Get creative in marketing to customers

• Christmas cards, birthday cards, anniversaries, get well soon… You have some of this information on past customers, in your computer. Overwhelm them with thoughtfulness.

• Create ways to get folks through your doors. An independent shop's suggestion: "We look for ways to get people through our doors to sell them on our services. Car rental is one $50,000/year service we provide that keeps our office doors constantly swinging. Most shops don't realize that rental cars are additionally a great way to manage unexpected delays; if the fault is ours, we can turn their rental car into a loaner."

• Create and distribute to everyone passing through your office an attractive line-item card of "additional services" you provide. Ours are attractive, in color, were created and printed in-house, and cost only pennies. And they sell our services like crazy.

• Shop anniversaries. Whether yearly or every 5 or 10 years, promote this event in your local newspaper and business journals. Several of our local supplier businesses have agreed to supply many give-aways for our anniversary this year. Buy a large sheet-cake, soft drinks, candy and nuts. Show potential customers around your shop, sell them on your services, your reputation, and your friendliness and desire to serve them.

• Webpage. This is a must in this day and age. Ours is still under construction.

•1-day/year free oil changes, head- light alignments, bulb replacement, whatever - with any donations given to charity. A local supplier is providing all parts for free.

• Sponsor ball teams, swim teams, plays, horse-clubs, library, performing arts - use your imagination!

•High school scholarships. Our shop name is given a moment of undivided attention by an auditorium full of parents and teen drivers each year at graduation time. Cost? A $300 scholarship for a young person continuing in secondary automotive industry education.

• Contact customers to inform them of automotive updates and service bulletins that affect them. Again, you have computerized information on who owns what kind of car.

• Press releases. Local newspapers and business journals love to print who you just hired, what you just purchased, etc. Press-releases are free, widely read, and keep your name out in front of everyone.

• Inform potential customers of their insured motorist rights. These pamphlets cost little, and inform folks that its their right to use the shop of their choice, that they only need one estimate, etc. Purchase them from your state collision association.

•Write an automotive column for your local newspaper/trade journal. Yes, you can write an informative column that will generate publicity for your shop. The response from mine has been great. Tell them what to be wary of, how to deal with insurers, what's new, what you love about this industry, whatever. It's free advertising, editors love consumer-information pieces, and your shop becomes a household word.

• Advertise in your local Chamber of Commerce newsletter and Val-Pack.

• Do public relations canvassing. Periodically visit insurance agents, automotive service provider businesses, parts houses - anyone and everyone who knows people in need of the services you provide.

• Diversify. It's amazing how many collision repairers can't seem to think outside the box.

•R un a squeaky-clean operation. Honest, above-board relations impress your customers and are not forgotten.

• Seek legal means to stop insurer anti-competitive practices. The Consumer is the key. Without consumers, insurers go broke. Insurers dread the wrath of consumers, and punitive class-action lawsuits hang their dirty laundry out for all to see.

• Network with other non-DRP shops. There is a wealth of strength, great ideas that work, and support, in networking with other independent shops.

One excellent source of independent shops is the Coalition for Collision Repair Excellence (theCCRE) www.theccre.com. CCRE sponsor-members are dedicated to creating an open and competitive collision repair marketplace based on top quality workmanship, rather than on pseudo insurer relationships.

Dick Strom, Modern Collision Rebuild, 9270 Miller Road, NE, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110; (206) 842-3621; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it