Quality shop owners would generally prefer to replace a damaged part with an OEM part rather than a used part or an aftermarket part. They know that the part from the original manufacturer will be most likely to fit well and thus save them time and trouble. If they can find a used OEM part in reasonably good condition, this would probably be their second choice. The last choice would be the aftermarket part, possibly manufactured in Taiwan, and often lacking in correct dimensions and useablility.

As a general principle, it might be said that the farther you get from the original source, the more complicated and costly the job will probably be. This may also be true in marketing. The original source of business is the vehicle owner or driver who has just had an accident and is in need of a repair facility. Next removed from that original accident might be the tow company, a police accident report record, or an accident-chasing attorney.

The farthest down the line would be the insurance company, the insurance agent, the vehicle owner’s mechanic or friends and family he or she might turn to for a referral. Interestingly, most shops seem to spend more of their marketing efforts in pursuing these referral sources – the farthest from the original source of the accident. It isn’t surprising, therefore, that getting business from these distant referral sources can be complicated and unpredictable. How might the shop’s marketing person go more directly to the original source? 

Restrictions on Sources

Many shop owners have chosen to have their own tow truck (or trucks) so they have a shot at the business right from the start. In many states, it can be illegal to pay tow truck drivers to direct business to a specific body shop but I still see it done in states whether it is legal or not. 

The next best source of information may be police accident report records, but few states or municipalities permit the general public to have access to this information. Nevertheless, I hear about shops that somehow are able to tap into this potentially direct line to people who have just had an accident. 

Going Directly to the Vehicle

A while back I wrote about some shops that have estimators actively go to parking lots to write estimates to repair visible damage on a business card that they leave on the vehicle. This is simply a numbers game. The more estimators you have writing vast numbers of estimates will result in a proportional number of vehicles coming into the shop.

Other shops market where many small accidents occur daily. Valet parking services ding vehicles all the time and vehicles are damaged in parking lots on a regular basis. While this may not be great business, it is incredibly predictable. Some shops also do rental cars or taxicabs. These are known to pay poorly, but I know one shop that does repairs for several Enterprise Car Rental locations and they tell me that in the long run, the business is profitable.