North Vancouver, British Columbia — Craftsman Collision says its multi-pronged approach to the COVID-19 pandemic has helped it weather the storm.
The company said sales at the 43-shop chain slumped somewhat during the month of March, but only by 12 percent—less than required by the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidies (CEWS) available to businesses suffering declines of 15 percent or more.
Losses in April met the government’s 30 percent eligibility threshold, but “could have been a lot worse.”
The company says the business strategies devised under the direction of CEO and owner Bill Hatswell, with support from the company’s president Rick Hatswell, Mike O’Callaghan and the rest of the senior management team have made the difference.
Initiatives like sanitizing vehicles, installing protective steering wheel and seat covers and floor mats have helped to dispel both germs and public paranoia.
Among front office staff, physical barriers, staggered job shifts and, in some cases, reduced hours, have minimized transmission risks.
“The coronavirus outbreak and the necessary public health measures to contain its spread and creating stress for employees and their families,” said the company’s HR manager, Jennifer Burton. “We’ve been reminding all our employees that our LifeWorks employee and family assistance program is available to them to help with any issues around mental health, finances, parenting or eldercare.”
None of Craftsman’s facilities have closed or suspended their operations amid the virus. The 550-employee-strong company is also happy to report that none of its staff have tested positive for COVID-19.
“Rick was very committed to keeping all our shops open to maintain our presence in the market, and to help our employees retain their jobs during the crisis and post-COVID,” said Burton. “Shops with less volume are cleaning and painting—they’ll look brand new when this is all over, and help boost what we call the ‘Craftsman sparkle’.”
The company has also doubled down on marketing efforts, launching a series of radio, TV and social media ads to encourage customers to not put off their repairs.
“So far, the impact of the pandemic hasn’t been as bad for business as we expected,” says Rick Hatswell. “Kudos to our governments for getting the message out and the timing right, and especially to all the health care workers who are putting their own safety on the line for the good of us all. Our many operational and logistical adjustments seem to be getting us through the worst of this, and I believe will pay even bigger dividends when the pandemic is over.”
One Response
To the owners and CEO’s of Craftsman Collision it is my understanding that Craftsman Collision has taken it apoun themselves to force mandate the Covid 19 vacciene on their employees. I am not sure the motives of such actions as in your own newsletters you have stated that your saftey protocols that are in place have ensured that no staff member has tested positive for Covid in the work setting and have boosted this fact so you are either missleading the public in such a statement or you truley do not believe in your own saftey measures up to this point. As for your staff who have been working through this whole pandemic putting their health at risk to ensure that your company has been successful through these hard times without a vacciene you are now willingly forcing them out of a place of employment. It is very dishartening when a companies own mission statement talks about enhancing communities and being a part of a comunity but when push comes to shove the truth is revealed and you have no such interest, for if you were truley for the community and for your employess than you would not be taking such actions. You would be supporting their choice to choose what is best for thier own personal health and have faith in those who are employeed under you rather than throw them to the curb like some useless item. We are fast approaching Rememberance Day the day we celebrate those who gave their lives for our freedoms those very same freedoms that gave you Bill Hatswell the oppertunity to build your company the way you wanted. I do not know if you have anyone in your family who was a part of any of the many wars that took place but I can tell you I do and right now I can tell you personally from the stories they told me this is not what they gave their lives for this is not why they went to war and witnessed the horrible things they saw. They did not go to war so that their future generations could have their lively hoods taken away by someone who is too afraid to stand for those who helped them in hard times. How soon we forget that these freedoms came at such a great cost and how easy we are willing to give up all of these things, why? Why is it that you feel you have the power to force those who are employed in your company to undergo such a medical procedure? It is a sad day indeed when companies do this to their employees especially when this is not something that is mandated by the goverment. Do you know why that is Bill Hatswell? It is due to the fact that the government knows it is unlawful and can not do so legally so they dupe companies such as yours to do the job for them so that they are not liable. For it is against the Canadian Charter of Rights and the Nuremberg Code which I you are now currently breaking. Since this is the type of behavior your company likes to engage in where staff are treated like insolent children who are punished for not doing what is damanded of them even if it is unethical and unneccesary than my family and I will no longer be bringing any of our buisness to your automotive shops. Please reconsider the actions you are taking as I am not the only Canadian who is taking a closer look at which companies are taking these actions and boycotting them, which will not only have a large impact on sales but also on shares as investors choose to invest thier money in more ethnical companies.