The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has been focused on parts quality on both the mechanical and collision sides of the industry throughout the last year. ASA leaders highlighted these moves and other efforts in the association’s annual ASRW press conference Friday morning.
“It’s not so much about crash parts or who’s right or who’s wrong or who’s doing it right or who’s doing it wrong,” says Ron Pyle, ASA president. “Our members have indicated their concern that they cannot clearly identify the difference between a quality part in the marketplace today.”
He recognized that the issues the collision and mechanical sides face are different. However, the underlying fact is, he says, “it is not acceptable for any of our members to have doubts of what they’re installing on a customer’s vehicle. That should be abundantly transparent and it isn’t.”
Both Dan Stander, Collision Division chairman, and NSF International’s Bob Frayer also addressed the topic. NSF this week announced it has certified LKQ Corp. as the first automotive parts distributor under its NSF International Automotive Parts Distributor Certification Program.
“People are starting to realize at the distribution level that certified parts is important to body shops,” Frayer says.
ASA supports NSF’s effort to certify parts, Pyle says.
Parts quality also is important on the mechanical side. Bill Moss, Mechanical Division director, says this has gotten a lot of attention nationally on this side.
“We feel very empowered that our message has been heard that other people have been paying attention to it and we’re getting traction with it,” he says.
In other news from the conference, Stander reports that ASA has been developing processes to help them address concerns with insurance agreements with Farmers Insurance.
“Members are scared of repercussions from insurers if they do not comment on the contract, how that will affect their business, especially in a time where that could affect their work,” Stander says.
ASA recommends that if shops have questions they should contact their local Farmers consultant. If they do not get answers, escalate to the next level above their consultant, and after that if they don’t have an answer, then ASA will help with its high-level contacts.
“ASA was hoping to open the door with Farmers and create a better relationship with Farmers and close the gap so we can create a better relations,” Stander says.
Back on the mechanical side, getting new technicians into the industry is at the forefront of people’s minds. Moss reports that the association is doing what it can to reach them in new media.
“We’re working hard to find ways to reach potential professionals in our field,” Moss says. “And that’s a changing dynamic right now, because the media people use to communicate is changing. We need to make sure we are being relevant in reaching our youth and younger people interested in this career.”
It also means reaching out through more traditional means to the counselors and mentors of these young people. So as the Mechanical Division continues to do this, it also is building its marketing presence.
Moss reports that ASA reached its membership in a variety of ways, including updating education brochures, can cozies as industry events and more.
“A little bit of brand awareness, as we all know, in our business goes a long way,” he says.
Other Mechanical Division updates at the press conference included a successful report on SkillsUSA judging and getting the message out about parts quality.
