Pushing the Industry Forward

by Scott Miller, AASPMN Collision Director

I’m Scott Miller, and I’m honored to step into the role of Collision Director for AASPMN. 

I’ve served on multiple AASPMN committees over the years, and have been a member of the Board of Directors since 2024. I’m eager to learn from you, support our shops and help lead our industry forward. This is my 22nd year in the collision industry, but my roots run a little deeper. My dad started and ran our business (Collision Specialists, Inc.) out of our family home for 21 years before moving it to our current location in 2002.

After graduating high school, I served two tours with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq. I returned in late 2004, finished my collision repair technology degree at Riverland Community College, and started on the shop floor washing cars and sweeping floors. I worked my way through every position in the business: body tech, refinish tech – and my favorite – frame technician. Since transitioning to the office in 2012 to write estimates, I’ve been maintaining that role while also streamlining and strengthening our processes to ensure CSI stays at the forefront of the industry. Off the clock, I coach youth sports, camp with my family, and ride dirt bikes. (I’ve been racing for more than 30 years.)

But I won’t sugarcoat it: our industry is at a crossroads. After COVID, we were overwhelmed with work, and for a time, business felt as strong as it’s ever been. Yet, that period exposed an uncomfortable truth: when things get busy, complacency creeps in. We were buried with vehicles waiting on parts and approvals, and too often the customer paid the price. Customers’ rentals ran out, people were without cars for weeks, and the experience of getting a vehicle repaired left a sour taste.

Now, the environment has shifted again. Insurers have tightened up, vehicles are more technologically complex requiring more calibrations, parts costs remain high and cars are being totaled at record highs. Customers are cautious with their money, and many who went through the post-COVID slog are reluctant to bring a car in for a dent or scratch. For the experience they had, who would blame them. We can’t control every external pressure, but we can control how we respond and that response must start with the customer.

Here’s my challenge: we must stop being victims of circumstance and start leading the way by delivering exceptional customer experiences. For example, at CSI we shifted how we operate by scheduling appointment times for estimates to give us plenty of time to care for the customer. We gather documentation early and engage insurers before the vehicle arrives with that repair documentation. Those changes have helped us to reduce cycle times and helped restore dignity to the repair process. Customers should remember how proud they felt when they got their vehicle back, not how frustrated they were getting there.

Our shop’s way may not be your way, and it doesn’t have to be. That is the beauty of our industry. But, I would like to end with these suggestions:

•  Recommit to the customer experience and make every interaction count.

•  Tackle delays proactively to maintain lower cycle times for the customer.

•  Train and empower your staff to act as advocates for the customer.

•  Share proven practices because collaboration accelerates our progress.

We have the talent, resilience and the pride to turn this moment into an opportunity. Let’s prove our value to customers one at a time.

I’m excited to serve as the association’s Collision Director and to listen and work alongside you. Reach out with your ideas, your successes and your challenges. Together we’ll push this industry forward.

Want more? Check out the June 2026 issue of AASP-MN News!