How to Reduce Rental Car Days and Maximize Profit at Your Auto Body Shop

Generally, most collision repair shops aim to minimize the time drivers spend in rental cars. Not only is doing so good business as far as the driver is concerned, it also helps the repair shop to maintain a favorable relationship with insurance companies. Insurance companies often refer drivers to specific auto body shops that can reliably complete repairs promptly and efficiently.

Without cutting corners on parts or labor, check out several ways that collision repair shops can improve their efficiency and reduce rental car time.

Conduct Pre-Repair Inspections

Given the bevy of interconnected systems in today's vehicles, it's best to conduct a pre-repair scan before any vehicle disassembly begins. The vehicle's systems should have appropriate power and updated software to be of optimal value. Otherwise, you may spend considerable additional time diagnosing and subsequently repairing the vehicle.

Streamline the Repair Process

There are several ways to do this, starting with optimizing the repair process using pre-repair scan data. But more broadly, collision repair shops can effectively streamline their repair process operations by implementing a lean management system, a framework for increasing efficiency by focusing shop operations on adding customer value and eliminating processes that do not contribute to it.

Maintain Effective Parts Management Processes and Systems

Collision repair shops can also reduce repair and rental car time by ensuring efficient inventory management. Even if a shop does not have a dedicated parts manager, regular parts reconciliation, full inventory checks, and procurement from multiple reputable suppliers can help shops improve their parts management.

Ensure Clear Communication Across the Collision Shop

It's impossible to keep repair times down if each staff member is unclear on what they should do. Ensuring that every relevant party knows the details of each job in real-time is crucial to finishing those jobs in the shortest time possible.

Optimize Scheduling Practices and Procedures

Another significant part of reducing rental car days involves scheduling realistic and optimal workflows for all collision repair shop staff and customers. The complexity of today's vehicle repair process makes manual optimization extremely challenging. Effective collision repair shops leverage advanced scheduling software like CR Auto Scheduler^® – Production to improve scheduling efficiency.

Using CR Auto Scheduler^® – Production can help collision repair shops like yours reduce cycle time, balance your workflow, and lower rental car days. This algorithm-powered software can increase data visibility across your shop so that everyone has the info they need when they need it. It can also help you determine the daily mix of repair work necessary to minimize repair times and maximize profits. Contact us today to learn more.