I recently wrote an article berating shop owners who wasted marketing money on ineffective advertising (which is most of it). I pointed out that few people who have recently been in an accident will look to an ad to find a shop for repairs.

But is there a right time for a shop to advertise? Absolutely, and this may be one of them. Recently newspaper articles and news programs have advised car owners – and especially SUV owners – to be alert to the possibility that they may become a victim of expensive, platinum-laced, catalytic converter theft.

High clearance sports utility vehicles and trucks are often the target of thieves who can remove a converter with a 14-millimeter socket wrench in about 90 seconds. Generally platinum is more valuable than gold. Scrap metal dealers will pay $50 or more for the contents of a typical converter, no questions asked since converters carry no identifying marks. Replacing the unit can cost the vehicle owner $1,000 or more.

Police say the best precaution is parking the vehicle in a garage, but not everyone has that option. The next best safeguard, they say, is welding the converter to the body of the vehicle, making it much more difficult and time-consuming to remove. And who is more qualified to perform the welding operation than your friendly neighborhood body shop? But why bother advertising a simple welding operation that may net only $1000 plus parts?

The rule-of-three again
It may be time to reconsider the old “rule-of-three,” demonstrated when a customer comes back three times for some sort of service and is satisfied with the result. Generally, after three such contacts, he or she becomes a “customer-for-life,” barring any unforeseen difficulties. So is there a way to get a customer to come back three times without hoping he or she has another accident? And better yet, what about getting that customer to come in the first time without having an accident?

I hear shop owners around the country complaining that business is down. New tail lights and other safety measures have reduced accidents, total losses have reduced repair opportunities, and now the price of gas is causing many drivers to drive less, again reducing the possibility of an accident and collision repair. Isn’t it time shop owners decided to reinvent their identity to include a broader range of revenue possibilities?

Some shops reach further
There is a shop in Illinois that specialized in refinishing boats and other marine vehicles. A shop in Northern California horse country specializes in repairing and refinishing horse trailers. I walked into one shop, a while back, where they had filing cabinets drying in the spray booth. When one kind of business dropped, these owners found another way to keep personnel busy and cash coming in.

The general perception of the auto body industry is one-dimensional. Even the name “Collision Center” implies just one activity. And yet every worthwhile shop has some of the finest welding equipment available, computerized measuring capable of measurements down to the millimeter, and the very best of environmentally-contained paint booths. These elements alone qualify most every shop for a much wider variety of services. All that is needed is a shop owner really capable of thinking outside of the box.