Laura Bertolli

Everyone is feeling the pinch of tough economic times. In the auto industry, we hear of dealers closing on a weekly, if not daily, basis. People are losing their jobs, which leads to them possibly losing their homes. The cost of fuel has affected the amount of driving people do. Some trends that affect the auto industry are: *Poor condition of local roads. Government is feeling the pinch and infrastructure budgets are not able to keep up with the deterioration of roads, bridges, asphalt and concrete. Bad roads put added stress on vehicles. Trucks and SUVs take the stress on the frame. Cars feel pressure on the unibody , which absorbs the flexing and stress on the structure of the vehicle. *Cars are lasting longer. As is evident by the closing of auto dealers, people just aren't buying new cars unless they absolutely have to. Americans are keeping their cars 9.2 years, the oldest age for the average in a decade. Cars will have more rust, minor body damage, and

Handwashing is easier on your car's finish and will give you better results. Start with the tires and wheels and switch to a different mitt once you're finished. Using the tire mitt on the body can leave unwanted particles on the paint and even scratch the finish. High-quality cleaners for tires and rims will ensure a longer lasting shine. Most of the dirt that appears on wheels comes from brake dust. A good quality rim cleaner will repel this dust, leaving the wheel looking like new longer. As for the tires themselves, dishwashing detergent and a stiff bristled brush work well to get into the pores of the tire and clean out the embedded dirt. When washing the body, be sure to use a product designed to be used specifically on car paint. Some household cleaners, such as dish detergent, can damage the finish. Start at the top and work with gravity, making your way downward, washing one section at a time. Rinse each section thoroughly. The rear of the car should b

So I have to commute every day from Novato to San Rafael. This 20 mile drive takes between 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on traffic. Usually it takes about 50 minutes. Today I saw a woman on the phone with one hand and eating a burrito with the other!!! She was weaving in and out of traffic. This, just minutes after coming to a quick stop with the car behind me quickly stopping only inches from my rear bumper. I looked in my rear view mirror, and about four cars back, a car hit the car in front of it setting off a chain reaction, ending with the car directly behind me. I was happy to not be in that and happy that maybe one of the four cars would end up at my business!! Harsh, but true. Thankfully many drivers are distracted thereby ensuring my business success. Please drive safely!!!!

This story will be aired tonight at 11 pm on Bay Area channel 7. Check out the pic when he was in the shop interviewing me for the story. Pretty cool, huh?

Today at 6 pm on ABC channel 7 in the Bay Area, I will be on Michael Finney's Seven on your Side segment. He did a story on aftermarket parts and the autobody industry. New legislation introduced in the California State Senate would penalize insurers that require repair shops to install aftermarket parts on a vehicle that is still under factory warranty. The bill (S.B. 1059) was introduced in January by Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by the Collision Repair Association of California (CRA). The bill is designed to prevent repairers and customers from inadvertently voiding the factory warranty on a vehicle in case of a failure caused by an aftermarket part. A few weeks ago, Michael, Sen. Migden, my customer, Tommy Kesecker and i were filmed for the piece at Bertolli's Auto Body. I support the bill. I'd love to hear from you if you see it.

to past and future customers of Bertolli's Auto Body. In this day and age of corporate greed, the insurance companies are making it harder for consumers to exercise their legal right to use the auto body repairer of their choice. There is an anti-steering law, but it is never enforced, so the insurance companies break the law all day long. Most people just don't want to fight for their rights and simply go where ever the insurance company tells them to go. This restraints fair trade and affects the quality of auto repairs. The shops on 'the list' are really extensions of the insurance company and the first thing on their mind is to save the insurance company money or risk losing the 'list' status. At Bertolli's , we're not on any list because we want to fix cars the way WE (the repair professionals) would want our car fixed, and at a fair price. Our customers have to be strong willed and courageous to stand up to the insurance company and say,

You may have seen the recent 'advertorial' in the Marin IJ. It was in a special section entitled, "Women in Business". Here's the pic. I also attended the annual 'Women in Business' conference sponsored by the Marin chambers of commerce. The keynote speaker was Jill Eikenberry, actress, producer and activist. She was very inspiring. I listened to talks about the female brain and then one on sales. All in all, a very productive day networking. This conference always builds my confidence since the presentations are usually about things I'm already doing in my business. GO SISTERS!

With Premium Gasoline up to $3.99, I thought you might like these practical tips that will help you get the most gasoline for your money. They are from a person who works at a petroleum company in San Jose: 1. Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps. 2. When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the