Dispelling the Top 5 rumors or untruths you might have heard
The recent press is full of what WMABA does for you, so now is the time for us to ask for your support by becoming a member. Association membership is something the professionals in our industry think of as optional, but with your help our accomplishments could become mind-blowing and industry-altering.
Staring down the advancements in vehicle technology, increased government and rising insurer issues, it’s hard to think of membership in WMABA as anything but mandatory. Everyone from the independent repairer to the dealership body shop needs a vocal representative now more than ever.
So, let me explain away the “excuses” we’ve heard and you can join today!
1) WMABA Hates DRPs. So, if you have any they hate You.
The association represents ALL repairers. That means that the majority of our memberships have a DRP relationship with at least one insurer. Our goal is to find ways to improve relationships with insurers whenever possible. If there isn’t a “happy medium” for an issue that arises, then we will try to get it resolved through our national contacts. If not there, then we use the legislative or governmental alternative as a last resort.
2) It’s so expensive, I can’t afford it.
Membership is $1.92 per day. When you calculate it out, that’s $700 per year, but when you see it as a daily number we know that you can look at that and understand it’s very affordable to have someone working for you on a more global scale each and every day. What WMABA does helps your shop, but also helps your shop community.
3) The Insurance Companies have a list of the members and beat them up constantly.
Our membership rosters are not given out publicly or even to other members. The WMABA Board feels strongly that no one repairer or groups of repairers should be seen as the “vocal minority”. This gives our members the option of anonymity to be involved with the association while not feeling as though there is a potential for a target on their back. If there are particular avenues within the association that someone wants to publicly speak on, such as repair practices or more pointedly insurer mandates, then they certainly have the ability to do so.
4) Membership is for those “big” shops.
WMABA Members come in all shapes and sizes. We have members ranging from a staff of 4-5 people, or as large as 50+. We represent the very small independent in a rural community the same way we do for a large dealership group body shop. All are important to us, and important for sustaining a variety of perspective in our scope of activities.
5) I’d have to be involved, or go to meetings.
Membership in WMABA does not come with requirements for attendance to anything. Supporting the association with dues is the most important gesture a shop can make. Those funds go towards all of the activities that we’re involved in. Whether or not you want to attend the membership meetings, legislative functions, a golf outing or anything else that WMABA holds is 100% your prerogative. Of course, we would love to have more participation to promote connectivity and consensus-building in the repairer community. However, if you’d rather be fishing, then so be it!
See, you feel better about joining now, don’t you? Visit the website to download a membership application, or feel free to contact me at the office to find out more.
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