Working at Rocco's: Life as a Collision Repair Professional

Running a collision repair facility is not easy. It takes skill, a unique understanding of the automobile and automotive industry, an ability to interact with auto technicians, vendors and the public, and a personal drive to succeed in the industry.

Here, Joe DiMonte, manager of the Rocco's Blackwood facility, discusses what's important to him, his childhood, his love for cars and his responsibilities at Rocco's Collision.

Pink It Is

Pink it is.

Rocco’s Collision Centers has always prided itself on being the number one repair facility in the Greater Philadelphia Region.  Over the past several years we have invested in our infrastructure, our technology, and our lobbies in an effort to create ideal working environments for our staff and exceptional experiences for our customers. 

What many people don’t know is that we also have a tradition of giving back to our community and the charities and organizations that are important to us. Last year we actively participated in two Toys-for-Tots programs, donated to the Johnnie M. Foundation, donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, and hosted a relief effort for victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Giving back is part of our corporate culture.

This year we have decided to try to coax spring into arriving a little early and are committing our brand and resources to going pink. For the next several months we will do our best to support breast cancer awareness. You may see our logo transform to pink, one or two of our vehicles “go pink” and perhaps even a billboard or two dressed in pink.

We hope that by doing our little part we can help those affected by this disease.

Your Vendors as Partners

Four Key Components to Enhancing Your Vendor Relationships 

 Who Has the Quality Parts - In the collision repair industry, replacement parts are critical time is everything. Rarely do we hear that anybody has too much time on their hands and in most cases, and in most shops, time means money. The faster you can get the vehicle moving through the repair process the faster you can return it to your customer, which is why knowing which vendor can supply you with quality parts is so critical.

Shop managers don't have time to worry about whether or not the vendor is going to send them a quality part and they certainly don't have time to send a part back once it's been received. In most cases, shop management is all about process, vision and timing and one little glitch can throw the entire process into mayhem. Tip: Make a list of all of your vendors and rank them in terms of quality of product and timeliness of delivery. This will allow you and your team better understand who can be relied upon when you are counting on quality and just-in-time delivery.

Delivery Time – Speaking of time, it's important to know which of your partners can consistently deliver parts to your operation and at what time of the day. As stated above, managers cannot afford to spend their day worrying about what will and won't arrive on time. Tip: Once you've created the "Quality List" (mentioned above) rank those partners that consistently deliver the parts on time.  Be sure to effectively communicate your expectations to your vendors, such as guaranteed delivery times, order cut-off times, and discount structure.

Casting the Net – While having your "go-to" guys is great, it's also important to build an extensive network of vendors just-in-case you need them. In addition to building your bench, by developing a long list of resources you will also create a greater network of colleagues and experts who can provide alternate perspective and perhaps even enhanced service. Tip: Once you've identified the vendors that deliver both Quality and exceptional Delivery Time, create a separate "Bench" of qualified vendors that you can rely on when necessary. 

Invest in the Relationship - Finally, don't let any of your vendors exist as just vendors. Nurture and maintain the relationship as if it were a customer. In doing so you, you may just gain back that precious time that was once lost. (For more on vendor relationship management (or VRM) please see the following article: The Rise of the Vendor Relationship)

Authored by Brian Riggs and Joe DiMonte, Rocco's Collision

Keeping Promises to Your Customers

Last night our team attended our monthly team meetings and discussed how we can continue to improve upon our customer service. We discussed the following four characteristics associated with delivering exceptional customer service: keeping promises, active listening, attitude and the power of persuasion.

Although each area drew an equal amount of participation it was the discussion around keeping promises that interested our team most.  In the end, we discovered three basic elements that every person in our centers should know - (1) As a member of the company, you are the expert and the curator of the customer experience (2) that the most important thing any member of any company can do is to deliver proper expectations (3) and that every effort should be made to keep any promise made to the customer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWTMa76BzH0

In order to drive home the point of keeping the promise to the customer we used the following clip from a Seinfeld episode which proved to be a great way to convey the message. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did and as a customer please know that we are continuously trying to improve our service to you.

Brian John Riggs

Nobody Says it Better Than Our Customers

Not only do we love repairing our customer's vehicles,  we also love talking to them.  Thank you to Ms. McKeever for sitting down with us and we are proud to have been your body shop of choice.

To Use or Not to Use My Insurance Company

Three Reasons Why You May Want To Use Your Own Insurance Company

One of the most common questions we hear from our customers is whether or not they should use their own insurance company.  While every situation and accident is unique, here are three reasons why (and when) you may want to consider using your own insurance company after an accident.

Reason #1:

Non-drivable Vehicle – If you are unable to drive your vehicle from the scene of the accident then you should always consider using your own carrier.  In the long run this will help to expedite the process and possibly get you back into your own vehicle sooner. Yes, there is a chance you will have to pay for your deductible but in many cases this is the best route to take.

Reason #2:

Liability? – Another good reason to go through your insurer is if liability or fault is in question. A good rule of thumb here is to always remember – when in doubt, use your own company. In the end, if it is determined that you were not at fault, your insurance company will work with you to recoup your deductible and the aggravation factor will be significantly reduced.

Reason #3:

Investment – For most Americans the average time between accidents is seven years. This means most people rarely think about the costs associated with accidents other than the monthly fee or premium we pay to maintain our insurance. However, this is exactly why you may want to go through your insurance company;  you pay for it so you might as well use it.

Contributing Author: Jack Cordoves, Manager of Rocco's, Sewell Location. 

Jack spent more than thirteen years working for Progressive Insurance Company and has been with Rocco's for almost two years.  He has spent time at our Reed Street, Blackwood and Sewell locations and is well-versed in both collision repair and automobile insurance and claims.

Jack can be reached at Jack@Roccoscollision.com

Please visit www.roccoscollision.com for additional information.

Diversifying Our Interests, Supporting Regional Talent

Rocco's Collision Centers is proud to announce its formal entrance into the world of boxing through our sponsorships of two local boxers, Tevin "The American Idol" Farmer and World Champion Danny Swift Garcia.

Tevin was born one of thirteen (7 brothers, 5 sisters) and grew up on 13^th and Fitzwater, in the projects of Philadelphia. He doesn’t remember ever going on vacation, he thinks his favorite colors were green and blue but doesn’t pay much attention to that now, and when asked what the best and worst part about growing up in the city was he responds “the worst is that it’s tough and forced you how to be strong; the best is that it teaches you how to survive.”

Mark and Tevin enjoying a night out at an MMA event.

Now, at the age of twenty-two is staring at a new destiny. His name is Tevin Farmer and he is one of many Philadelphia-born boxers who hope to fight their way out of adversity and make it to the top. “I want to win every time I get in the ring. I want to beat my opponent and beat them bad and ultimately I will be a world champion,” says Tevin. But unlike his local counterparts, Tevin has been blessed with a new beginning, an incredible chance to marry his talents with opportunity and perhaps change the course of his life.

Through his older brother Mel, Tevin came to know Mark Cipparone, owner of Rocco's Collision who immediately saw talent in Tevin and quickly became his mentor.  The first thing Team Farmer did was to move Tevin out of Philadelphia and into the suburbs of New Jersey, where his life is incredibly different.

“He has been exposed to a terrific opportunity and he is making the most of it. He is training harder, he’s eating right, he’s solely focused on boxing and it’s made him hungrier.”  Says Cipparone. “In New Jersey, there are no distractions, no negative influences.  He is left to focus on his passion, boxing.” In the solace of his new environment Farmer appears at ease and while he’s always a well-mannered gentlemen, his will to win, to punish his opponents is evident.

Tevin's next fight will be on Saturday, February 16th at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Click here for more information) 

In addition to sponsoring Tevin, Team Rocco's is also part of the Danny Garcia team and will be present in his upcoming championship bout with Zab Judah in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Saturday, April 27. "We are extremely excited to be a part of the Garcia team and are proud to sponsor such local and phenomenal talent. In many ways, our involvement with both of these hard working individuals mirrors our team's efforts at each of our shops. We're looking forward to a very successful and dynamic 2013 and beyond," says Cipparone.