BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — April showers bring hail damage. This spring, when consumers need auto body repair, they’ll turn to the Yellow Pages. The “Auto Body Repair/Paint” heading receives more than 51 million references annually, with the highest usage levels in April (1).
“The weather is a major determining factor of auto body repair,” said Automotive Service Association President Ron Pyle.
Of the people referencing this heading, 49% need dent, fender, windshield, bumper, or front end work (1). The average dollar amount spent by these consumers is $1,0101.
“The collision repair industry is driven by the consumers’ needs for quality repair and available funds, so in the current economy, consumers are choosing to pay repair costs over purchasing a new car,” Pyle said.
Users of the “Auto Body/Paint” heading are overwhelmingly 18-to-49 year-old single males who rent their residence, live in the Western portion of the United States, and earn between $25,000 and $60,000 a year1.
When referencing the heading, 79% of consumers are looking for a local business (1). Of the 36,000 auto body establishments nationwide, the 50 largest firms account for only 8% of the industry’s $25 billion total revenue (2).
“There are very few national auto body repair franchises,” Pyle said. “The majority of business is done with independently owned establishments, and consumers should look for shops with credentials or affiliations with such groups as the Automotive Service Association, the Better Business Bureau, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) and the Automotive Management Institute (AMI)."
"These associations show the shop’s commitment to customer service and quality repairs. And members of ASA agree to adhere to the association’s Code of Ethics created with consumers in mind," Pyle said.
Larry Small, director of research for the Yellow Pages Association, said, “Independent auto body shop owners know that the Yellow Pages is the major medium used by consumers to find an auto body/painting shop. Thirty-two percent of active buyers refer to the Yellow Pages, which is over three times more than any other medium." (3)
For more information on Yellow Pages headings, visit http://www.ypassociation.org/ .
Sources:
1 Knowledge Networks/SRI, May 2008
2 Bodyshop Business
3 TNS, Media Impact Study, 2007
About The Yellow Pages Association
The Yellow Pages Association is the largest trade organization of a print and digital media industry valued at more than $31 billion worldwide ($14 billion in the U.S.). Association members include Yellow Pages publishers, certified marketing representatives (CMRs) and associate members (a group of industry stakeholders that include Yellow Pages advertisers, vendors, and suppliers).