Over the past 15 years, many things in life have evolved; from the technological advancements in vehicle manufacturing, down to the state-of-the-art graphics in video games. Over those years Paintless Dent Repair and the PDR training has also involved into a specialized field of expertise. Below are just a few of the things that I’ve witnessed progress in.
Instructors Back in 1992 when I learned paintless dent repair, potential students were lucky to have a dent repair instructor with just one years worth of paintless dent removal experience. Most who were teaching PDR were still learning how to take dings and dents out themselves! So while I was learning the basics of the PDR process, many of the time saving PDR techniques and dent removal tools were either not refined or developed yet. Many students learning the art of paintless dent repair spent most of their first year in the PDR business just getting a “feel” for what they were doing. The process was long and very challenging for the individual who wasn’t practicing dent repair each and every day. For some, it was a long road before they could consider themselves a qualified dent technician.
Today, Ding King’s paintless dent repair trainers are quality PDR technicians and certified dent removal instructors that have an arsenal of wealth and experience in all facets of paintless dent repair, ranging from typical door dings, hail damage, creased dents and larger pressure dents. Our experience will help develop new students more rapidly in comparing how things were done 15 years ago. This allows those learning PDR today t not only have the basics down quicker, but also benefit from the instructors experiences in the field, making the instructor qualified to teach and the student more likely to pick up the techniques of PDR more efficiently.
The Internet With the World Wide Web at our finger tips, the sharing of information is almost instant. Back in the day when the internet wasn’t what it is today, I felt lucky to get a few technicians to share ideas about the dent repair business. However, today with numerous web sites dedicated to paintless dent repair, you can gain insight from technicians from all over the world. While some views are self-promoting and skewed in providing accurate direction, you will be able to research such things as trends in dent repair tools and lighting systems for the paintless dent repair business. Additionally, you might find articles and advice for dent repair marketing, PDR pricing, insurance trends for paintless dent repair and hail catastrophe repair. However one thing has not changed and that is unscrupulous individuals still prey on the uneducated. I’d like to think the internet has served to diminish the fly-by-night dent guys who make a pretty site, call themselves PDR mentors and coaches and provide for PDR training videos and off dent repair training when between a hail storm or worse yet on their own dent repair retail route. To offer training, companies must provide certified and audited financials and provide training in a state licensed and approved PDR training center. Obviously most people are unaware of this and “buy the cheapest training from a guy that will tell you what you want to hear.” Buyer beware is something I recommend when shopping for PDR training from the internet and rest assured news will travel fast and that company will soon be gone.
Dent Repair Tools While many of the basic shapes of PDR tools have remained the same, there have been a handful of significant refinements over the years. The steel used to manufacture dent repair tools has improved for greater strength and longevity. When I got into the business, it wasn’t unusual for a tool to possess all the features that Ding King tools possess. They used to look pretty but were flimsy. If it was strong, it would quickly rust. Today the proper blend of alloys has been developed to produce strong and durable tools that last for a very long time. Additionally, with the improvement in metal, smaller tools feature greater strength allowing greater access to difficult to reach areas.
Glue Pulling for Paintless Dent Repair When I first started in PDR, it wasn’t unusual to fix a hail car and have to leave a dent or two because of lack of access. The time we all spend trying to access those dents were exhausting! Today glue pulling for PDR has allowed for us to fix dents and dings in cars quicker and with less access time. While some of the first glue pullers were only used in certain situations, today’s glue pullers allow for more frequent use and have complemented the PDR technician greatly.
These are just a few of the areas that have changed over the past 16 years during my life in the PDR industry. I’m sure the years ahead will bring even more exciting developments!
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