Issue link: https://ppgrefinish-na.uberflip.com/i/348206
in and said, 'i see you're using this environmentally-friendly paint, and that's why i came here," says Jody. "But it was also another way for us to stand out." A&J Collision Repair received the City of Conway's Go Green Award in 2009. Jody credits the upbeat marketing tactics as key to the significant growth they've realized over the past few years. Part of that growth also stems from the fact that Conway, Ark. is a happening place. Home to several colleges and universities, the population of the Conway area has grown from a community of 30,000 in 1990 to some 60,000 today. Jody's progressive marketing tactics—a blog, Facebook page, iPad ® giveaway—obviously resonate with young consumers. A&J Collision Repair has seen a sales increase from $800,000 in 2005 to more than $2 million in 2011. the meteoric rise in sales has caused a shift in Jody's responsibilities—or perhaps it's the other way around. "What do i do?" reflects Jody. "simply put, i manage people—employees, customers, vendors." His hiring practices now focus on putting people with profound people skills out in front, and letting them focus on what they do best. "When i was an estimator, my closing rate was 60–70%," says Jody. "Now, my estimators close at a rate of 80–90% because they can focus on the relationship with the customer." Jody became a fan of the PPG MVP program for its ability to help him see things differently. "sometimes, people focus on the way things use to be 'back in the day,'" says Jody. "i believe it's almost better when you have no fixed idea of the way things are 'supposed' to be." He participated in PPG MVP Green Belt training and quickly applied concepts he learned there to his business, seeing a few more ideas, and will bring the shop manager, production manager and production estimator as well. the sound of a gong followed by applause interrupts the conversation with Jody. He explains, "We wanted a way for everyone to know when we had made a customer happy. Now, when a vehicle owner picks up their car, we present it to them like we would a new car. they get to ring the gong, and everyone knows that we have another customer leaving with a smile on their face." iPad ® is a registered trademark of Apple inc. marked improvement in cycle time as a result. "it's all about removing bottlenecks," says Jody. "if you can get a vehicle through the process more quickly, everyone is happy: me and my employees, insurance companies, and customers." He intends to return soon to MVP Green Belt training to pick up a " WE tENd to looK At tHE liGHtER sidE oF tHiNGs, ANd tHAt HAs HElPEd us stANd out." rest easy! we use quality paint and parts 27