decide what it wants out of the
Association. If we only want it
for the crisis times with insurance
or a legislative issue, it won’t be
there when it is needed. We can
learn more from each other by
getting together every quarter
and discussing our businesses’
strengths and weaknesses and how to be better managers.
We are very close to losing our magazine. Clyde Nelson
has done a fantastic job through out the years but is ready to
pass it on to someone else. This could be a way for someone
to learn more about out industry. If anyone is interested,
please call Clyde. He would like to talk to you!
Please take time out of your busy day and attend the next
meeting on January 16, 2010. If we don’t use it, we will
lose it.
Paul Mohagen, Pres.
Some Thoughts
From Your Editor
So, what’s the problem? Are we that naïve that we believe
this industry will be one that can support a man with a family
if we are totally regulated by a third party?
Come on guys get off your duff and get involved! This
industry may not be as lucrative as it was in years past, but do
you think the association hasn’t had an effect for the better?
Get involved with YOUR association.
Here are some starters: attend regular meetings (you will be
listened to, they are not only for the board members), attend
conventions: You will learn something, sometimes all you have
to do is listen, attend seminars, swap ideas and frustrations and
share any area or state news.
Divided we will fall! And, if you think you can’t fall any
further, you are naïve!
Clyde Nelson
Make sure to visit the
NDABA Web Site at
www.ndautobody.com
ATTENTION NDABA MEMBERS!!
We would like to keep our email address list up to
date. Also, if you have an employee who would like
to know about association’s happenings, please
supply us with an email address, so that can
happen. You can contact Clyde @ 701-448-2568 or
ndabnews@westriv.com. Please let us know if you
have an addition or change to our list. THANKS!!
3
4
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Fax (763) 786-1823
Wats 1-800-252-4561
www.friendlychev.com
Email markvogtlin@friendlychev.com
7501 Hwy 65 NE
Fridley, MN 55432
Mark Vogtlin, Parts Manager
Direct (952) 445-3022
Fax Local (952) 445-0340
Fax Nat’l 1-800-621-2264
Wats 1-800-252-5837
Email began@appleautos.com
Direct (952) 908-8585
Fax (952) 908-8581
Direct Wats 1-800-328-6016
Email tim.lewis@hopkinshonda.com
1624 Weston Court
Shakopee, MN 55379
Brad Egan, Parts Manager
LUTHER HOPKINS HONDA
250 Fifth Avenue South
Hopkins, MN 55343
Tim Lewis, Parts Manager
Honda
RUDY LUTHER TOYOTA SCION
Direct (763) 222-2170
Fax (763) 222-2171
Direct Wats 1-800-742-5690
Email tony.thompson@rudyluthertoyota.com
LUTHER INFINITI OF BLOOMINGTON
Direct (952) 885-7050
Fax (952) 885-7051
Direct Wats 1-800-848-4912 ext. 2293
Email www.infiniti-bloomington.com
RUDY LUTHER’S
BURNSVILLE VOLKSWAGEN
Direct (952) 895-4371
Office (952) 894-3500
Fax (952) 895-4374
Direct Wats 1-800-328-2842
Email parts@burnsvillevw.com
LUTHER NISSAN-KIA
Direct (651) 453-9296
Fax (651) 457-5009
Direct Wats 1-800-377-4125
Email mauricio.decaroli@luthernissankia.com
LUTHER BROOKDALE
MAZDA MITSUBISHI
Direct (763) 503-4695
Office (763) 566-5600
Wats (877) 566-7171
Fax (763) 503-4764
Email mark.manthey@lutherauto.com
Toyota
8805 Wayzata Boulevard
Golden Valley, MN 55426
Tony Thompson, Parts Manager
Scion
8030 Humboldt Avenue South
Bloomington, MN 55431
Karen Breitbarth, Parts Manager
Infiniti
Volkswagen
12020 Highway 35W South
Burnsville, MN 55337
Erich Wunderlich, Parts Manager
Nissan
1470 50th Street East
Inver Grove, MN 55077
Mauricio Decaroli, Parts Manager
Kia
Mazda
Mitsubishi
7235 Brooklyn Boulevard
Brooklyn Center, MN 55429
Mark Manthey, Parts Manager
Acura
BLOOMINGTON ACURA/SUBARU
7801 Lyndale Avenue South
Bloomington, MN 55420
Larry Bastien, Parts Manager
Subaru
Phone (952) 346-1170
Fax (952) 567-7232
Parts Dept. Email lutherhyundaimitsubishi.com
Parts Mgr. Email jason.gemmell@lutherauto.com
JAGUAR LANDROVER MINNEAPOLIS
Jaguar Direct (763) 222-2280
Land Rover Direct (763) 222-2290
Fax (763) 222-2281
Nat’l 1-800-328-8436
Email mike.prok@downtownjaguar.com
1750 American Blvd. West
Bloomington, MN 55431
Jason Gemmell, Parts Manager
8905 Wayzata Blvd. • Golden Valley, MN 55426
Michael Prok, Parts Manager
MAPLEWOOD IMPORTS
Porsche
2780 N Highway 61
Maplewood, MN 55109
Howard Kokaisel, Parts Manager
MAPLEWOOD AUDI
Audi
Mercedes-Benz
2450 Maplewood Drive
Maplewood, MN 55109
Eric Prosser, Parts Manager
SEARS IMPORTED AUTOS
13500 Wayzata Boulevard
Minnetonka, MN 55305
BMW
Reid Willemsen, MB Parts Manager
Wayne Lais, BMWParts Manager
LYNN CERMAK, Sales Representative
Office (763) 241-8640 • Mobile (612) 309-2000
Email cermaklynn@aol.com
Rev. 5/09
Direct (952) 887-0600
Fax (952) 881-1787
Wats (800) 451-5078
Email parts@bloomingtonacurasubaru.com
LUTHER BLOOMINGTON HYUNDAI
Hyundai
Jaguar
Land Rover
Lotus
www.OEConnection.com/CL
Supporting
Members of:
Direct (651) 766-2333
Fax (651) 766-2337
Toll Free 1-866-695-9777
Email hkokaisel@maplewoodimports.com
Direct (651) 494-1433
Direct Wats 1-888-249-0285
Fax (651) 494-1437
Email eprosser@maplewoodaudi.com
Office (952) 512-6555
MB Fax (952) 512-6623
Mercedes Wats (866) 821-6014
Office (952) 512-6564
BMW Wats (866) 821-6013
Fax (952) 512-6589
Email reid.willemsen@searsimports.com
Email waynel@searsimports.com
Chippewa Valley
Auto Body Association
5
Congratulations
Larry Graf
on your
retirement!!!
Enjoy!!
Lana Ose
NDABA Secretary
Verla Rostad
NDABA Treasurer
President Paul Mohagen
appointed Lana Ose as
secretary for the North
Dakota Auto Body
Association. Lana is the
wife of Thomas Ose and
they are the owners of the
Lisbon Body Shop. She has
been the bookkeeper since
1984.
Tom and Lana have a son,
Todd, who is employed at
the Lisbon Body Shop since
1987. Todd and his wife, Mary Jo, are the parents of
three adult sons and a daughter. Stacey and husband,
Fred Haecherl, live in Fargo with their two daughters.
Stacey is manager of Maurices. Tracey and husband,
Bill Lyons farm near Lisbon and have two daughters.
Tracey is a math teacher at Lisbon High School.
For the past five years, Lana has been employed at
Casual Living Furniture Store on a part-time basis.
Prior to that she worked for Sitz Furniture for 24
years. She has also provided daycare for several of the
grandchildren for almost twenty-one years. Lana is a
member of Trinity Lutheran Church where she serves
on the property committee of the ELCW, is a member
of Mary Circle and has taught Sunday School and Bible
School. She enjoys traveling, golfing, grandchildren,
reading and knitting in her spare time.
President Paul Mohagen has appointed
Verla Rostad to serve the North Dakota
Auto Body Association as its treasurer
following the resignation of Larry
Graf. Verla is the wife of Jim Rostad
and has worked as the office manager
and financial officer at Minot’s Finest
Collision Center since its opening in
1990.
Before joining Minot’s Finest Collision
Center, Verla was a high school math
teacher for 13 years. Verla is active at
Christ Lutheran Church in Minot where
she has served on several boards and committees, taught Sunday
School and other classes and is currently the vice president of the
congregation. She also serves with the American Red Cross by
being on call weekends and evenings one week a month with the
Service to Armed Forces, which links members of the US Armed
Forces to their families during a crisis. In 2005 Verla deployed
to Louisiana to work in a Red Cross shelter following Hurricane
Katrina, and in 2008 she worked at a shelter in Waco, TX during
Hurricane Ike. Verla’s volunteerism also includes the Scandinavian
Heritage Association in Minot where she serves on the board of
directors, acts as the tour coordinator for group tours and is a park
greeter at the Scandinavian Heritage Park during the summer tours
season. In addition to work and her volunteerism, Verla enjoys
travel, yard work and reading as time allows.
Jim and Verla have two adult children and three grandchildren.
Their daughter, Jackie, is an intern pastor in Marshall, MN as part
of her seminary training at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Their son,
Andy, his wife Alecia and their three children live in Arcata, CA
where Andy works in the bakery at a food co-op.
6
Don’t Quit!
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won, had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.
Meeting Minutes
October 3rd, 2009 – Chieftan, Carrington
The October 3rd, 2009 meeting of the NDABA was held
at the Chieftan in Carrington. Members present were Paul
Mohagen, Miles Doll, Ed Barnhardt, Clarence Meidinger,
Kent Meidinger, Tom and Lana Ose.
The secretary and treasures reports were read and approved,
Reports from districts: business was up and down but some
shops were busy and had a good summer. Paul Mohagen sold
his shop September 1st. He plans to stay on as President until
the April convention.
Old business: filling the secretary and treasures positions.
Ed Barnhardt made a motion for Lana Ose to do the secretarial
position until convention, seconded by Miles Doll. Motion
passed.
Larry Graf wants to step down from the treasures position.
Miles Doll volunteered to help Larry until April to learn the
job with the possiblity of taking the position in April.
Discussion on gettting a second name on the checking
account so another person would be able to write checks in
case of illness, etc.
There are 5 to 6 districts open and no one is stepping up
to take these positions. President Paul Mohagen brought up
that we may need to make some changes with districting.
Discussion followed. Would by laws need to be changed? It
was decided to table until convention when more people would
be in attendance. Miles and Ed will check on the by laws.
Paul will speak with Scott Heintzman to set aside more time
for the board to meet during the convention. As members of the
NDABA, what direction do you want your organization to go?
A delicious soup and sandwich luncheon was served by
the Chieftan.
The organization is also in need of someone to take over
the ND News and Report magazine as Clyde is ready to retire.
Scott Heintzman is in the process of lining up speakers
for the convention. Some possibilities are Adam Hamm, Job
Service, estimating seminar, or speakers that would deal with
the day to day problems of the shop.
Fargo Bumper has turned over the NDABA display materials
to Scott Heintzman. Tom Ose has also given the totes that he
had for the retreat to him.
The web site is set up; now it is up to the shops to utilize it.
Larry Graf had a bill of $150 from Bitz Communications for
web site fees. Tom Ose made a motion that we pay the bill,
seconded by Clarence Meidinger. Motion carried. Paul will
visit with Jerry about updating the site before the next meeting.
Ed Barnhardt is still working on setting up the seminar,
“Business in the 21st Century” that was to be put on by PPG.
He is finding it difficult to get a date set but will keep working
on it. Cost is $180 per person.
Larry Graf sent a tally sheet on the retreat. Income was
$4595, expenses were $4559.52. Tom talked about the retreat.
Next meeting is January 9th, 2010 at the Chieftan in
Carrington. If something comes up before then Paul will set
up a conference call.
Lana Ose, acting secretary
PS: President Paul e-mailed that on October 5th, 2009 he
appointed Verla Rostad treasurer of the organization to fill the
position after Larry Graf June 13th, 2009.
NEXT MEETING
Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, 11 am
Chieftain, Carrington
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Win Fans for Life
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By giving customers the ultimate service experience and treating them with
gratitude, empathy and respect, you can earn their lifelong loyalty and
increase your sales more than you ever thought possible.
By Bill Garoutte (Published in the October 2009 issue of BodyShop Business.)
Remember a time when you pulled into the service station
and the charming gentleman walked right up to your window
and said, “Fill ’er up?”
Many of us in the collision repair industry are old enough
to remember such a time, but relay this story to the younger
generation and they might think you were putting them on!
This service philosophy was accepted as the way it was
supposed to be, and customers enjoyed every minute of it. They
expected that service, and the station owners demanded it of
their pump jockeys because they knew exceptional customer
service was what set them apart from their competitors and
drove their sales. After all, the service station business has
always been one of the more commodity-driven businesses out
there, so treating customers like royalty was one of the only
things stations could do to stand out from the crowd.
Fans for Life
Collision repair facility owners are not unlike those service
station operators of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. You operate in
a commodity-driven environment and try to set yourselves
apart from your competitors through your numerous DRP
relationships (or lack of DRP relationships). But beyond that,
it seems that individual shops still aren’t quite sure how to be
different. Also similar to the service station business of 30 years
ago, the key to filling up our service bays and cash registers is
right in front of us – great customer service.
We need to welcome customers into our collision centers,
show them we appreciate the opportunity to earn their business,
do an exceptional job at repairing their vehicles and make them
FFLs (Fans for Life).
Greeting at the Door
The good service station operators of old hired the pump
jockeys based on their appearance, ability to communicate and
ability to develop a relationship with their customers. I should
know – I was one of those pump jockeys! They trained us to
take care of their customers from the minute those customers
drove on their lots to the minute they drove off them. They
also taught us that the margins in the gasoline business weren’t
on the gas but on our ability to upsell customers on additional
products and services. We said the fuel purchase was the “green
fee” for us to earn customers’ long-term business and allowed
us to work on the upsell to make our profits better than the
competition’s.
These service station operators kept an eye on their business
opportunities from the glass office in front of the stations. They
made it a point to have us at the driver’s side window before the
customers had the chance to turn their engines off or open their
doors. It’s pretty hard to believe we greeted customers at their
cars instead of waiting for them to walk in the door, isn’t it?
We can take many lessons from the service station industry
that has devolved to nothing more than simple clerk positions
at the counter. The collision industry is not there now but could
be headed that way if it keeps treating customers like they do
at the corner gas/convenience store. Our customers have to
come in and engage us to understand or feel the culture of
our business. Their perception of that culture starts when they
approach our storefront or, more importantly, when they talk
with us on the phone before they arrive.
Research
Our company embarked on some pretty intricate primary
consumer research about a year ago to understand the
dynamics, psyche and habits of collision repair customers.
Some of the things we learned are:
• The greatest source of customers showing up at the doors
of quality collision centers is “word of mouth” by family,
friends or co-workers – not advertising or claims center
representatives. The referral was more times than not an
affirmation of how well they were treated and communicated
with, and how convenient the process was for their already
overburdened life schedules. It was not about the quality of
repairs, as the average consumer can’t tell an excellent repair
from an okay repair. The decision to come to a shop was based
on that referral and, when they pulled up in front of the store,
they had at least a predisposed belief that the shop would
repair their vehicle.
• Customers are not just at shops to get estimates. The
typical greeting a customer gets when he or she walks into a
shop today is, “Guess you’re here for an estimate.” But what
really needs to be said is, “How can I repair your car today?”
• Approximately 60 percent of our customers (at least
the ones who first bring in the vehicles) are women. But
their expectations are rarely met at a typical shop, as most
shops haven’t geared their thinking to address the needs and
expectations of female customers. We also found that if we
can meet female customers’ needs and expectations, we’ll far
and away exceed those of male customers. The information
led us to the conclusion that a good or bad experience by a
female customer will result in 10 times more word of mouth
discussion than that of a male customer.
One Hundred Grand
Many collision repair facilities track their closing ratios
based on cars to the door. But one of the things we’ve
discovered is that the closing ratio between the phone and the
door, not cars to the door, is as important a number as any other
you’ll track. As a result, our organization is currently running
campaigns with built-in intelligence that help us understand
the relationship between our front office staff and customers.
We’re all looking for more cars to the door but lose sight
of the fact that we can increase that number, even if only by
one car a week, by the way we initially handle a customer on
the phone. One car a week at $2,000 each is an incremental
$100,000 per year. Is that worth knowing you’re handling the
customer right the first time you have the chance?
But that’s not all. We’ve also determined that each individual
customer we serve has the ability to drive $100,000 worth of
work to our store over his or her lifetime...not just the $2,000
job we’re working on for him or her right now. We need to keep
this fact in the forefront of our approach to customer service.
The investment in delivering excellent customer service is
minimal, but pays incredible long-term dividends.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Our organization believes that every single customer who
calls and hopefully arrives on our lots should be treated with
gratitude, empathy and respect – respect for the disruption to
his or her life, respect for his or her investment in the vehicle,
and respect for the need to make the process of getting his or
her life back on track as easy and uneventful as possible. We
should deliver no surprises and have a goal of earning them
as a FFL.
I enjoyed every day I worked at the station as I do now
spending time in our stores. My best days consist of getting
to know our stores’ customers and helping them work through
the process of having their cars repaired. We should all keep
the image of the service station “pump jockey” in mind as we
interact with customers every day, whether on the phone, in
our parking lots or in our stores. If we can “fill ’er up” with
a smile, we have the opportunity to build our business for
years to come.
Bill Garoutte is assistant vice president of marketing for
CARSTAR in Overland, Kansas. Prior to joining CARSTAR,
Garoutte founded Elite Dent Alliance (EDA), a global hail
catastrophe company that provides paintless dent repair services
to the collision industry. He is currently serving his second term as
chairman of the Missouri/Kansas Chapter of the Society of Collision
Repair Specialists (SCRS-MOKAN) and is also the co-chair of the
Marketing Committee and co-creator of the Repairer Advisory
Panel for Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association
(CIECA). He was also elected to the National Board of Directors
of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and chairs
its Marketing Committee. He was recently elected to the Board of
Directors of the National Auto Body Council (NABC) and chairs
its Marketing Committee, while serving on the Ethics Committee
of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC). He can be reached at
(913) 451-1294 or bill_garoutte@carstar.com.
Published in the October 2009 issue of BodyShop Business.
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www.rydellcars.com
staff has over 200 years of parts experience.
parts department will ship parts to your door via our own truck (where
avail able), SPEEDEE, Cross Country, Common Courier, UPS, or mail;
whichever you prefer.
parts department offers competitive prices and a “No-Hassle” return policy.
inventory of Powertrain and Collision parts is the largest in North Dakota.
At
your satisfaction is
#1 goal.
Grand Forks, ND
Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-800-354-7278
Parts Direct Local: 1-701-746-0412
Fax: 1-701-772-3377
Honda-Nissan: 1-800-344-1022
Northwest ND Career
and Technical Center
certified as an I-CAR
Welding Qualification
Series test site
The Northwest North Dakota Career and Technical
Center at Minot High School’s Magic City Campus has
been a certified as an I-CAR Welding Qualification Series
test site. I-CAR’s Welding Qualification Series includes
comprehensive welding training with a day-long event that
includes classroom theory, hands-on training on facility
equipment, and is capped with the industry-recognized
Welding Qualification Test. Minot High School instructors
Dennis Ness and Ray Helseth are now both certified to
conduct Steel Welding Qualification classes at the Technical
Center. On site classes are available at shops that meet the
requirements of I-CAR.
The Northwest North Dakota Career and Technical Center,
a $4.2 million addition to the northeast corner of Magic City
Campus, opened in the Fall of 2006. The 41,500 square foot,
state-of-the-art learning environment is designed to meet the
regional workforce needs of Northwest North Dakota and is
designed to deliver trades and technical curriculum for high
school students, business professionals, industry technicians,
post-secondary education students and community members.
During the planning of the center, I-CAR officials were
consulted so the facility’s welding lab would meet their test
site requirements.
For more information, contact I-CAR or Jim Rostad at
701-839-0989.
ATTENTION
NDABA
MEMBERS!!
We would like to keep
our email address list
up to date. Also, if you
have an employee who
would like to know about
association’s happenings,
please supply us with an
email address, so that can
happen. You can contact
Clyde @ 701-448-2568 or
ndabnews@westriv.com.
Please let us know if you
have an addition or change
to our list. THANKS!!
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our
advertisers.
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we will not
have a
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2601 S. Shirley Ave.
605.362.6950
1.800.582.5235
Jackson
an LKQ Company
3215 Main Ave.
701.232.4715
1.888.831.7145
103 N. Maple
605.342.8839
1.866.544.3403