CollisionCast: Are You Getting Your Piece of the Customer-Pay Pie?

Focusing on capturing more customer-pay work requires a shift in strategy, as CollisionRight CEO Rich Harrison explains.
Feb. 24, 2026

More drivers these days are choosing to pay out of pocket instead of file an insurance claim.

At FenderBender, we know of some shop owners reporting as much as a 30 percent increase in customer-pay work.

In today’s episode, Rich Harrison, CEO of MSO CollisionRight, explains the reasons for this shift, how this evolution creates both pressure and opportunity, and how shop owners and operators can adjust to this new paradigm, including offering easy financing options.

About the Author

Jay Sicht

Editor-in-Chief, FenderBender and ABRN

Jay Sicht is editor-in-chief of FenderBender and ABRN. He has worked in the automotive aftermarket for more than 29 years, including in a number of sales and technical support roles in paint/parts distribution and service/repair. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Central Missouri with a minor in aviation, and as a writer and editor, he has covered all segments of the automotive aftermarket for more than 20 of those years, including formerly serving as editor-in-chief of Motor Age and Aftermarket Business World. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

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