Flat scheduling creates challenges and opportunities.

Take extra steps to sell customer-pay work.

Always put the customer first.

By using all-in-on-Monday scheduling, we are asking for backups.

Avoid writing supplements by acting proactively and preparing a thorough estimate, which involves disassembling the vehicle.

Rising numbers of consumers are asking body shops to "bury" their deductibles, and the practice isn't recommended or it could be insurance fraud.

Whether or not your shop has been hit particularly hard by the nation's economic downturn, the grim financial news is a good reminder to continually look for ways to reduce business expenses – without sacrificing repair quality or customer service.

I'm a fairly demanding customer. As a business owner, I understand that sometimes someone screws up or something fails to happen as it should. But my team and I work hard to make sure this doesn't happen to our customers. If it does, we handle it how we'd expect to be treated. Given that commitment, I expect the companies I do business with – whether personally or through the shop – to do likewise.

No shop owner I've talked to who has instituted better hiring practices – including reference or background checks – has ever regretted that decision.