Severe storms are pummeling the Midwest this week. While news and weather sources may encourage drivers to stay off the road, drivers unexpectedly caught in these storms may have no choice but continue to drive. Central Collision Center has prepared our tips for safely navigating these potentially dangerous situations.
Before the storm:
Check the condition of your windshield wipers and tires
Replace immediately if either are worn
During the storm:
Increase distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you
Treat traffic lights as stop signs in anticipation of other drivers losing control of their vehicles
Turn headlights - not brights - on
Reduce speed to prevent hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is a major cause of accidents during severe weather. Three factors can cause hydroplaning:
High speeds, which reduce traction
Worn tires, which are less likely to resist hydroplaning
Water depth, which reduces traction
Water on roadways can create dangerous driving situations. According to The Weather Channel, six inches of water will reach the bottom of most cars and one foot of water will float most vehicles. Be cautious driving when any amount of water is present on a roadway, but turn your vehicle around if you have to pass through more than a few inches.
Central Collision Center urges drivers to be cautious driving during these stormy, summer months. If you have concerns about the safety of your vehicle before the storms hit, please call one of our six locations.
Now in its 11th year, the
annual Premier Achiever Awards honor auto body shops that consistently achieve
extremely high customer satisfaction scores as measured by AutocheX either
independently or as part of an insurance-sponsored repair program. In 2012,
participating insurance programs included seven of the top 25 carriers in North
America.
“For the 11th year
in a row, we are delighted to sponsor the Premier Achiever Awards and to
recognize the tremendous accomplishments of Central Collision and all the 2012
winners,” said Jim O’Leary, Vice President of Mitchell Repair Solutions. “The
high satisfaction scores of these elite collision repair facilities in North
America clearly demonstrate their ongoing commitment to their customers, and
set the bar very high for customer experience management in our industry.”
In an industry of nearly 50,000 shops in
North America, Central Collision is one of
only 400 Premier Achiever Award winners in 2012 — placing the shop in highly
exclusive company.
“Receiving this honor reflects our
company’s core values of outstanding customer service and repair quality above
all else,” said Michael A. Caruso, facility manager of Central Collision Center
of Oak Forest. “We are proud to be considered among the elite in this category
and we will continue to improve our processes in order to remain an industry
leader.”
AutocheX, Mitchell International’s
customer experience management group, is a leading provider of customer
satisfaction measurement and customer experience management solutions to the
collision repair industry. AutocheX and the participating insurance companies present
the Premier Achiever Awards each year as a way of honoring collision repair
facilities that have proven their devotion to quality, service, and customer
satisfaction.
Caruso managed and worked out of the Peotone location.
When Mike Caruso returned from U.S. Military service on a
Friday night, he expected to start school shortly after to become a dentist. Little did
he know a phone call from a family friend asking for temporary help would change everything.
After working in his friend's shop for three years, Caruso learned about a body shop in
Peotone going out of business when the owners contacted him to purchase
equipment. When he drove to the shop on a Saturday morning, Caruso had a strong
feeling that's where he belonged.
At just 23 years old, Caruso and his wife,
Nancy, bought the Peotone shop for $40,000. "It might as well
have been $40 million," Caruso said. "I didn't have 40 cents to my name then."
The couple closed on the property on May 12, 1981. A few weeks later, a hailstorm hit, damaging nearly every car in Will County. Thirty-two years later, Mike and Nancy Caruso have created a
successful, family owned and operated six-shopcollision repair business.
We sat down with Central Collision Center President and Owner Mike Caruso to learn
how he created a successful business at such a young age. Here are his top 5
tips for small business owners:
Be honest and loyal to your employees, customers, business
partners and yourself
Caruso addresses employees at the company's annual Christmas party.
My favorite part of what I do is spending time with our
employees, most of which have been with us long enough I consider them my
extended family. Having an open relationship with the people you work with –
whether its employees, customers, vendors, etc. – makes work enjoyable. I want
our employees to be proud to work at Central Collision, and that can’t happen
unless I’m honest with them.
Deliver a product better than your competitors
We will continue to invest in continuing education and
training for our employees to make sure we are delivering the highest quality
product and service. If you’re not providing a quality service, you’re setting
yourself up for failure. I stand behind our technicians’ work 110% because I
know the type of quality they produce on every vehicle.
Always work to improve your process
Our team meets regularly to discuss ways to improve. Between
monthly planning, management, CSR and manager meetings and daily production
meetings, we are constantly troubleshooting ways to be more efficient. You
can never sit back and say “things are going great.” There is always room for improvement.
Be open to change
Mike and Nancy Caruso matched all employee donations at the company's annual food drive benefitting Alicia's House Food Pantry.
One challenge we face is staying up to date with changes
from auto manufacturers, insurance companies and general regulations. But we work extremely hard to make
sure we are on top of the changes and execute procedures properly. Embracing
these changes instead of fighting them has been one of our biggest keys to
success.
Give back to the communities that support you
Without the local communities’ support, Central Collision
would not have made it 32 years. I can’t thank everyone enough who has supported our
business. We will always give back to our communities because of what
they have done for us. Even as Central continues to grow to serve our expanding
customer base and insurance partners, we will never be too big that we can’t
service each individual customer properly.
From the entire Central Collision Center team and the Caruso family, thank you for your continued support. We could not have made it 32 years without you!
From left: Michael, Marissa, Mike, Nancy and Matt Caruso
Exceptional customer service is going above and
beyond for a customer, which we call “WOW-ing” the customer at Central Collision Center. We know your vehicle is an investment and leaving it with
someone takes trust. Earning that trust through exceptional service is how our team maintains our customers.
My job as the customer service representative (CSR) manager is to ensure that each
Central team member provides exceptional customer service to every customer who
visits or contacts any one of our six facilities. I do this through:
In-depth customer service
training
Weekly visits to each of our six
locations
Monthly group meetings with our
customer service representatives and office managers
Each month, our CSRs and office managers have a morning meeting to discuss best practices and troubleshoot. April's meeting included SOP review, time card calculation and a dress for success seminar.
The
first step in encouraging exceptional customer service is training. Generally,
a collision repair facility is not somewhere a person wants to visit, which
makes customer service that much more important. It is our job to turn around a
customer immediately after having damage to his/her car and assure him/her that
everything is going to be ok. I do this by training our team on EEE – energy,
effort and enthusiasm -- along with honesty and sincerity. Exceeding a customer’s
expectations can be as simple as providing prompt solutions or answering with a
caring voice in their time of need.
I
follow-up on this training by making frequent visits to each of our six
locations, normally visiting at least two locations a day. Each Central
Collision location’s goal is to leave its customers pleased and satisfied with
where they have chosen to have repairs done. During my visits, I answer any
staff questions and help them troubleshoot any potential problems.
Our process map breaks down each team member's responsibility through the customer service process.
We
hold CSR meetings monthly to discuss great customer experiences and new ways to
help each and every person that walks through our doors. Each customer service
representative and office manager attends this meeting, which serves as a place
for us to share best practices. Throughout the month, I gather any questions or
concerns our staff may have and then provide answers to the group. We also
revisit our LEAN process map at every meeting to ensure we are serving our
customers in the most efficient way possible.
The
testimonials, online reviews and thank you cards we receive from our customers
make providing exceptional customer service extremely worthwhile and rewarding. Just yesterday, we were recognized as an 2012 Autochex Premier Achiever for Customer Service. As a premier achiever, Central Collision is one of the companies that rated highest in consistently delivering outstanding customer service.
In a fight
against veteran unemployment, Central Collision Center has become a supporting
member of Hire Our Heroes, a campaign
designed to help veterans and their families find meaningful employment.
Central
Collision is participating in this nationwide campaign through 3M Collision
Repair Solutions’ Automotive Aftermarket Division, who will donate funds to the
Collision Repair Education Foundation and Operation Comfort based on sales of
popular 3M products. Central Collision’s purchase of these products will help
veterans pursue careers in the collision repair industry.
Funds donated to
the Collision Repair Education Foundation will provide grants and scholarships
to help cover tuition, classroom materials, tools and equipment for returning
veterans. Donations to Operation Comfort will support rehabilitation for
wounded veterans through a unique automotive skill-based rehabilitation
program.
“I know
first-hand how hard it is to return from service and start a career,” said Mike
Caruso, owner of Central Collision and U.S. Military veteran. “I’m grateful 3M
has created this opportunity for our industry to help.”
For more
information about Central Collision’s participation in Hire Our Heroes, visit the company’s Facebook page
or www.3mcollision.com.
Central Collision Center, located at 18040 Oak Park Avenue, will celebrate the company’s one-year anniversary in the
Tinley Park community on Friday, April 12.
Since opening
last April, the company earned an average customer satisfaction score of 95.40
percent.
What are Tinley Park customers saying about Central Collision?
"Very pleased with the work they did and the good job they did" - Matt S.
"It was a really nice place and they do great work. Very professional" - Lonzetta H.
"They were very professional. They were on time and called when they said they would call. Professional job" - Joe T.
"The new owner is handling things the same or better" - John B.
“We have had a
great experience on Oak Park Avenue this past year and are proud to be a part
of this community,” said Mike Caruso, president and owner of Central Collision.
“Now we’re looking forward to updating our facility and property to better represent
our company in Downtown Tinley.”
Central Collision Center of Tinley Park will begin updating its property, including landscape design, building design and signage, this week.
For more
information about Central Collision Center of Tinley Park, call 708-614-9000 or visit our website.
Growing up in and around the collision industry allowed me
to observe a common disconnect between public perception of “body shops” and
the way we choose to run our company. The common misconception is that shops
are dirty, drab dungeons with one man running the office, doing the work, and getting
in your wallet. Today - at least atCentral Collision - things are much
different.
Customer Service
Accidents are not fun for anybody. Our staff at Central is
trained to efficiently process repair needs, including towing and rental, all
while forming apersonal relationshipwith each customer. Every customer is different and every
customer is important. We know our service is just as important as our finished
product, which is why we tailor the experience to fit each individual
customer’s needs. Do you want photos emailed to you
everyday?No problem. Would you like to receive updates
via text? We can do that.
We also design our facilities for customer comfort. Our
indoor estimating and delivery bays keep customers out of the elements while
our estimators explain the repair process upon arrival and managers review the
work done at the point of delivery.
Technical Training
With new, intricate vehicle technology being introduced by
manufacturers, technicians must stay on the cutting edge. At Central, all
technicians are required to complete training specific to the latest repair
methods authorized by vehicle makers. New federal fuel standards require lighter
and stronger materials to be used to ensure structural integrity. These
materials require specialized tools, such as welders, cutting instruments and
bonding methods, and training to complete safe and perfect repairs. Also,
hybrids and fully electric vehicles present new procedures when disabling and
enabling high voltage systems. Improper methods can result in injury and even
death. The safety of our technicians and customers is of the utmost importance
at Central, which is why we believe in thorough and effective training.
Final Presentation
Every vehicle repaired at Central is delivered perfectly detailed
as if it came off the showroom floor. Each customer is presented with a written
lifetime warranty. We know we are
only as good as our finished product.
That’s why the majority of our business is repeat customers and
referrals. There is no better
feeling than the moment our customer sees their beautifully repaired car for
the first time. It’s what we work for every day.
Being a younger manager in the industry, I am fortunate to
have been spared from the “dungeon days.”
At Central, we strive to provide a first class experience at a first
class facility. Our customer
service and finished product are what make us an industry leader in both
quality and service.
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