Got fleet needs? 8 Tips to help pick the right body shop.

  

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Do you have vehicles for your business? You have fleet needs.

As a business owner you might not have considered your vehicles as a fleet. If you have more than one or two vehicles for your business you have a fleet. In fact many insurance companies give fleet discounts on or after the third vehicle. Maybe you are an electrician with a couple of vans, or a floral delivery shop, auto parts delivery, or pest control service, whatever your business, you might have a fleet of vehicles that you depend on every day as if it were an actual employee. That vehicle, if it has any type of logo or branding, is a reflection of the quality and care with which you conduct your business.  It is often the first impression one has of your business and no doubt has led to a portion of the revenue you have generated through new business.

Many fleets are incurring additional miles on vehicles due to increased business activity, which has added to fleets' costs with increased repairs and replacement cycling. Complicating maintenance in 2011 was a shortage in the availability of parts following March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan, resulting in many repair delays.

If your vehicle is off the road, it isn’t making you money either from the jobs it isn’t supporting, or the advertising it is no longer generating. Because of downtime, fleets are seeing an increase in rental vehicle expenses. The increased vehicle repair downtime is due, in part, to the fact that many repair shops don't stock a large inventory of parts. Instead, they order only parts they require on a daily basis.

As a business owner you have many professionals you rely on to conduct your business, you have accountants, attorneys, vendors and suppliers. If you are fleet owner we suggest you add “auto body repair shop” to that list of vetted, go-to vendors. You don’t want to wait until your vehicle needs repairs or has been in a collision and scramble to find that partner. You need to find them now and if possible work out an agreement ahead of time.

Here are a few things to consider when looking for your fleet auto body repair partner:

1. Find a shop that is sensitive to the needs of your business. Find one who understands that your fleet vehicle is as important as the rest of the insurance work in their shop. Shops who rely on insurance work are under the gun every day to reduce cycle times and get those cars done first. If your vehicle is a customer pay and not an insurance job, you might be left waiting at the paint booth, or some other step in the process. A good partner will treat your vehicle with the same time constraints as the insurance work in the shop.

2. Find a shop that is capable of supplying you a suitable replacement vehicle to meet your business needs while you vehicle is off the road. Could a mini van substitute your vehicle for a week or two? Do you need something with four-wheel drive?  Make sure your partner can get you what you need ahead of time.

3. Find a shop that can get the parts you need for your vehicle quickly. Do they do business with the right suppliers to get you your parts?

4. Find a shop with the right equipment to fix your vehicle. Can their lift support your dually?  Your airport shuttle vans? Your stake bed? Can the mount tires your size?

5. Find a shop that can meet your refinish needs. Can your vehicle fit in their booth?  Can they match your custom paint? You may consider supplying them with certain paint codes ahead of time.

6. Is the facility large enough to accommodate your vehicle? Will repairing your vehicle cause complications in the shop due to its size limitations? Can your vehicle even fit in their bay doors?

7. Will your shop offer you a discount on parts to earn and keep your business? If you have a decent size fleet, you might become a frequent customer of a shop. A good shop will recognize this and offer your special incentives like parts discounts to attract and keep your business

8. Can your shop also handle routine maintenance needs of your fleet? Alignments can save tires, oil changes save engines. Some shops have a strong mechanical department or might be willing to add a dedicated mechanic depending on the volume of your business. These are all things to consider in negotiating and selecting your new partner.

As you can see, there is a lot to consider in selecting your fleet partner. One factor always remains in business: time=money. Time spent finding a repair partner is time well spent. Orielly collision centers is a dealership shop with locations in Tucson Arizona and now in Green Valley Arizona.  As a dealership shop has certain advantages and can be a great partner for your fleet, and we welcome the opportunity to earn your fleet business.