Don’t Rely On Just Insurance Work; Now Is The Time To Diversify.

The body shop industry has a serious problem on its hands in 2021. Working with insurance companies has always been tough except for some of the most veteran shops in the industry, but post-COVID has presented a whole new set of problems; parts availability. 

In 2020 the supply chain from manufacturing to shipping has been dealt a severe blow, and we are still feeling the ripple effects in late 2021, and there is no foreseeable end in sight.  

So what is a body shop to do? Well, we think we might have the answer for you. But it does require an open mind.

Car Detailing

Almost all body shops already practice some sort of car detailing, whether that be giving the car a final buff before giving it to the customer or offering something a little more in-depth.  

Investing a little more money into a detailing department has proven beneficial for several shops. Not only are they able to offer more services to their customers, increasing their bottom line, but they are also able to increase the quality of standard body shop stuff like sanding and polishing dirt nibs, orange peel, etc. 

Expanding your detailing department doesn’t have to be expensive either; sending an employee to reputable training costs around $3,000 and then getting proper equipment can vary anywhere from a couple thousand to rarely over ten thousand.  

By offering interior detailing services and your standard exterior services, you will start to pull in non-insurance customers. This gets them familiar with your business so that when the inevitable accident does happen, they know exactly who they want to go with. 

Offering ceramic coatings is also a way to turn standard detailing into big-ticket items. On average, a shop can charge around $1,000 depending on the grade of ceramic coating installed (typically measured in years of durability) and the level of polishing the customer wants.

Peelable Paint

No, it’s not Plasti-dip. This is the Pro version. 

Peelable paint has been around for a little while now, and the products have advanced dramatically since the beginning.  

Peelable paint, or as it is sometimes referred to, liquid wrap, used to take ages to apply, was hard to peel, and didn’t look great. 

Now it is bringing in a lot of extra revenue for shops that have adopted the technology. 

There are many brands out there, but ClarityCoat has the most extensive global reach, the fastest to apply, and the least amount of product. This means that no matter where you are in the world, there is a good chance there is already a Distributor available to sell you product. If there isn’t, now is a great time to get in with the company before the market gets snatched up.  

So what can a ClarityCoat offer a body shop? Body shops using ClarityCoat can now offer colour changes and clear protection without investing tons of money into training and tooling. 

Colour changes? Why wouldn’t you just repaint the car? Well, how many customers do you have that would pay for a full repaint outside of insurance? That’s right, not many. Most of the cost of doing a complete repaint is in the labor of doing the prep work. With ClarityCoat, you cut out most of that prep work because there is NO sanding of the OEM paint. All that is needed is a good degreasing regiment. 

Think of doing colour changes like a replacement to doing vinyl wraps on cars. It’s for the customer who doesn’t want something permanent and doesn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a repaint.

Clear Protection

You can also offer ClarityCoat in clear protection as well; this would be in place of providing your customer PPF (paint protection film) or clear bra. 

ClarityCoat is almost perfectly clear, offering excellent protection without any compromise on the looks of the car. Because it is sprayed on, there are no seams or edges visible to the customer.  

You can also sand and polish ClarityCoat to get any finish the customer desires. Giving you incredible versatility over what you can charge the customer.

Conclusion

The industry needs to change, and there has been no better time to look at other options for a body shop. Yes, it will involve some trial and error, but as the old saying goes, ‘don’t put all of your eggs into one basket’ we are seeing that this certainly rings true for this industry.  

For more information about ClarityCoat, you can visit our homepage: claritycoat.com. 

For information on how to become an Installer, visit: claritycoat.com/become-an-installer/ 

To see a playlist on ClarityCoat being applied in a variety of situations, visit: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWCzjMS7-M6Te7EoGURarWS_noiULkS5v.