Okay, so you just got in an accident. You’re either A.) Relieved because it wasn’t your fault and no one was hurt, or B.) It was your fault and you’re not obviously in a good mood. Well, take a deep breath and think positive thoughts, because AutoBody-Review.com can provide you with some advice that you can use immediately to find the right body shop for you.
Be Prepared
You don’t need to be a Boy Scout to be ready when an accident does occur. Since the average American gets into a fender bender every 9-10 years, it’s going to happen at some point. So start shopping for a body shop before you need one, because you can make better decisions when you are not rushed or in a panic.
Ask Around
Ask friends and associates for their feedback, because even in this high-tech age, an old-fashioned word-of-mouth recommendation is still as good as gold. Check with your local consumer organizations regarding the reputation of the facility in question. Ask about their number of complaints, if any, and determine how the complaints were resolved.
Check Online
Doing your due diligence online can allow you to cover a lot of territory quickly and easily. Recently, Yelp reviews have been questioned for a wide range of reasons, because in many cases, they’re not authentic or not even from real customers. At AutoBody-Review.com, all of our reviews are 100% authenticated, and never filtered, so by visiting our site; you can rest assured that they’re accurate and unadulterated. We make sure that all of the reviews at AutoBody-Review.com are real, so you’ll never see ones written by former disgruntled employees or by the shop’s competition.
Go There
If time permits, always try to visit any shop you’re considering before making any decision on who will repair your vehicle. Request a tour of the facility and ask a ton of questions. Look for a neat, well-organized shop with modern equipment. Many vehicle manufacturers recommend specific repair procedures and equipment for the repair of their vehicles. Ensure that the facility you choose is trained in these procedures and has the proper equipment. This is the era of certifications, so ask if the shop is certified to work on your vehicle.
Ask Questions
Does the shop have a courteous, helpful staff willing to answer all of your questions? Look for signs of professionalism in the customer service area, civic and community service awards, membership in the Better Business Bureau and customer service awards, for example.
Let’s Get Technical
The backbone of any shop is the competence of its technicians. Also look for signs that the staff is technically competent, such as trade school diplomas, certificates of advanced course work training from I-CAR (the Inter-Industry ASE Conference on Auto Collision Repair, and certifications—a national standard of technician competence issued by the non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
And Use Your Instincts
My father told me that if something doesn’t look kosher, it usually is. If a shop is saying that they’ll pay your deductible or fix other things on your car not included in the insurance, be careful. Always make sure you don’t sign anything until you’ve read it carefully and remember—nothing in this life is truly free!
At AutoBody-Review.com, we post each and every customer review we receive-both good and bad. We never filter our reviews to “help” a body shop look good and our strict processes prevent phony or fake reviews from being posted to our site. For pure, unadulterated and 100% objective reviews, rely on AutoBody-Review.com each and every time.
Ed Attanasio
Editor, AutoBody-Review.com
Ed has been a professional writer for more than 35 years and his specialties include B2B reporting, blogging, ad copywriting, public relations and general editorial.