Network conference delivered on every level and then some…

To say that Simplicity Car Care’s Growth Conference event in Niagara Falls, Ont., was highly anticipated, was, to put it mildly, an understatement. For more than two full days (September 15-17), over 250 attendees gathered to celebrate, learn, and network.

Simplicity Car Care co-founder and CEO Paul Prochilo perhaps summed it up best during his initial address. “This is a celebration of Simplifiers [as he called those in the network], a celebration of your commitment, perseverance, and leadership, and a celebration of our B2B partners and customers who trusted us and worked with us to help fuel or vision of making car care simple and affordable for every vehicle owner in the world!”

Health, mindset, and success

The conference featured a range of guest speakers, covering a variety of topics. Dan Cockerell, Former Vice-President of Disney’s Magic Kingdom, delivered a keynote session appropriately entitled How’s the Culture in Your Kingdom? Based on a book he wrote, which he described as a step into the world of entrepreneurship, during his address, Cockerell talked about the concept of culture within the organization, in other words, “how things are done around here.” In his session, Cockerell also discussed how getting yourself “right,” such as focusing on your health and wellbeing, as well as the right mindset is absolutely critical to set yourself up for success. Specifically related to business, Cockerell discussed going the extra mile for your customers and the difference that can make. Not only that, but he also talked about how, by empowering your employees to make decisions that enable the business to go that extra step for the customer, the result is a win-win situation for both client and organization.

Domenic Ieraci, President of Simplicity Car Care took a deep dive into the Simplicity Car Care brand, providing the audience with an opportunity of a virtual tour of the network’s facilities across Canada, highlighting the importance the network places on the customer experience and how, through optimization of brand assets, Simplicity Car Care will continue to work with its strategic franchise partners, creating an exceptional car care experience that makes it the preferred choice for motorists. Ieraci also took the opportunity to showcase Simplicity Car Care’s very own commercial, which had yet to be released before the conference.

Climate positive

There was also a fascinating fireside chat session, in which Simplicity CEO Paul Prochilo and Dominic Napier, Director of UK-based consulting firm Carbon Neutral Repair, discussed viable options for reducing an organization’s carbon footprint. To top it off, the 2022 Simplicity Car Care Growth Conference itself was recognized as a climate-positive event—a testament to the network’s continued focus on Environmental Sustainability practices, which place it on the leading edge of such initiatives within the collision repair sector.

Sharon Ramalho, Former Chief People Officer at McDonald’s Canada hit upon a very topical discussion, namely employee recruitment and how organizations can create a successful game plan in not only finding but also retaining employees. Key focus points include regular and effective communication between managers and staff, opportunities for employees to grow and develop their skills as well as providing fair compensation and working conditions.

Touchless claims

Looking towards the future, Bill Brower, Vice-President of Industry Relations for Solera (the parent company of Audatex), looked at the touchless claims process, a solution that changes how collision repairs are handled. It works by allowing the customer to start the claims process by simply scanning a QR code and using an app that via GPS data and a VIN scanner, generates an estimate for the repairs, which are then verified by an actual estimator to confirm the scope of the work required. From both a time and efficiency standpoint, the savings generated by touchless claims are absolutely staggering.

Rounding things off from a content standpoint was Alex Kopacz. An Olympic Gold Medal athlete in Bobsledding, Kopacz delivered an inspiring session on goal setting, and how, by pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone to achieve more, it is possible to succeed beyond your wildest expectations.

Other highlights of the event included sponsored networking lunches courtesy of CARQUEST and BETAG Innovation, as well as a special Collision Builders panel discussion, on-site trade show, and Awards Gala.