It was a long time since I wrote my last tip about the ways to increase income revenue in your bodyshop. This one will tell you how to get extra dollars, euros or pesos by repairing burns, tears, cuts and stains on car parts made of leather, vinyl or fabric.
My primary goal in this post is not to get into technical details, but to give you a few ideas where to earn and how to offer your customers this service. Some of you may say that this is not your job and that it is very difficult. My reply is “no” for both objections. Whatever has to do with car’s appearance, a bodyshop can offer a solution. If many detailing shops offer spot paint jobs, why a collision repair facility can’t offer cosmetic repairs? Do you know that sometimes customers will negotiate persistently about the price of bonnet’s refinishing, while they easily pay high price for their leather seat repair? Take a note here.
Repair kits are the best solution to start with.
First of all, we need to find where to buy all the necessary equipment and professional training. My advice is not to rely solely on the internet. If you find a good price for start up kit (and you should go for a kit rather than a few separate tools and materials), check if you can get quickly some training. Don’t go for DIY kits, which will most likely give amateur results. You are a professional, and all the services you provide must have professional quality results. From my experience, this kind of cosmetic repair jobs may require one or two days training course maximum, but you really need it to avoid expensive mistakes. Remember, don’t mess with clients leather seat!
Some of the best systems in the market (the list is not exclusive, just author’s suggestion)
- Fenice Care System, Italywww.fenicecs.com
- Ayce Systems, UK www.aycesystems.com
- HBC System Smarttool Production, Denmark www.HBC-system.com
- Bradleys Smart International, UK www.bradleysmart.co.uk
- Vinyl Pro, USA www.vinylprosem.com
Before choosing the system, go through the company’s online presence, especially videos on YouTube, read some reviews, ask the sales rep questions about return on investment and cost of consumables.
How to offer car interior repair service?
As any service you provide in the bodyshop, car interior repairs should be also marketed and promoted properly. A few steps should be followed:
- Prepare a brochure with pictures before and after the repair process.
- Inform insurance companies about the new service
- Make a special package with some other service at discounted price
- Post your jobs pictures and videos on a website, Facebook and any other social media channels
- Make a few free repairs to your good customers and friends. Remember word of mouth is the best advertising ever.
To conclude, I really recommend you to consider leather, fabric and vinyl repairs as additional source of income for your bodyshop. Investment is not big, learning cycle is short, and it will create a competitive advantage over your competitors.
