What Collision Repairers Should Do When the Parking Lot Isn't Full

A few weeks ago, I decided I was finally going to clean my garage. I finally had an unplanned Saturday morning. Like many ambitious projects, it started with confidence and a cup of coffee at 7am. Three hours later, I had somehow managed to create a larger mess than the one I started with. Every tool and both motorcycles that I owned in this “golf cart” garage was scattered across the driveway. Boxes were open. Dust was everywhere and bad weather was threatening. My wife came out of the house…looked at the disaster, and asked, “So...when does the cleaning part begin?” She had a point. Before things get organized, they often look worse.

The collision repair industry is experiencing a similar season right now. I have had conversations with a number of shop owners across the country who have shared they are seeing fewer vehicles come through the door. The phones aren't ringing quite as often. Parking lots that have been overflowing for several years now have empty spaces. They're concerned, but after 40 in this business, I've learned something important: slow times are not necessarily bad times. In many cases, they're opportunity times.

Industry Cycles Always Change

One advantage of spending four decades in collision repair is perspective. I've seen recessions, insurance market shifts, labor shortages, parts shortages, economic booms, and economic downturns. Through all of it, one thing has remained remarkably consistent: the cycles always change. There are seasons when every shop in town is overloaded. Then there are seasons when everyone wonders where the next job is coming from. Eventually, however, the work returns. It always has.

Hard Insurance Market

I have a unique perspective on this issue because, in addition to operating a collision repair business, I am also a licensed insurance producer. The reality is that the insurance industry is facing significant challenges. Premiums have increased substantially, underwriting standards have tightened, and many consumers are finding it more difficult and expensive to obtain or maintain coverage.

Insurance carriers are placing greater emphasis on risk management than at any time in recent memory. Properties are being inspected more frequently, underwriting reviews are more common, and policyholders with multiple claims may experience premium increases, coverage restrictions, or non-renewal decisions. In some cases, consumers are finding fewer coverage options available to them after filing claims.

Our agency owner refers to the current environment as a "hard insurance market." In a hard market, insurers focus on improving profitability by carefully managing risk, controlling claim costs, and tightening underwriting requirements. As a result, many policyholders become more cautious about filing claims because they are concerned about future premiums, policy eligibility, or the availability of coverage.

These market conditions extend beyond the insurance industry itself. Collision repair facilities are experiencing downstream effects as consumers delay repairs, seek lower-cost alternatives, or become more sensitive to out-of-pocket expenses. Understanding the broader insurance environment helps explain many of the challenges repairers are encountering today.

Fewer Cars, More Complex Repairs

Many shops are seeing fewer repair orders but larger repair values. As you know, modern vehicles are loaded with cameras, sensors, radar systems, and advanced materials that make today's repairs far more complex than ever before. Vehicle count may be down. Complexity certainly isn't. Take a lesson from the insurance industry: pay attention to the details. Deep-dive into those OEM repair procedures, understand every required operation, and document your repairs thoroughly.

During slower times, every vehicle is an opportunity to improve repair planning and capture every legitimate dollar associated with a safe and proper repair.

The shops that master repair procedures today will be better positioned when repair volume returns tomorrow.

Working On the Business Instead of In the Business

When our business slows. We spend time cleaning, organizing, maintaining equipment, reviewing procedures, training, and improving administrative processes. In short, we work on the business instead of simply working in the business. When shops are overwhelmed with work, nobody has time to reorganize a parts room or evaluate workflow. Slow periods provide something busy periods rarely offer: time to improve.

The Front Office Deserves Attention, Too

This is the perfect time to review repair authorizations, repair contracts, customer intake procedures, scheduling practices, and standard operating procedures. A slowdown allows leadership to walk through every step of the customer journey, identify bottlenecks, eliminate waste, and create greater consistency. Often the biggest improvements in profitability and customer satisfaction come from improving the process rather than increasing car count. It's also a great time to dive deep into your finances and remove waste or review those vendor agreements.

Invest in Training While You Have the Time

We purposely create time for our team to spend time reviewing OEM repair procedures, studying repair methods, and understanding not only what needs to be done, but why it needs to be done. We have also been considering keeping more and more sublet operations in house and investing in equipment and training…and practicing during slower times. Every procedure we learn today makes us more efficient tomorrow. During slow periods, training isn't an expense. It's an investment.

See Your Shop Through the Customer's Eyes

Today's consumers expect convenience, transparency, communication, and a process that makes sense. Sometimes the biggest improvements in a business have nothing to do with repairing vehicles. Sometimes they're about answering phones better, communicating more clearly, reducing paperwork, and simplifying customer interactions.

Championships Are Often Earned in the Offseason

As I finish writing this article from Milwaukee, I can't help but think about baseball. Yesterday, we attended a Brewers-Phillies game, and the Brewers came away with the win. They're having a strong season, but that success didn't start on game day. It started months earlier through preparation, practice, training, and attention to detail.

Collision repair is no different.

Customers don't see the training sessions, the organized parts room, the updated SOPs, or the process improvements. What they do experience are the results: better communication, improved quality, greater consistency, and a smoother repair experience.

The shops that use slower periods to prepare are often the ones that perform best when business picks up again.

Preparing for the Return of Demand

People will continue driving vehicles. Vehicles will continue to be damaged. Consumers will continue to need qualified repair professionals. The demand will return. The question is not whether work will come back. The question is whether your shop will be better when it does.

Use This Time Wisely

The shops that emerge strongest from a slowdown are rarely the ones that spent their time worrying about the market. They're the ones that spent their time preparing for it. So if your parking lot isn't quite as full as it was last year, don't waste the opportunity. Clean the shop. Train your team. Organize the parts room. Review your processes. Audit your SOPs. Study OEM procedures. Improve the customer experience.

Slow times don't define great shops. What they choose to do during slow times does.