The event of an accident can be very stressful. Finding the right auto body shop can be just as excruciating, I hope to alleviate most of your worries in this article explaining what makes a good (if not great) auto body shop and how you can find the right one for you.

The best auto collision shops are determined by the quality of the work/materials that are applied and the overall timeliness of the work. Quality can be separated by two different attributes (1) parts/materials and (2) workmanship. The quality of factory OEM parts far exceeds that of the aftermarket. Sure, aftermarket products are cheaper, but that’s what’s happening to your vehicle, too: it’s “getting cheaper.” In short, the materials used are of poor quality, this problem is magnified with warped parts due to terrible molds. A good store will avoid this route by any means necessary. With a factory OEM part, the vehicle owner maintains the value of their car, along with its structural durability. The bondo, primer, and paint required to repair your vehicle must be of the highest quality to produce the best end product. Most auto body shops have converted to environmentally safe water-based paint, and only a good auto body shop will offer a lifetime warranty on these paint jobs.

The quality of workmanship is a significant factor in the final result of a vehicle. Starting with properly trained technicians who must be certified in their automotive field of work (iCar, PPG, etc.). Your experience also plays a bigger role, for example, we have employees with diverse related backgrounds in mechanics, engineering, and custom manufacturing. This helps when a quick understanding of a vehicle with custom modifications is needed. A good collision repair shop will also be knowledgeable on all major car models, including old and new.

The slow repair process of a workshop can sometimes be unintentional. Insurance companies are required to pay within 10 days of receiving the claim, but this is not always the case; Insurance companies avoid payment by dodging phone calls to “run you down.” A good store will advocate for their customer and deal directly with insurance. This is not to be confused with a “direct repair shop” or a “preferred supplier” shop that works with insurance to save them money and devalue your vehicle with aftermarket parts to insure the job themselves. A good shop will advocate for their customer against the insurance company to receive optimal repair coverage for their vehicle. Once the correct claim calculation has been made, a well-established body shop will order the necessary parts to repair the vehicle as soon as possible. It is important to do this immediately to avoid back orders, shipping delays, or any other issues that may occur (such as the wrong part showing up). Overall turnaround time is determined by the amount of work needed on the vehicle, delays caused by insurance and parts companies, and the effectiveness of the auto collision repair shop.

A great way to determine how effective a body shop operates is to use review sites. Yelp is a great way to see how well a collision repair shop is doing. You will most likely be able to check the time or quality of a business based on the reviews created for that specific store. Another way to find reviews about a store is to use Facebook or Google Reviews. While these sites aren’t as trustworthy as Yelp (due to superior algorithm features), they can give you more insight into how well that specific collision repair shop is doing. Try to use your best judgment and don’t always trust every review. Remember that you have the option to choose the body shop you want! Don’t be fooled by your insurance company or anyone else. Do your research and educate yourself, and I promise you’ll be satisfied with your newly repaired vehicle.