Today, we share with you unexpected, unsolicited manna from heaven from one of the most unlikely of sources: a heartfelt (?) endorsement by an Allstate Insurance Claims Adjuster.

Nylund’s Collision Center has never been – nor never will be in any form of “partnership” (DRP or otherwise) with Allstate or any other insurance company. It is well documented that we work only in the best interest of our guests – and our tagline has always been: “If it isn’t perfect – it isn’t leaving”.

So imagine our surprise when one of our guests sent us a copy of this phone call from a local Allstate Claims Adjuster who unexpectedly sings high praise for our work! You just know that HAD to hurt! Take a listen:

Nylunds – Allstate Approval

Note: This 20-second audio has been edited from a much longer phone conversation. Our next post will address Allstate’s response to our guest’s Diminished Value claim… Very interesting indeed!

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We wrote our estimate to replace the now-crumpled bumper with another Lexus manufactured bumper. It is an integral safety component, and for such parts we simply will not compromise. Our guest’s insurance company adjuster came out, and wrote their estimate for a third-party replacement bumper. The difference in price between the original, Lexus-backed bumper and this third-party, non crash-tested bumper: $32.00

We created a supplemental estimate that once again included the original manufacturer’s part, and again our guest’s insurance company denied payment for that, resubmitting only enough money to cover the non OEM bumper. This dance continued until the insurance company dug their feet in the ground and informed us that they would NEVER pay for the original part. It was their opinion that our estimate was an extravagant and unnecessary expenditure of their money.

We took this information back to our guest, explaining that this is a common practice for insurance companies. It’s called cost-shifting, and in the end, the insurance company (who has collected premiums for years, perhaps decades) refuses to pay the $32.00 difference – shifting the burden to either their insured (our guest), or to us. (Nylund’s was not involved in the accident that brought this car to us.)

It’s $32.00. What’s the big deal, right? Well… let’s see.

If Lexus patents it’s parts (and they do), then ANY OTHER part, no matter how closely they “look like” the original… cannot, by definition, be EXACTLY like the original. Documentation and videos abound regarding the importance of every component of an automobile’s safety equipment working together in a precise manner. Life and death are in the balance of a nano-second response. Too early, and injury can occur. Too late spells equal disaster.

If this third-party, aftermarket bumper should ever perform in a substandard way, because it is – by definition – different from the original… and someone were injured – or worse – killed in an accident… who would be responsible? Lexus certainly wouldn’t stand behind a non-Lexus part. To whom does the liability fall? And do we really need to actually have that conversation? Over a $32.00 difference?

In the end, our guest called the insurance company and inquired as to why they wouldn’t authorize an original, Lexus-made bumper on his nearly brand-new automobile that was still under full warranty. We don’t know exactly what transpired during that phone call… but we are happy to report that the insurance company – somewhat begrudgingly – has agreed to pay the additional $32.00 to do the job right.

It may seem like a big amount of trouble for a small amount of money… but here at Nylund’s we believe that your safety is worth more than $32.00.

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Case Study: Lexus ES 350, 28,000 miles. Still under full warranty.

It’s not difficult to see what brought this car to our shop. And we hope it’s equally easy to see the quality of our final delivery. What these photos don’t show, however, is our commitment to conducting a RIGHT repair versus the least expensive possible patch, as determined by our guest’s insurance company.

Our guest came to us with a broken car. They’ve been through enough trauma – and we immediately put them at ease, as much as possible, by promising the highest quality repair. The insurance company in this case, who have likely been paid for years – decades – are not interested in the quality of the repair, but rather in only making sure that they cut the cost of said repairs as much as possible. This played itself out as they re-wrote our original estimate – substituting our recommended original manufacture’s parts with third-party and aftermarket parts.

Why would they cut corners on parts such as the radiator and associated support, or the AC condenser that could void some of the car’s warranty upon failure? The answer is simple: expense. Keep in mind – the aftermarket parts the insurance company insists that we use also supports some of the air-bag safety sensors and should there be any variance at all – it is possible that said safety equipment will not perform as the manufacturer intended. 1/100th of a second could very well be the difference between life and death.

We asked the insurance company about what the guest should do if the aftermarket cooling system fails, causing the engine to overheat and possibly cause tremendous damage. Their answer: the customer (our guest) should then call the manufacturer of the radiator to pursue a claim for the no-longer covered, damaged engine. The manufacturer of the RADIATOR??

My friends… we simply will not compromise the safety of our guests or value of their vehicles. The photo of our repair does not show you the fact that we replaced the damaged parts with original manufacture’s parts. It does not show the several rounds of our supplemental estimates back and forth with the insurance company. It does not show that in the end, they paid for the correct parts because they are the CORRECT parts. But it does show how much we care for each and every guest that trusts us – Nylund’s Collision Center – to do the job RIGHT.

You’ve got my word: If it’s not perfect… it’s not leaving.

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Just a reminder that when it comes to which body shop to which you take your car for repairs – you have a choice. And perhaps the shop your insurance company “prefers”… isn’t the best solution. Here at Nylund’s Collision Center, we stand behind our mission statement: If it isn’t perfect… It isn’t leaving!

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With over 25 years of experience in the auto repair industry, and the last fifteen at Maaco, Groome brings a level of competence and expertise that perfectly compliments – and at the same time elevates the already amazing guest experience at Nylund’s.

When asked why Groome chose to leave the front office of his last shop to take up with Grieve and the Nylund’s crew, his answer was simple: “I wanted to be a part of the very best in our industry.” And it would appear that he chose wisely, as Nylund’s Collision Center has been voted “Best Body Shop 2011, 2012 and 2013″ by the public in Denver’s annual A-List competition.

“I want our community to know that there are still outposts of truth and integrity within an industry that in many ways has bent over to big money (insurance companies), said Groome. “They need to know that they have a choice with where they take their car for repair, and that quality and safety have an address in Denver: Nylund’’s Collision Center.

Groome has already made a positive impact on the business at Nylund’s. Guests enjoy meeting him, and have made many positive comments on the experience he offers. Nylund’s Collision Center is dedicated to providing the very best in guest service and the highest standards in auto body repair. They are located at 1033 W. Dartmouth Ave. in Englewood, CO, and serve all of the Denver metro area.

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Ridiculous, right? And yet, that is exactly the conversation happening in the American body shop industry today. Desk jockeys working for the insurance companies are rejecting the estimates and supplementals provided by certified experts, and in turn, demanding invoices that show the actual cost of materials, and instead of paying retail, paying only cost plus an arbitrary markup.

Isn’t this America? While some may argue that the current political climate has socialism in the forecast, we are STILL a capitalistic society – and as such, there is no room for one entity to tell another exactly how much profit they are allowed to make. And lest you suggest that in fact it’s a good thing to “limit” acceptable levels of markup, let’s go back and take a look at that dinner you enjoyed.

Actual Cost of Production:
Spaghetti & sauce = $1.47
Pizza = $0.32
Soda = $0.04
Wine = $2.91

Markup for this meal is 600%+… and you pay it without a second glance. Why? Because it’s what the free market will bear. Same thing for your jeans, which typically are marked up 113%. If you don’t like the price, you don’t purchase the product. But one thing is for sure – under normal circumstances you don’t get to go in and negotiate your own terms.

So why then, does it seem to make sense to the insurance companies to lock the labor rate for body shops for years at a time, and demand that they will only pay the shop owner’s actual cost plus 20% for the materials used to make repairs? What’s the endgame that they have in mind? Is there a bigger picture at play? We suggest that there is. And in the coming weeks and months, we will tell this story… connecting the dots and quite possibly shed some light on why you – the average American citizen should sit up and take notice.

Make no mistake… you are affected. And we can prove it.

…To be Continued.

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Nylunds FanBrag

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Here at Nylund’s Collision Center, we are all so very grateful for having been awarded Denver’s Best Body Shop for the third year in a row. Of course we are very proud of the fact that Nylund’s is the only collision center that has ever won this award since it’s original inclusion on the Denver A-List in 2011… but for us, it’s about much more than another trophy on the shelf. It is, and always has been, all about the guest experience!

You see, no one really wants to schedule an appointment with a body shop. We’ve checked time and again, and we’ve never made it to the top 10, must-see local attractions. But sometimes bad things (accidents) happen to good people. And when they do… we are here to serve.

The first thing that our guests can expect is a warm, compassionate and always professional greeting. Our staff is the best in the industry at making the guest feel welcome and instantly comfortable with their choice to come to Nylund’s. We would never think of handing you a clipboard to fill out your information. Instead, we offer you a beverage, and begin a conversation. As you relax, we enter all the details that we’ll need to make your auto repair as pain-free as possible.

If you require a rental car while yours is in the shop, we’ll make that call – and in many cases, even have your car delivered to the shop before we’re done chatting. If you need a ride home, we stand ready to deliver you wherever you need to go.

Once your car has entered the repair process, you can rest assured that we are in constant communication with your insurance provider, thereby removing the single largest point of stress from you, our guest. You’ve been through enough with the accident… the last thing you need is to haggle about the cost or quality of parts with the company you’ve paid all your life. We make sure that your best interests, including safety, quality and timeliness of service are all represented.

Here at Nylund’s we make you, our guest, a promise. If it isn’t perfect… it isn’t leaving. And if you think about it – isn’t that really what you want for what is likely your second largest purchase? When you return to pick up your vehicle, you can expect us to surprise you with the attention to detail that we put into every delivery. From the complete clean-up on the inside, to the high-polish buff, to the huge bow on the hood… our goal is to rekindle the love you had for your car on the day that you bought it.

We hope you never get into an accident. But if you do, we want you to know that here at Nylund’s Collision Center, we actively do our best to be a large part of the solution. Your experience matters to us more than anything… which might explain why our guests vote for us year after year to achieve the honor of Denver’s Best Body Shop.

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The customer took the car to the dealership to get it aligned, but despite their best efforts the alignment wouldn’t take. After several unsuccessful attempts, the customer brought their car to us here at Nylund’s Collision Center.

The first thing we do, is listen to the customer. That may seem overly simple, but it is our experience that when a customer says that something isn’t right… they’re usually correct. Upon opening the hood, right away we noticed the abundance of third-party and aftermarket parts. Holes didn’t align, so the last shop just drilled new holes or fabricated brackets out of scrap metal. The car was a mess – and that’s an understatement.

When a car doesn’t align properly, it’s usually a problem that is invisible to the naked eye… but easily revealed by our frame straightening equipment that measures down to the micron. In this case, it was quite clear what the problem was. The direct repair shop, in partnership with (i.e.. who answers directly to) the insurance company not only hacked up the obvious repairs… but they completely ignored the more significant issue of bent structural parts.

Of course we brought in the insurance company to assess the issues described above. They agreed that the job was poorly done, and authorized us to correct the structural elements and fix the “repair” of the last shop. To the tune of about $12,100.00 above and beyond the original “repair” estimate. And what was the original estimate for all those inferior parts and poor craftsmanship? That discount shop and insurance paid out more than $14,000.00 for the first “repair”. Oh… and that car – a 2009 Lexus RX 350… books out with NADA at $26,350.00. You do the math.

And this is why we absolutely refuse to cut corners here at Nylund’s. Doesn’t it make better sense to do the job the right way the first time? Nylund’s Collision Center… where if it isn’t perfect – it isn’t leaving!

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Here are some interesting facts:

FACT: 68% of customers look for someone else to serve them because they perceive that you are indifferent to them. Nylund’s knows each customer – not only by their car, but by their names. From the front office to the paint booth, we take ownership of the relationship we develop with our customers.

FACT: 93% of adult Americans said that a company’s reputation for honesty and fairness is extremely important to them. At Nylund’s, we are always honest with both the customers, as well as with the insurance companies we engage every day. It is this integrity and consistent fair handling of every customer’s case that has earned us the Denver’s A-List “Best Body Shop” award for five years in a row.

FACT: The ease and number of customer complaints online has more than doubled every year since the advent of social media. At Nylund’s we are very proud of the fact that we have a five-star presence across all online review sites. We are humbled by the kind things our customers say about our service.

FACT: 80% of companies believe that they deliver a superior customer experience, but only 8% of their customers agree. Nylund’s Collision Center is always striving to improve the customer experience – never willing to be content with what is. Our passionate pursuit of excellence directly translates into the huge percentage of repeat customers that we see coming to us.

FACT: The ownership and staff of Nylund’s Collision Center love our guests, our community, and our job helping restore beauty after accidents. To us, customer service is more than a department. It is the air that we breathe, and the lifeblood of our existence.

How may we serve you today?

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