The estimate is written. Now keep the car from going to another shop.
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 a 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.
A pipeline that fits a auto body shop
Puffly’s pipeline is yours to name. Here is one way a 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, can draft these messages and line up who to call next. Outreach waits for your approval unless you choose otherwise.
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.
Questions from auto body shops
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.
Puffly for related trades
Start with the free CRM.
Leads, contacts, deals, tasks and your own branded lead form cost nothing. No card to start. Bring your leads in from a Google Sheet or add them by hand.
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