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Jeff Peevy, AMAM Profitability - "the degree to which a business or activity yields profit or financial gain." For a collision repair operation this begins with a well-written estimate. Now some may argue they no longer write "estimates," but regardless of how you arrive at what you charge for the work your shop performs, matters. In fact, it is where profitability starts or in many cases, doesn't. This means the individual in your collision repair business who is determining what you will get paid for and who works with customers and insurers must be smart and well-trained. So how can you be sure they know their stuff? Let's start with credentials. Last summer, AMi launched a comprehensive professional designation program for Collision Repair Estimators. It's comprehensive because it requires non-technical training, including soft skills development, negotiations, DRP management, and much more. It requires technical training from I-CAR, estimating system training or successful completion of an online estimating system assessment and for the masters level, ASE B6 certification. These professional designations are identified as ACE - Accredited Collision-Repair Estimator and AMCE - Accredited Master Collision-Repair Estimator. In the future one of these designations should be required to even get an interview for an Estimator position. For more information: ... read more

Jeff Peevy, AMAM I can't stress the importance of learning enough! We use the words "learn" and "learning" a lot, but don't always stop and give serious thought to its impact on everything, especially our lives, both personally and professionally. You will see AMi promoting - learning as the only source of a sustainable competitive advantage, and even that statement takes a minute to soak in. So if learning is so important, then understanding our learning style is important as well. AMi has worked with renowned North Carolina State University professor, Richard Felder to provide the "Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire." The Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire takes about 14 short minutes and is both interesting and beneficial. The more you understand about how you learn, the more you play to your learning strengths. The questionnaire can be found hereand the Learning Styles and Strategies document to professor Felder's index can be found here. This simple exercise will raise your level of self-awareness and improve your approach during training opportunities to ensure maximum learning. It's a great tool offered by AMi at no fee and can help you and your coworkers learn and even communicate better. Take the short assess... read more

Jeff Peevy, AMAM One of the things that make the Automotive Management Institute unique, within our industry, is our graduation ceremonies. Twice a year, AMi recognizes its graduates in a formal cap and gown ceremony. It is the highlight of our year as we connect with graduates, their friends and families and the industry to celebrate notable professional achievement. Each graduation ceremony moves me as I see and feel the value of personal investment and how meaningful it is to the graduate and their families. In fact, we have many individuals who represent up to three generations of AMi graduates. The point is, investing in yourself matters, to you professionally and to your family. It establishes a legacy that elevating yourself through education changes people's lives and especially the lives most important to you.Have you earned an AMi professional designation? If you have been attending training over the years and completing  an AMi student form each time, you may be closer to graduation than you think. If you are interested in finding out, send us an email at [email protected]