When Bill Crouse went to Las Vegas in November he knew he was there because of more than luck. He had come to attend the National Auto Congress & Exposition and he was already aware his shop had been singled out; he knew his efforts had paid off. Crouse was there, the largest gathering of body shop people in the world, to receive a prestigious award. As body shop manager for Sterling Collision Center in Bryan-College Station, he received the Auto Chex award for Most Outstanding Customer Service in Texas. And no wonder Crouse was singled out.  In the 19 months he has been at Sterling Collision, Crouse has worked wonders.

Since taking over, the tall, silver-haired Crouse says the shop, which is associated with Sterling Auto Group, has seen a 40 percent increase in volume. Crouse also points out that seven insurance companies have been added to their roster and he is most proud that his shop meets or exceeds the cycle times required by the companies. Crouse says when he came to the shop in 2002, it was in need of total new management in both the customer care and repair quality areas.  The facility has gone from no CSI programs to having two --- one through PPG and the other through Auto Chex.

Crouse is also proud of the fact his shop is now using correct estimating procedures and a quality checking of cars throughout the repair process, and then points to a Tuesday-Thursday customer call to relay the status of their car repair. Next to come, within six months, will be an online website that will allow customers to log on and see photos and details of where their car is in the repair process.

Sterling Collision doesn’t lack initiative, or the equipment to keep the awards flowing in, including two Chief E-Z Liner frame machines; two Blow Therm Down Draft paint booths and a prep station --- all used by seven body men,  two painters, two painter’s helpers and two porters. The facility is new, about 2 ˝ yrs old, and already due for an expansion.

Crouse says it wasn’t easy building a reputation for offering quality repairs, but “his” credentials surely don’t need much buffing.  He sits on the UTI 2004 collision repair technology advisory council and the ICAR advisory board in Houston and is past president of both the ASA (Automotive Service Association) and AASP (Auto Alliance of Service Providers) in Houston.  Crouse is a charter member of the Texas Collision Associates.

Sterling Collision is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Come check them out.   Bill Crouse might even let you borrow some of his “Vegas Luck!”