Lightening the Load: Unlocking National-Level Benefits for Your Shop Family

by Jordan Hendler, WMABA Executive Director

In this industry, we spend all day putting out fires.

We’re navigating the desk review epidemic, fighting to protect the integrity of our repairs, and trying to keep our margins from being squeezed dry by outside pressures. I talk a lot about the burnout, the endless emails, and that heavy weight of “meaningless busy-work” that makes us want to just put our heads down and stay confined within our shop’s four walls.

But the truth is, your technicians, estimators, and office staff feel that weight, too. They are the backbone of your shop, and in a market where finding and keeping top-tier talent is another daily battle, how are you protecting them?

Creating an engaged, supportive culture is hard. But losing your best technician or repair planner to the shop down the street because they offered a slightly better package—and trying to replace them in this tight labor market—is much, much harder than proactively finding ways to make their lives better. It also makes your life better!

Many independent repairers assume they are too small to offer the kind of corporate-level benefits that build long-term employee retention. But as a WMABA member, you are never surviving in a silo. Because our local association is a proud affiliate of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), we contend your membership to both associations unlocks a powerful suite of national-level benefits designed specifically to help you take care of your people.

Through SCRS, you can instantly offer your team benefits that rival any major consolidator:

• SCRS Healthcare: Finding affordable, high-quality medical coverage has been one of our industry’s biggest challenges. SCRS has partnered with Decisely to deliver unique medical plans that can save your business up to 20% versus traditional renewals. More importantly, it provides your employees with coverage they can actually use when they need care. And, most importantly, your employees will appreciate the plans provide great coverage and lower out of pocket expenses than traditional plans.

•  SCRS MEP 401(k) Plan: Wanting to help your employees retire with dignity is one thing; dealing with the administrative headaches, fees, and fiduciary liability of setting up a retirement plan is another. By leveraging group power, the SCRS Multiple Employer Plan (MEP) reduces your administrative responsibilities, cuts plan expenses, and provides robust fiduciary support.

•  Personal Rental Car Program: Through a national partnership with Alamo, Enterprise, and National, your entire staff can secure guaranteed discounts on personal car rentals in over 100 countries. It is a fantastic, zero-cost perk that shows your team you value their time off the clock.

Never allow the daily grind to trick you into thinking you have to go at it alone. You are an Educated, Tooled, Trained, and Trusted Collision Repair Professional, and your team deserves a workplace that reflects that high standard.

Because it takes no commitment to find out your options, do yourself the favor of finding out if these solutions will help to actively invest in your crew. Step up, activate these national benefits today, and let’s build a stronger, more resilient future for our shops together!

Want more? Check out the August 2026 issue of Hammer & Dolly!