As you’re aware, autobody departments or collision centers are part of many dealerships in North America. Of more than 225 million licensed drivers in the United States, the number of motor vehicle accidents exceeds 6.3 million collisions annually.

What does that say? It screams loud and clear that a segment of your customers will need a collision repair shop every year. For some, it’s more than once.

Do you dutifully provide collision repairs at your store? Or do you use this department as an asset; an opportunity to increase business in all departments? I know that everywhere I’ve been, the autobody department is treated like a red-headed stepchild (no offense intended to stepchildren or redheads).

The Common In-Dealership Perspective

Perform your own analysis. Ask your dealership staff, family, friends, and anyone else who will give you an honest answer about what they think about the body shop. Almost everyone will range from apathetic and neutral to adverse and unfavorable. It isn’t that the department has done anything wrong. In fact, people who work in the body shop get mad respect from me – you do a phenomenal job despite pushback from insurance adjusters, customers, and other dealership departments.

The simple truth is that the body shop isn’t viewed as an asset. Even among dealership employees, it’s seen as the least important part of the store. Not only is that view completely incorrect, the body shop is an asset that can provide more value than you’d ever expect.

Boast About Certifications

As a dealer franchise, you can stand on the fact that your body shop has certified, trained professionals. They use OEM parts wherever possible. There’s a higher standard expected of dealership body shops in the industry, and you should mention that whenever you talk about collision repairs with a customer.

For salespeople, that’s as important when you’re showing pre-owned cars. If a vehicle has a claim on its vehicle history report, it’s an opportunity to brag about your body shop’s skill and expertise in performing that kind of repairs. Same goes for scratch and dent repairs. Use the body shop as a positive, not a department to avoid.

Sales-to-Body Shop Handoff

Speaking of which, have you ever introduced a customer to your body shop when delivering a new or used vehicle? There’s a significant chance that, during a customer’s vehicle ownership, they or someone they know will be involved in an accident. During the delivery is an ideal opening to show pride in your body shop’s workmanship and customer service.

Body Shop-to-Sales Handoff

And the reverse is true too. More often than you would expect, a customer is ready to buy a new car as soon as they’ve needed collision repairs. The new car luster has been lost; they don’t trust their car as much anymore.

A body shop can take great pride in properly repairing the damage on a claim while embracing the window to get the customer into a new car. All it takes is a passing question like, “Have you been thinking about getting something new or different? Since your car is going to be here anyway, why not check out the new models in the showroom?”

Collision repairs have notoriously thin margins, but the body shop’s value isn’t solely on the money it earns. You can use it to your advantage.

Increase your advertising budget for the body shop above the $0 norm in the industry. It’s about brand recognition, retaining customers, and recapturing defectors. By making your body shop known in your locale, you can drive traffic onto the lot.