"So much that happens between insurers and body shops is adversarial in nature," says Pete Fryzel, a field inspector for State Farm. "We are reaching out to those who have been our partners to help facilitate training for their employees."
While State Farm wants to promote training for its Select Service shops, all I-CAR training classes are open to any auto body shop employee who wants to participate.
"State Farm has always been very supportive of I-CAR training courses around the country," says Dave Coffey, I-CAR eastern zone manger. "Many people on their staff, including Pete, are volunteer trainers. I've known Pete a long time and when his manager, Vince Castaldo, came up with this idea to promote training it was right in line with our vision, which is that everybody in the collision industry has the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve a complete, safe repair."
For State Farm the project involves working with 110 Select Service shops in New Jersey, Fryzel said. "Most of them are interested, and have said 'this is a great opportunity for us,' but about 10 percent are not."
Fryzel described the company's role as being a facilitator for the training by handling administrative details.
"We are trying to encourage them to take the training by offering it at the best available rate and a convenient location," he says. "We know our partner shops have a need for training, but sometimes it's difficult to get shops to participate. They are so involved with their customers, vendors, parts, paperwork and the administrative part of running a business, that they don't have much time to work on training."
State Farm and I-CAR hope to reverse that by offering training at convenient locations and at the bulk, discounted price.
"We put together anchor class locations at hosting collision facilities, State Farm offices and other locations we've used around the state," Coffey says. "If some of State Farm's Select Service shops are interested in hosting training, we will work with them on that. We want to help all the shops get the right training at the right location at the right time."
A survey conducted by I-CAR identified the 25 most popular training classes. State Farm solicited feedback from its Select Service shops to find out where and when training would be most convenient.
To help drive down the cost, State Farm purchased in advance at bulk rate 500 prepaid training vouchers, Fryzel said. The company is passing along that reduced price of $80 per credit or class to its Select Service shops. Other shops can purchase credits for $100 each online or $125 at the door.
"We have a bank of coupons that we purchased," Fryzel says. "Select Service repair shops can register students online and we will bill them according to the number of credits they use.
"It is a significant savings compared to registering at the door for $125 or buying the coupon online for $100," he says. "We are doing whatever we can to help these supporting shops get training."
While this program currently is unique to New Jersey, Fryzel said he hopes it is successful enough for State Farm to consider expanding it to other areas. The first training program resulting from the joint effort, a welding training session, was held on a weekend in September at J&E Auto Body in Clark, N.J. There were 11 participants, including nine from State Farm participating shops, Fryzel said.
Shops that are interested in taking advantage of this training opportunity can check the schedule on the I-CAR Web site, www.i-car.com, and conduct a search by ZIP code.
"Classes will be offered over the next eight to nine months," Coffey says. "There are enough options for shops to get training to obtain Gold Class status."
The state of New Jersey licenses collision repair shops, and part of the state requirement is to take a certain amount of training.
"Most shops would say price is the biggest obstacle to conduct training," Coffey says. "But it is really about time and convenience. If it is convenient for them and the right content is offered at the right time, they will take the training."
