What to look for in an Auto Body shop. Do you expect or assume a quality repair?

There was a time when if you were involved in an auto accident you would wait for thepolice to come, answer their questions at the accident scene, go home if you were able or otherwise have your vehicle towed and explain to your parents or spouse what just happened and that in your own opinion if it was or wasn't yourfault. You would then check your auto policy and make that dreaded call to your agent or the 1-800 claim number. Your next step would be to find a good autobody shop to take your vehicle to. When I was growing up my parents always
magically knew someone in the business whether it was catering, landscaping or
auto body repair. At that point you would take your vehicle to the auto body
shop and cross your fingers that if you had a deductible the shop would waive
it and correctly repair your vehicle to pre accident condition. Times have
changed! With the ever changing technologies and evolution of available smart
phone apps the process is much easier and streamlined. With the invention of
cell phones you can now call your insurance company or agent directly from the
accident scene or simply push a few buttons on your cell phone and enter the
information into an app. What hasn't changed unfortunately is the perception of
quality. Out of aprox 200,000 people that were polled and who had been in an
auto accident in the last 7 years stated that when taking their vehicle to be
repaired post accident they assumed a quality repair rather than expecting one.
You do remember what your parents told you don't you? DON'S ASSUME! It make an;
I'm guessing you know the rest. The fact is that today's vehicles are much more
technically advanced than ever before and to properly repair them you need the
most state of the art equipment. There are no short cuts. A recent study
sponsored by the CIC (Collision Industry Conference) exposed that less than 30%
of all body shops in the U.S. were properly equipped with the necessary
tooling/equipment to make factory like repairs. This is scary and a real
problem in the industry today. The family vehicle usually falls in as your
second largest investment next to your home but even then most people take a
chance and do no research before choosing the right body shop. First, know that in many
states including Pa you have the right
to choose the body shop of YOUR CHOICE and not the ones that the person who
slammed into you referred or your insurance company may offer to send you to.
That being said many insurance referred shops have to meet the high standards
that the insurers set forth so chances are they are better than average. Second, look for up to date industry
certifications such as I-CAR, ASE and vehicle manufacturer Authorizations and
certifications such as Mercedes Benz Factory Certified or BMW Factory
Authorized programs. Shops have to pay to be on these programs and have to not
only invest in the approved equipment needed but also invest in educating their
techs. These types of investments can range from $75,000 to $250,000 and up and
you can bet they take the repair process very seriously. Third, asking a shop to save your
deductible is like asking your parents for a higher allowance without expecting
more chores to do. With profit margins dwindling and the cost of materials
rising the only way a shop can save your deductible is by saving a step or two
and omitting replacement of a part or using a non factory part or parts. Either
way it is you the customer and your vehicle that will ultimately pay the real
price. Fourth, never
pay for an estimate. Almost every shop out there offers free estimates. Fifth, make sure they offer a
lifetime guarantee AND
make sure it's national so if you move out of state you are still covered. Only
shops who utilize their paint company programs can offer this with confidence
and back it up. MSO's (Multi Shop Operators) are a good choice mostly because
they have relationships with many insurers and have the correct tooling and
equipment to properly repair today's vehicles. Sixth, look online and
research the shops you are considering. People will sometimes leave reviews
based on their experience with a given shop. Just read carefully and understand
that in some cases people will leave negative remarks trying to get extra
services or deductibles lowered. Seventh,
ask if the shop utilizes a third party independent verifier of quality such as
VeriFacts. Companies like these are hired to come in and audit the equipment,
materials and processes that are used and shops that use them are very
committed to delivering a quality repair. Eighth, ask your insurance company who they
recommend. This was brought up earlier in a different light but can be positive
being insurance approved shops usually meet all of the criteria put forth by
the insurer. There are many more things you could look for but this will give
you the necessary direction to go in. Happy shopping.