10.18.21 – When Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) Collision Chairman Dennis Cataldo, Jr. discovered that the repair time for a new procedure seemed too low, he knew exactly what route to take – Cataldo immediately filed an inquiry with the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG), which worked with CCC to evaluate Cataldo’s concern. As a result of these efforts, CCC’s database will be updated next month to reflect more accurate repair times.
The venture began when Cataldo watched a video from I-CAR’s Repairers Realm on Honda Laser Brazed Roof Replacement, featuring Honda’s Scott Kaboos as he discussed a new repair procedure that is applicable to Honda Accords, beginning with model year 2018, to accommodate the laser brazed roof seam.
“It seemed like a lot of work, so out of curiosity, I checked my estimating system,” Cataldo recalled. “CCC listed the repair at 19.5 hours, but that didn’t sound right. This process requires cutting the roof off, which is a pretty labor-intensive way to remove it, and since shops can’t replicate how the factory installed the original roof, we have to separately order additional parts before installing the new roof.
“The procedures for the previous body style, requiring a simpler installation process, was listed at 20.5 hours,” Cataldo continued. “The new process involved way more work than on the previous model, yet the listed repair time was less. It just didn’t make sense, so I filed an inquiry with the DEG, providing links to Honda’s repair procedures and to I-CAR’s video.”
Within just three days, the DEG resolved Cataldo’s inquiry, indicating that CCC’s next update will include an increase on the labor hours required for the roof replacement, and the information provider’s (IP) update will also clarify, “Time does not include R&I/R&R quarter glass.” The time applied for the roof panel without a sunroof will be updated from 19.5 hours to 25 hours; for this procedure performed on vehicles with a sunroof, the original 21 hours will increase to 26.5 hours.
Although a 72-hour response seems pretty timely, DEG Administrator Danny Gredinberg says the average resolution time is 24 to 48 hours. The complexity of this inquiry added an additional day to the average turnaround time. The DEG also has a change rate of approximately 50 percent when sufficient information is provided with an inquiry.
“Inquiries are submitted by our end users: Shops and adjusters,” Gredinberg explained. “Once it’s submitted, the DEG validates it and performs additional research to strengthen the inquiry if necessary. Then, we submit the inquiry to the IP which conducts their own evaluation and responds with an estimate for when the update will be made, or if they inform us that there’s no change, we investigate the reasons for that and work with the OEMs for clarification when needed.”
Cataldo was pleased with the resolution to his inquiry and sees it as an example of the importance of looking up repair procedures.
“Through the DEG, an additional 5.5 hours were added for this process, making the repair time more realistic, but it certainly makes me question what other procedures are out there that we aren’t being properly compensated for. Kudos to I-CAR for releasing the video. Procedures change constantly, and if things don’t look right, repairers need to file an inquiry with the DEG. They’re on our side to help us get properly compensated for the work we perform, and once they update a process, it helps everybody!”
Gredinberg urges repairers to file an inquiry if they notice a repair time or process that seems inaccurate:
“You have an opportunity to make a change on the vehicle you’re currently working on, and with responses often being available within 48 hours, there’s a good chance it will be resolved before your final supplement. But on a grander scale, when something gets fixed, you’re fixing it for the entire industry – it helps every other repairer who works on the same car. In this case, that makes a huge impact because there are lots of people working on Honda Accords. Not all inquiries result in multi-hour updates, but even if it changes by 1/10 of an hour on something that everyone touches, that makes an impact for an entire industry.”
“And the DEG is a free resource, made possible by the AASP and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS),” he added. “It’s free whether you’re a member or not, but resources like the DEG are just one of the many reasons that the industry should be supporting their associations. If you’ve used the DEG and seen an impact, please keep using it. We’re here to be the liaison between the IPs and the end user; let us be your advocate.”
CCC’s quick response was also appreciated, and Cataldo is looking forward to AASP/NJ’s Annual Meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, October 20 at 6:30pm, which will include a featured presentation from CCC Intelligent Solutions’ Neal Bobzin and Craig Stevens. Held at Gran Centurions in Clark, NJ, this meeting is free only to members in good standing; non-members pay $75 per person. To become a member of AASP/NJ, call Executive Director Charles Bryant at (732) 922-8909 or the AASP/NJ Administrative Office at (973) 667-6922.
File an inquiry or learn more about the DEG at degweb.org. For more information on AASP/NJ, visit aaspnj.org.