Fix Auto - Index

Fix Auto - Magazine02-en - Index

Up in that HQ in the sky where insurance decisions are being
made, your local reputation gets lost in the clouds of data and
you can’t hope to compete at that level.
Despite the fact that work quality
may no longer be the critical
measure of success, collision repairers
like to believe their future
is assured by it. However, there’s no denying
the evidence. Despite all the efforts body shop
owners make to deliver excellent work and
satisfy the increasing demands of insurers,
they still can’t find the formula that will work
for them and bring the rewards they deserve.
Given today’s ever-shrinking profit margins,
it’s becoming a matter of urgency to discover
a strategy that can turn things around.
The modern business world is always
promoting the importance of projecting a
commercial image... whether you agree with
it or not. Does your business have any kind
of an image? Does the commercial package
you’re offering properly reflect the quality of
your service? Does your image possess brand
value in the minds of consumers? If consumers
don’t see you as the “Michelin of body
shops,” your losses could start piling up.
Look around you. All over the world, the
modern shopper is conditioned to zero in on
brands. You’re a consumer too. When you’re
confronted with a known and trusted name,
it’s not only easier to choose, but you do so
with a certain amount of pride. You’re not
just buying a set of tires – you’re getting
Michelins.
The body shop industry also bows to this
rule. All your customers, both consumers
and insurers, are drawn to, and made to feel
secure by, your brand.
tHe poWer oF “bob’s
Auto body And pAInt”
Your shop’s name identifies your type of
business. But it doesn’t spell out the promise
you’re making to the customer. That’s
because your shop name is not a brand in
itself. Even if you’ve been known for a long
time in your area, the level of awareness you
enjoy could be just an illusion. Up in that
HQ in the sky where insurance decisions are
being made, your local reputation gets lost
in the clouds of data and you can’t hope to
compete at that level.
Several surveys have shown that no independent
collision repairer gets a level of
awareness above 1.8%. In other words, no
independent, however important, has a
strong enough voice to be heard. To register
on the consumer’s radar and maintain
a true business relationship with insurers,
body shop owners need to get together.
That’s the sole mission of Fix Auto: to bring
a unique value to all those grouped under
its banner.
MARK MAGAZINE || 13