Taking your car to an auto body shop can be an overwhelming experience. If you love your vehicle and want to preserve its body, choosing a good auto body repair shop is as if you’re trying to find a needle in a haystack.
However, not all mechanic shops you see can offer excellent services without cutting corners. Certain shops even tend to have lazy staff members who end up causing delays during the repair process.
This should not discourage you, though. The good news is there are several signs to look for if you want to make sure you’re choosing the right collision repair shop. Listed below are a few of them:
Rude Attitude
Excellent customer service is essential if you want to turn your one-time client into a long-term customer. Never deal with technicians (staff) who are impolite, apathetic, or rude. The attitude they display usually represents the quality of work they will do on your vehicle. If the technicians (staff) show a sign of unprofessionalism and they don’t treat you right, then it’s time to move to a different professional.
Constant Delays
Delays are very normal—there will be instances when your body shop encounters unexpected issues that will make them a few hours or even days late.
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However, there’s also such a thing as “too many” delays. If your chosen shop keeps missing the estimated completion date, consider getting your vehicle to a more reliable repair center.
Service Rate Changes
The prices given to you should be final. While it might not be too bad to spend money on unexpected repair costs, your body shop should stick to the estimates and avoid constant price changes. The initial low price may be a tactic to get you in the door. Once they’ve gotten your car, they will likely continue hiking up the prices to earn more money from you.
Evasiveness
Asking for an estimate is every customer’s right, especially in major services. The body shop should be able to give you a written copy of their estimated rates. Having this document protects you from outrageously high prices during the repair. If the body shop is deceptive when it comes to their explanations, it’s often a sign that something’s not right, and you should look for another shop right away.
Unhygienic Appearance
Most of the time, you can judge an auto body shop based on its presentation. Is the location clean, organized, and neat, or is it cluttered and dirty?
If the shop has a clean and presentable appearance ask them to give you a tour of their facility. A professional organized shop will also gladly show you their shop at any given time cause the shop is clean and organized. This is a reflection of how they will treat your car. If they hesitate to show you their shop, it’s a sign that they don’t have their shop organized or clean. There are slim chances that they also do vehicle repairs in a competent, efficient way. If they don’t take pride in their own facility, do you think they will pay the utmost attention to your car repairs?
If this is the case, take your car somewhere else. The overall appearance of the shop, including the staff, is also a reasonable metric for determining the quality of service they provide.
Getting Services from an Auto Body Shop
No matter how careful you are, there will always be times when you’ll need to take your car to an auto body shop. Working with a bad body repair shop can be daunting and stressful.
Keep yourself safe from unqualified auto body repair technicians by always being on the lookout for these signs—you’ll never know when you’ll encounter one. Only trust reliable mechanics with a good track record, positive feedback, and excellent customer service for a hassle-free experience.