By James Rome | Rome Technologies
I just got back from our annual 20 Group meeting, where some of the top-performing shop owners and operators in the country came together to tackle the challenges we’re all facing. This year, one topic took center stage:
“How do we get more work in the door?”
Even with strong DRP relationships, many shops are down 40–50% in claims year-over-year. And for the first time in a long time, the biggest issue isn’t pulling cars through the shop efficiently—it’s getting them in the first place.
So, I wanted to share some ideas—both tactical and creative—that came out of those conversations. These are real strategies that can help increase your volume without relying solely on insurance programs.
- Improve Your Capture Rate
Let’s start with what you’re already getting.
If you’re not converting at least 70% of your estimate opportunities into repair orders, you’re leaving revenue on the table.
Start by asking:
- How many assignments turned into estimate appointments?
- How many of those estimates became repairs?
- Why didn’t we capture the rest?
Track your reason codes and run retention reports. The insights are probably already sitting inside your management system. If you can improve your capture rate by just 5–10%, that can mean thousands in added revenue each month.
- Supplement Work with Fleet Accounts
Fleet work may not be the highest-margin business, but it fills production gaps—and fast.
Think beyond the usual suspects like Enterprise and Hertz. Start talking to:
- Plumbing & HVAC companies
- Cleaning services (like Merry Maids)
- Local delivery or shuttle businesses
Their pain point? Downtime.
Position yourself as the solution to get their vehicles back on the road quickly—and negotiate a fair rate.
- Build Your Non-DRP Book of Business
Most shops haven’t needed to focus on direct marketing—until now. But the slowdown is a wake-up call.
Start developing your own stream of business:
- Improve your Google Business profile and SEO so customers can find you organically
- Run Google Pay-Per-Click ads to capture high-intent searches
- Launch simple email/text campaigns to past customers asking for reviews or referrals
- Create a basic loyalty program—a free detail or service discount after two visits
Bonus Tip: Go grassroots—sponsor a local event, a high school sports team, or have a booth at community festivals. The goal? Get people to remember your name when they need help.
- Start Data Mining & Targeted Outreach
This one might sound complicated, but it’s not. There are plenty of tools out there that can help you:
- Target specific zip codes or income brackets
- Find drivers of certain makes or models (perfect if you’re OEM certified)
- Mail postcards or ads to high-value neighborhoods
And here’s the kicker:
You can use ChatGPT to write your whole campaign strategy—ads, copy, headlines, everything—in minutes. Just plug in your goals.
You don’t need a giant budget. These are high-ROI, low-cost tactics that most dealers pay thousands a month for—and they’re within your reach too.
- Use Social Media to Show Off Your Shop
If you’re not regularly posting videos and updates, you’re missing a big opportunity.
You have incredible content happening in your shop every day—welding, painting, tear-downs, detail jobs. Pull out your phone, shoot a 30-second clip, and post it. Every time you do, it helps boost your visibility and your Google SEO ranking.
Make sure your body shop has its own Instagram and Facebook pages, separate from any dealer network if you’re part of one.
- Add a Door Jamb Sticker to Every Repair
This is an incredibly simple but powerful idea.
Place a clear QR code sticker inside the door jamb of every repaired vehicle. It links to:
- Your website
- Tow contact info
- Claim submission page
That way, if your customer gets into another accident, you’re the first call. No digging through glove boxes or searching Google. You’re already there.
Pro tip: Partner with your local tow operator—they’ll gladly pay for the stickers if their info is on it too.
- Try Educational or Unexpected Marketing
Here’s something most shops have never considered: driving schools.
Back when I took a defensive driving class, a body shop owner came in to talk about:
- What happens to a car during a crash
- The cost of speeding tickets and accident repairs
- How airbags really deploy
It stuck with me. Today, you could easily record a video and offer it to local driving schools or instructors. They often use outdated material, and your content could bring real value—and bring your shop top-of-mind for new drivers (and their parents).
Final Thought: If They Don’t Know You Exist, They Can’t Choose You
Everything I shared here has one thing in common:
Visibility.
You have to put yourself in front of people before they need a repair. Whether it’s through SEO, social media, direct mail, grassroots sponsorships, or creative outreach—there’s no excuse to sit and wait for the phone to ring.
And best of all? These ideas are low cost, trackable, and completely within your control.
If you want help getting started or figuring out how to integrate any of this into your current system, I’m always here. Even if it’s not directly related to our software, I know the people and tools that can help you succeed.
Because if you win, we all win.
If you have a question about how to improve your shop’s operations and bottom line with ROME Technologies collision management software, feel free to reach out: https://bit.ly/BookDemo_ROME
James Rome, President, ROME Technologies