Najera's daughter Leora Najera and son-in-law Warren Anderson Jr. run the daily operations of the shop. The couple said they keep a close eye to sales goals, which, in part, dictate the direction of the business' operations.

A big part of hitting sales goals is through vehicle scheduling, Anderson said, adding Rocky Mountain has recently implemented CR Auto Scheduler to coordinate production.

"You have to run a business by the numbers," Anderson said. "You can't look at the shop, see it full, and think we're making money."

A tech can have several cars torn down and nothing is getting done, Anderson said; the "in on Monday and out on Friday" mentality doesn't work well.

"We haven't seen typical storms this summer, but business has been great," he said. "Right now, we're two to three weeks out on business. The downside to being scheduled out that long is that you can lose jobs."

About a year ago, Anderson said he asked his father-in-law if they could conduct estimates by appointment only, with the exception of nondrivable hits. At first, Casey Najera hesitated, but eventually agreed to it, he said.

Anderson said he suggested that change for a couple of reasons. First, he said, the average estimate takes a half-hour, which can cost a shop about $150 in associated overhead expenses. Second, he said, "It eliminates the shoppers from the people who really want to fix their cars."

In the customer reception area, a computer terminal was installed so that customers can look at the estimate while it is being prepared. That simple gesture, Anderson said, makes them feel more comfortable and engages them in the process.

A trend that Anderson said he noticed during the repair process is that many times one spouse would drop the car off and the other would pick it up. Inevitably, the spouse picking up the car was confused because the shop didn't fix additional nonaccident repairs, such as paint chips on a hood, he said, adding that he developed a solution for that type of miscommunication.

"We instituted a vehicle check-in," he said. "It's a two-part carbon form." On the form, nonaccident repair suggestions are made, such as paint chips on a hood, dents, and other damage. "It makes us get on the same page with the condition of the car," he said, "It's a good coaching tool."

That has also streamlined communication with technicians, who used to delay the job to inquire if a customer wanted those nonaccident repairs made, Anderson said.

"They check the box (to see) if they want it fixed," he said. "One part goes with the estimate and the other to the tech."

To keep customers in the loop during the repair process, Anderson said he uses AutoWatch.com, a customized Web site that displays pictures of each stage of the repair process.

Anderson said he chose that program for several reasons. "In Boulder County, everybody has access to a computer," he said. "It's one less phone call we have to make.

"The customer typically doesn't understand what the repair process takes," he said. "It helps them understand why it takes so long."

After using AutoWatch for four years, Anderson said he's noticed that customers access the Web site early in the morning before work and after their lunch hour while at work. Many of them show their colleagues, which translates into advertising for the shop, he said.

Along with constant internal changes, Anderson said Najera has positioned the shop to stay competitive by recently signing on with Fix Auto, a nationwide network of independent shops that share common marketing and business practices.

"Unless you start to align yourself with someone bigger than you, you're going to get left behind," he said.

"We believe that there needs to be a network of good independent shops working together," Anderson said. What makes the Fix network stand out is that it has a customer service index (CSI) tracking system, its members have a higher set of benchmarks, and it has negotiating power with vendors and insurers, he said.

The shop also hosts continuing education classes for insurance agents and is a way for them to become acquainted with the shop. The price of admission is a canned good, he said, which the shop matches, then donates to the Outreach United Resource (OUR) Center, an organization that assists families suffering hardships in the Longmont region.

To supplement collision sales, Anderson said the family runs a secondary business, Rocky Mountain Powder Coatings, operated by longtime employee Jack LaCorte.

The large manufacturing base in the Longmont area supports that type of business, which powder coats anything from fly-fishing rod cases to lawn furniture, Anderson said. Unlike larger operators, he said the business will do smaller jobs. If a customer chooses to use liquid coating, the business can handle that, too, with DuPont paint, he added.