Auto body CRM that follows up on every lead
The estimate is written. Now keep the car from going to another shop.
Auto body CRM for an auto body shop holds quotes, follow-up and missed-call text back. Auto body shops use it for the jobs that already fill the week. Most drivers have never needed a body shop, so they read reviews and look at photos of. The CRM is free to start. Text-back comes with Ascended, $449 a month.
Puffly tracks every collision estimate, tow yard contact and adjuster relationship, and Puff tells you who is waiting on a call.
Where auto body shop leads come from
People searching after a fender bender
Most drivers have never needed a body shop, so they read reviews and look at photos of finished work before calling.
Insurance adjusters and referral programs
Some cars arrive because an insurer or an adjuster pointed the customer your way, and that relationship needs upkeep.
Tow companies sending wrecks
The driver who tows a car often suggests where it goes, so a friendly tow operator is a real source of work.
Dealers wanting cosmetic work
Used car lots need dents, bumpers and paint touch ups on a rolling basis, and they pick the shop that turns cars around.
What slow follow up costs an auto body shop
A collision customer is stressed and dealing with an insurance company at the same time. An estimate that sits, or a customer left guessing about a parts delay, pushes people to shop the job. Repairs take a while, so silence in the middle feels like neglect, and it shows up in reviews.
Auto body CRM features: quotes, follow-up and missed-call text back
Puffly's pipeline is yours to name. Here is one way an auto body shop could lay it out.
- Estimate requestedThe customer sent photos or dropped the car off for a walk around.
- Estimate sent, insurer reviewingThe write up is with the owner and possibly with an adjuster, and nobody has approved yet.
- Approved, waiting on partsYou have the go ahead and the parts are on order, which is where updates matter most.
- In body and paintThe car is on the shop floor and the customer wants to know when it will be done.
- Ready for deliveryThe car is finished, detailed and waiting for the walkthrough with the owner.
Follow up moments worth a reminder
Estimate sent, customer waiting to hear from their insurance adjuster
"Hi, checking in on the estimate. If the adjuster has questions about the numbers, have them call me directly and I will walk through it."
Car has been in the shop a week and a bumper cover is delayed
"Hi, quick update on your car. The bumper cover is running a few days late from the supplier. I will text you as soon as it arrives and give you a new pickup date."
Customer picked up their car three weeks ago
"Hi, how is the paint looking? If you have a minute, a review helps other drivers find us. Here is the link."
Puff, your AI teammate, drafts these messages and lines up who to call next. You approve or edit each draft, even from a phone notification, and you get 10 seconds to cancel before it sends.
The shape of the year
Ice, snow and the first heavy rain bring a wave of fender benders, and hail season can fill the whole shop. Fall brings deer collisions in many areas. Slow stretches are for reconnecting with tow operators, adjusters and dealers who send work.
Missed calls and after-hours calls
Auto body work misses calls because the person who would answer is already with a customer. Most drivers have never needed a body shop, so they read reviews. The next caller rarely leaves a voicemail they trust. They phone another auto body shop and book whoever picks up.
Missed-call text back covers that gap. The call still rings your phone first. If you do not pick up, the caller gets one text in your words, with your business name and a reply STOP line, and the missed call is saved as a lead. Consent and quiet hours still apply. If no text goes out, the call says why. It comes with the Ascended plan at $449 a month.
Ice, snow and the first heavy rain bring a wave of fender benders, and. That is when an unanswered phone costs the most jobs. An AI receptionist can pick up, take the details and book a time when you allow it. Each call ends as Booked, Message, Transferred or Failed. Text back is the written reply. Many auto body shops use both.
Auto body lead follow-up, step by step
Auto body lead follow-up is a short sequence, not a pile of reminders. Work the deal in this order, and write the date on it before you leave.
- Estimate requestedCapture it the day it arrives. The customer sent photos or dropped the car off for a walk around. A auto body lead that stays in a private text is the one that goes cold by Thursday.
- Estimate sent, insurer reviewingSend the number with the day you will check back. The write up is with the owner and possibly with an adjuster, and nobody. Put that check on the auto body deal so it does not depend on memory.
- Approved, waiting on partsWhen they say yes, book the date and write what you promised. You have the go ahead and the parts are on order, which is where. The customer should see the same facts you do.
- In body and paintDo the work, then say what happens next in one message. The car is on the shop floor and the customer wants to know when. A short update prevents the call that asks if you forgot them.
- Ready for deliveryAfter the job, ask for the review or the next visit while it is fresh. The car is finished, detailed and waiting for the walkthrough with the owner. Then close the loop on the record.
If a auto body shop step sits still, Puff can draft the next message and send it to your phone to approve or edit. Nothing Puff drafts goes out until you say so. The list itself is free to start.
Jobs, seasons and objections for an auto body shop
Treat each source as its own next step. A auto body week usually mixes People searching after a fender bender, Insurance adjusters and referral programs, Tow companies sending wrecks, Dealers wanting cosmetic work. Write the source on the deal when you create it, along with the customer's words, so Monday's list shows a new ask apart from a repeat customer. Most drivers have never needed a body shop, so they read reviews and look at photos of finished work before calling. Some cars arrive because an insurer or an adjuster pointed the customer your way, and that relationship needs. The point of the list is that those two do not get the same follow-up.
The deals that stall sound ordinary. Estimate sent, customer waiting to hear from their insurance adjuster A useful reply names the job: "Hi, checking in on the estimate. If the adjuster has questions about the numbers, have them call me. Car has been in the shop a week and a bumper cover is delayed "Hi, quick update on your car. The bumper cover is running a few days late from. Save those as tasks on the record. A busy afternoon should not be what erases them.
Auto body CRM FAQ
Does Puffly replace my estimating software?
No. Keep your estimating system for parts and labor. Puffly is for the customer and referral side, like who is waiting on an approval and who has not called in a while.
Can I track the tow yards and adjusters who send me work?
Yes. Add them as companies and contacts, note what they send, and set tasks to check in.
Can Puff send repair updates?
Puff can draft the update and you approve it, so you are not typing the same message about a parts delay ten times.
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