Tips for choosing the right Auto Body Shop

Choosing the right auto body shop can be a daunting task.  Your vehicle is one of your most costly investments and getting the body and cosmetic repairs done right, the first time, is of prime importance.  Many people simply look for the cheapest shop.  This could be a big mistake in most cases.

While cost is important, there are at several other factors to consider when making your choice of auto body shops.

1.  Word of Mouth.  Simply put, people’s opinions really do matter.  Does the shop have a reputation for providing quality service?  How long have they been in business?  Are insurance companies willing to work with them?  It is pretty easy today to get a fairly good assessment of a shop’s competence and quality of work just by “googling” their reputation.  Sometimes established companies may just be getting underway with a web-presence and don’t yet have much of a reputation online.  They may still, however, be a good choice.  You simply need to see some of their work and hear it from some of their previous customers.  Do your homework!
   
   
2. Experience and Facilities.  This one does not take a seasoned mechanic or a specialist’s eye.  It really is as simple as looking around the establishment.  Are they orderly in their routine?  Do they appear to have nice, well-kept equipment?  Are the workers courteous and seemingly responsible?  Again, this is not rocket-science.  A simple stroll around the parking lot with an interest in what’s going on could be worth hundreds of personal opinions.
   
   
3. Warranty and Terms.  Does the shop and management stand behind their work?  Can you get a written warranty on the work and, if so, for how long?  Warrantied work for at least one year is a must while many shops offer even longer terms.  But, even if there is a warranty, you want to make sure you’ve done your due diligence (see #1 and #2 above) because making warranty claims can sometimes be not just a hassle, but a downright “pain in the rear”, particularly if the shop management is hard to deal with and not customer service-oriented.
   
   
4. Lastly, and possibly least… Cost.  Cost is obviously important.  Many shops are able to combine services in house (auto repair, collision repair, and towing, for example) thereby bringing the total costs to the consumer down because they are able to cut out the “middle man”.  It can become very costly for your repair work to be “piecemealed”.  So if your collision damage also includes damage to the vehicle’s engine, drive train, or other mechanical systems, you will want to seek out a shop that has multiple services available on-site.
   
   

With a little due diligence and research upfront, you can choose the right body shop to ensure you do not have any need to repeat the process by having to correct for shoddy work or overly expensive repairs that could have been done right the first time.