By John Yoswick
A recent Collision Industry Conference (CIC) committee presentation confirmed that parts supply chain issues continue to plague collision repairers. A poll of repairers in the room at CIC in Phoenix found that about one-third said parts-related issues lead them to delay scheduling about 40 percent of jobs. Another one in four said parts issues lead to delayed scheduling 60 percent of the time, and almost an equal number said it was 80 percent of the time.
Greg Horn of PartsTrader said his company’s data indicates the median number of days for parts deliveries was fairly stable over 2021.
“What’s changed is the number of outliers, the number of delays for individual components, which has increased pretty radically,” Horn said, reaching 14.7 days in December, up from 7.4 days in February and March of last year.
He said if some relief from the microchip shortage enables automakers to ramp up production this year, that should reduce used vehicle values, putting more of those vehicles into the recycled parts supply chain.
“It is probably the latter half of this year when we start to see some relief on both OEM and the recycled parts side,” Horn said.
Still-elevated transportation costs, however, have non-OEM parts manufacturers in Taiwan rethinking what they ship.
“Should I put in one bumper cover that would take up the space of 10 headlight units, or do I ship those 10 headlights at a bigger margin,” Horn said. “So in the short term, I think we’re going to see [shortages or] price increases on larger aftermarket components.”
The committee asked repairers at the meeting what they are doing to address parts issues. A majority (70 percent) said one response has been to return more vehicles to customers with cosmetic parts still on order. Nearly two in five said that’s happening with 30 percent or more of the cars they repair.
But Matt Radman of Coach Works Auto Body in Mesa, Arizona, noted that solution is not without its own challenges.
“We had a [Hyundai] Sonata that we couldn’t get the side garnish that goes from the bottom of the door and across the wheel well,” Radman said. “Right behind that is an exposed hole and unless you seal it somehow, moisture is getting behind there. So you have to address this on a case-by-case basis.”
Something as simple as a missing window molding could allow moisture to get into the door, he said, noting that returning unfinished vehicles requires thinking through these issues and making sure everyone involved, including the customer and insurer, is on the same page.
Ben Clymer Jr. of Ben Clymer’s The Body Shop in Southern California said he’s experience parts supply chain issues first-hand: He’s driving his own vehicle with damage from an accident because five of the needed parts are on back order. He said that like Radman, his company is returning more otherwise repaired vehicles to customers missing cosmetic parts, though he said that requires letting customers know well in advance that’s a real possibility, and also “triggers having an additional tracking system for all those vehicles.”
“We’re also triple-checking what can actually be repaired. Our repair percentages are going up,” Clymer said.
Rich O’Leary, manager of Fix Auto Sierra Vista in Arizona, said another challenge of releasing vehicles with a cosmetic part that hasn’t arrived is the customer satisfaction survey question related to whether they had to bring their vehicle back to the shop. He said his shop also uses the PartsVoice website to locate needed OEM parts beyond the local market.
“Often you’ll find a dealership around the country that has the part sitting on their shelf collecting dust,” he said. “It costs more to have them package and send it, but that’s an alternative.”
New human resource challenges
Also during CIC in Phoenix, California-based employment law attorney Corey King discussed company drug and alcohol policies, and “service animals” in the workplace.
As more states legalize marijuana, King said, use of cannabis and related products grows. It’s a good reminder, he said, for businesses to ensure their drug and alcohol policy does not include the phrase “under the influence.” If it does, King said, “that policy is completely untenable and, I would argue, completely unenforceable.” In a state where the alcohol DUI limit is .08, King said, “Do you really want somebody jumping behind the wheel of that car to test drive it when they would blow a .07? They’re not in violation of the law or your policy, because they’re not under the influence by the legal standard for alcohol.”
King also said more employers are getting employee requests to bring a “service animal” to the work place. In order to qualify as a “service animal” under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, it has to be a dog (or, oddly, a miniature horse) that is individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability.
“The ADA does not recognize emotional support, comfort, companionship or guarding as a recognized task,” King said. “So your emotional support animal isn’t protected under the ADA. This applies even if that person brings you a doctor’s note that says [they] need this emotional support animal.”
If asked about bringing an animal to work, the ADA requires employers to “engage in an interactive process… and provide reasonable accommodations that will allow disabled employees to perform the essential functions of their job,” King said. Ask what kind of animal it is, he said. If the employee’s disability is obvious, the inquiry is over and the dog or horse must be allowed. If it’s not obvious, ask if the animal is required because of a disability (but do not ask for documentation of the disability). If it is, ask what tasks the animal is trained to perform; do not ask for documentation of training nor for a demonstration the animal’s ability.
Common tasks (though not a complete list) include: guiding the visually impaired; pulling a wheelchair; alerting people who are deaf; calming individuals with PTSD during anxiety attacks; alerting and protecting a person having a seizure; or reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed meds.
If all those requirements are met, the animal must be allowed unless it becomes disruptive or a danger.
“Now, if someone tries to make an issue of this with you, don’t go this alone,” King said. “Get hold of me, or someone you trust, who knows this stuff, to help you navigate through.” •
John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, Ore., who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network bulletin (www.CrashNetwork.com). He can be contacted by email at john@CrashNetwork.com.
