Reader question: the insurer keeps steering our customers to another shop. Can marketing fix that?
A body shop owner asks how to keep customers the insurer tries to send elsewhere. What to say on the phone, the website and Google before the claim call.
"We do good work and our reviews are solid. But half the time a customer calls us, then calls their insurance company, and the adjuster talks them into the insurer's preferred shop. We never see them again. Is there anything marketing can do about that, or is it just how the business works now?"
This is one of the most common complaints we hear from independent body shop owners. The short answer is yes, marketing can help. Not by fighting the insurer. By reaching the driver first and giving them the words they need when the adjuster calls.
Why it happens
Most drivers have never filed a collision claim before. They are stressed, the car is undrivable or ugly, and they want someone to tell them what to do. The adjuster sounds official. When the adjuster says "we have a shop we work with that guarantees the repair," the driver hears an instruction.
Many drivers do not know they can usually choose where their car is repaired. Rules vary by state, so check your own state insurance department's consumer page for the exact wording. But the general idea is common: the policyholder decides where the car goes.
Your marketing job is to make sure the driver knows that before the adjuster call, and has a reason to say your name.
Fix 1: say it on your Google profile
Your Google profile is where most of these drivers find you. The median body shop has 54 reviews, and 34.2% have 100 or more, so the listing is crowded. What sets yours apart is clarity.
Add a profile post and a line in your business description like this:
"You choose the shop, not the insurance company. We work with all major insurers and handle the claim paperwork for you."
Then add a Q&A entry on the profile: "Do I have to use the shop my insurance recommends?" Answer it in plain words and point to your state's consumer page. The Google Business Profile guide walks through posts and Q&A for body shops.
Fix 2: put it on the website, above the fold
Body shops with a website hold a median of 91 reviews, against 21 for those without one. The site also gives you room to explain the insurance process, which a profile cannot.
Build one page called something like "Working with your insurance." Keep it short:
- You can choose your repair shop.
- Call us first. We will help you open the claim.
- We send photos and the estimate to the adjuster directly.
- We handle supplements if hidden damage shows up.
- We guarantee our repairs for as long as you own the car.
That last one only goes up if it is true. If your warranty is different, write your real terms. The website essentials guide covers the other pages the site needs.
Fix 3: change what you say on the first call
The first phone call is where you win or lose this customer. Most shops answer the question asked, give a time for the estimate, and hang up. Add two sentences:
"One thing to know. When you call your insurance company, they may suggest one of their shops. You can still choose us. Just tell them you want the car at [shop name] on [street], and we will take it from there."
Then text them your address and that same line, so they have it on screen during the adjuster call. That one text answers the moment the adjuster tries to steer them.
Fix 4: give them a reason to insist
"You can choose" is permission. Drivers also need a reason. Pick the one that is true for your shop and say it on every call:
- Factory certification for the brand they drive.
- A lifetime warranty on workmanship.
- A loaner or rental arranged at drop-off.
- Photo updates by text during the repair.
- Your reviews, by name: "We have [your count] reviews on Google. Look us up."
The photo updates line works especially well. It answers the real fear, which is not knowing what is happening to their car.
Fix 5: catch the calls you are losing
Many of these drivers call two or three shops in a row. If yours goes to voicemail while the estimator is under a car, the next shop gets the chance to coach them first. Run a typical week through the calculator to see what a missed estimate call costs you. A text-back that fires within a minute, with the "you choose" line in it, holds the driver until you call back. The missed calls guide has the wording.
What marketing cannot do
It cannot stop the adjuster from making the pitch. Some drivers will still go with the preferred shop because it feels easier. That is fine. Your aim is to win the drivers who would have chosen you if someone had told them they could.
Track it for a month. Ask every customer who books, "Did your insurance suggest another shop?" If more of them say "yes, but I came here anyway," the messaging is working.
The short answer
Say "you choose the shop" on the profile, the website and the first call. Text it to them before the adjuster calls. Give them one true reason to insist. Answer every call fast.
If you want help setting this up, the free 14-day trial covers any service, no card required. Text or call (385) 213-1580.
Steven has spent the last several years running growth campaigns for local service businesses, auto body and collision shops among them, and builds the benchmark datasets on this site from public Google listings. About the editor