Grappling with those simpler times

Jan. 1, 2020
There have not yet been any measurable results. No volume increases, or immediate ROI. But the goodwill has been immediate. Callers are no longer frustrated.

There have not yet been any measurable results. No volume increases, or immediate ROI. But the goodwill has been immediate. Callers are no longer frustrated.

The snapping report of a snare drum evokes flashbacks for me to Friday night football games during high school—my pea green ’72 Nova sputtering down a tree-lined drive as players are announced; black cinders of a running track crunching beneath my feet; cheering the occasional big play that draws our attention. It’s been 20 years since then, but the images are vivid.

All of us have visions of simpler moments in our lives. There’s a part of us that yearns for the comfort of yesteryear, when day-to-day hassles of ringing phones and customer demands did not exist. We want and frequently fight for things to remain status quo.

Craig Griffin of Laney’s Collision Centre admits to being one of those people. Operating a shop in the rural town of El Dorado, Ark., Griffin fought the notion that marketing and promotion were necessary. “I remember last year telling another shop owner, ‘We don’t need to advertise. Everybody knows who we are. If they need us they’ll come find us,’” recalls Griffin. Then he and his father, owner Johnny Griffin, latched onto a concept—allowing customers to use the Internet to view their vehicles during the repair process.

Using a system developed by AutoWatch, Griffin’s parts manager photographs vehicles each day and loads those images onto a website (www.laneys collision.com). Customers can see the status of their repairs without calling in (often daily) for a report.

There have not yet been any measurable results. No volume increases, or immediate ROI. But the goodwill has been immediate. Callers are no longer frustrated, wondering when their vehicles will be done. They love seeing the work in progress and commend Laney’s Collision Centre for giving them online access to the repair process. Referrals likely will follow.

The success of this new offering has given Griffin a new perspective on the value of marketing. The shop hired a firm to develop radio and TV spots to keep Laney’s in front of the “country folks” who he assumed were already loyal customers. “We realized we weren’t reaching everybody,” says Griffin.

It’s mentally taxing to upset the applecart by pushing new processes. Entrenched attitudes are hard to change, especially when those attitudes are our own. We’ve conducted business the same way for so long and had some success, so nothing major possibly can be done to improve our operation. Deep down, though, we know it’s futile to stay planted in the past. The very nature of business demands evolution.

Consider the 2005 Ford Mustang (featured on page 40). The original pony car had the same Fox platform since 1979. All that is about to change this fall with a unique suspension, innovative chassis and all-new platform. Some of the age-old repair processes—ones you likely can do in your sleep—are being turned on their head. And that’s going to impact your business.

So what happens if you’re unwilling to look at your shop with innovation in mind? What if you’re unwilling to invest in your business and your personnel? You’ll likely return to that simpler time when business headaches didn’t exist—because nobody will be knocking on your door for a collision repair.

Sponsored Recommendations

Best Body Shop and the 360-Degree-Concept

Spanesi ‘360-Degree-Concept’ Enables Kansas Body Shop to Complete High-Quality Repairs

ADAS Applications: What They Are & What They Do

Learn how ADAS utilizes sensors such as radar, sonar, lidar and cameras to perceive the world around the vehicle, and either provide critical information to the driver or take...

Banking on Bigger Profits with a Heavy-Duty Truck Paint Booth

The addition of a heavy-duty paint booth for oversized trucks & vehicles can open the door to new or expanded service opportunities.

Boosting Your Shop's Bottom Line with an Extended Height Paint Booths

Discover how the investment in an extended-height paint booth is a game-changer for most collision shops with this Free Guide.