Many dealerships overlook the body shop as a profit center and don't understand building this business is critical and process driven. The first process that must be performed consistently is to have service advisors perform a walk around when the customers bring a car into service. During the walk around when they noticed damage they should ask the customer if they would like a no cost estimate to repair this damage. It is a wonderful way to professionally show the customer damage before it enters your shop and build additional repair order counts at the body shop. The more estimates that are given to customers the more repair orders will be written. It is a wonderful suggestion to have an old panel pulled off a wreck with one half of it repaired leaving the other half damaged. This panel should be visible to service customers as they bring their vehicles in to the Department. This will show them you have a body shop and give an example of the quality repairs that are performed at your dealership. The body shop manager should also do monthly visits to local insurance agent staffs giving small items such as tissues or cookies with the dealerships name on them. Developing these relationships will send many vehicles into the body shop on a consistent basis. I had one client recently state they should stop making the visits because the shop was so busy. The reality is when a shop is slow it's too late to begin building relationships. This must be done on a consistent basis and if done will build body shop repair order counts. Don't forget to contact the fleet management companies as most of these distribute vehicles when wrecked to be repaired and become a preferred vender. We must also always be looking for direct repair relationships with all major insurance companies.