By Ellen McKoy
There’s an old adage in the auto trim business—measure twice, cut once. Simply put, do the job right, the first time.
“Quality is what everybody is striving for,” said Mike Gheradi, co-owner of Auto Image, Midland, Mich. “It can be the smallest thing, but comebacks are expensive and the customer sees it as a failure. It’s easier to catch a problem before the car leaves the door.”
This is what inspired SEMA’s Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) to introduce a suite of quality control checklists to help restylers improve their business practices and procedures.
The checklists, proposed by Crush Customs’ Chelsea Allen, cover key aspects of day-to-day operations: a driver sheet for on-site vehicle inspection, a preinstallation vehicle inspection form, plus product inspection forms for sunroof, leather and electronics installations.
“As shop owners and entrepreneurs, one of the hardest things is to work on our business because we’re so busy working in our business,” said Atlanta-based Allen, who noted that standardized procedures help alleviate pitfalls. “Once we started using QC checklists in our shop, I realized how necessary they are.
“If a customer has a bad experience with an aftermarket product, it’s not just a me problem. It’s a we problem that tarnishes our industry. I brought this idea to PRO because it’s about elevating the industry standard to ensure every car we deliver is problem-free.”
Tangible Resources Spur Growth
Steve Davis was intrigued when shop owner Josh Ullrich showed him the checklists. Davis, general manager at Restylers Aftermarket Specialist, with facilities in Fort Walton Beach and Crestview, Fla., saw a way to raise the bar.
“I love the concept, because we didn’t have a dedicated quality control process,” he noted. “We do a vast variety of things, so having these checklists is incredibly valuable.”
A new point-of-sale software system is an added benefit. “We recently switched our POS system to an accessories configurator, which allows us to integrate checklist parameters and document everything in real time. That PRO came up with an industry standard is very cool. Every shop should have a quality control process.”
According to Gheradi, Auto Image had its own QC guidelines, but found room for improvement. “I compared the checklists to make ours more comprehensive and do a better job. Our technicians are highly skilled, but everybody has issues from time to time.
“We’ve hosted PRO installer training at our shop,” he added. “It’s beneficial for our technicians to see what other people are doing. I want them to understand what the industry demands and that these are the procedures that SEMA and PRO recommend. In my opinion they’re invaluable.”
His experience on the PRO Select Committee has not only expanded his outlook, but also given Gheradi a greater appreciation for PRO’s efforts to uplift the restyling industry.
“That’s what we’ve done with the PRO Cup Challenge, the sales certification and updating the PRO Sales Training Manual,” said Gheradi. “We all have different ideas, but we all share the same goals to help restylers be more successful. Whether it’s collaborating on a project or networking throughout the industry, it helps me think outside the box and stay on top of my game. That’s the real value of being involved in PRO.”
“As a shop owner,” added Allen, “being part of PRO has been one of the most beneficial experiences. It’s given me a network I can turn to for advice and tangible resources that we, as restylers, can use to separate ourselves from the competition. The more resources we have and the more value we place on them is the way to grow our businesses successfully.”
The recently updated sales manual includes the QC checklists. The manual is available free to members of PRO and the Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA). To request a pdf, email SEMA Council Director Denise Waddingham, deniselw@sema.org.