Over the lifetime of your car, the odds are very good that you will need a body shop. The average driver gets involved in a car accident every twelve years, so if you own a car for ten years, you’ll probably get in an accident with your car. Add in factors like hail—very common in Aurora—and other sources of damage to your car, and it’s virtually certain that you’re going to need a repair shop for this car.
Tip #1: Start Before You Need a Repair
We know that nobody wants to spend their free time doing the unfun work of choosing a collision repair shop, but trust us, it’s worth it. When you have a damaged car, you’re going to be harried and hurried, and not in the best state of mind to make a decision. You will be happy for any work you’ve done beforehand.
Obviously, you don’t have to make a final decision before you need the repair, but you can start collecting information. Listen to friends and family talk about their experiences and take notes. Even getting a short list of shops to consider will be tremendously helpful after an accident.
Tip #2: Visit the Shop
Choosing a Collision Repair Shop: 5 Tips
These days, you can do a lot of shopping online, but when it comes to a collision repair shop there’s no substitute for visiting in person. There are so many things you can tell about a shop that you can’t find out online.
Is the shop clean? Does it have modern equipment? The way cars are engineered these days, it can take specialized equipment to get repairs done right.
Do the people feel trustworthy? Talking to them in person and seeing how they interact with other customers will help you form an overall impression of the way the shop operates.
Visiting the shop will also give you an opportunity to look at awards and certifications that might not otherwise get mentioned.
Tip #3: Ask Smart Questions
When you visit a shop, make sure you’re not just talking to the desk staff. You should talk to some of the people who will actually be working on your car.
Ask not just how long the shop has been in business, but how long they’ve been handling your type of car, and how often they handle it, compared to other types. Ask if any of the techs have certification in handling your type of car or if they have other types of specialized training that might improve your results. For example, our technicians have received specialized training from Toyota and Honda, achieving I-Class Gold Certification, setting us apart from 90% of auto repair shops out there.
Don’t forget to ask about the shop’s policies. In particular, you want to know about what guarantees the shop offers. As part of our Focus on You Service System™, for example, we offer guaranteed pricing and a guaranteed completion date. Other guarantees are related to specific types of work done.
Tip #4: Get Multiple Quotes
The best way to protect yourself from being overcharged is getting multiple quotes for the work. You don’t want to necessarily go with the cheapest quote—and if one quote is much, much cheaper than the others, you might want to avoid it—but seeing what different shops charge will help you get the best value for your money.
We know this means committing yourself to multiple shop visits, but it’s worth it. Not only might you save thousands of dollars now, but you can protect the appearance and function of your car for years to come. That’s a major benefit.
Tip #5: Go with Your Gut
Don’t commit to getting repairs at a shop that you feel uncomfortable with, even if all the numbers look right. There are many factors you pick up on without explicitly thinking about them, and you have to trust your intuition when it’s telling you there’s something wrong, even if you can’t put your finger on what it is.
This decision is too expensive and too important to make until you feel completely comfortable with it. You have to be prepared to walk away and take your car someplace else. Only commit to a collision repair shop you have full confidence will give you the results you’re looking for.
Give Accurate Auto Body the Chance to Win Your Trust
We understand it’s a big decision: choosing someone to trust with your car. It’s a major part of your life and livelihood. But if you give us a chance, we are sure that you will see how we stand out from other shops in Aurora. You will be happy to put your car in our hands—and you’ll be glad you did when you get it back, on time, for the agreed price, with repairs done right the first time.
To learn why you should choose Accurate Auto Body for your car, please contact us today.
I like how you suggest asking a car repair service if they have specialized training for handling your type of car. My sister was in a car accident last week and wants to get her car fixed as soon as possible. I will help her find the best auto repair service to fix her car and make sure they specialize in her type of vehicle.
I never thought about asking for the shop’s policies. I don’t want to end up getting put in a worse position. Each shop has its own policies so you need to check them all out.
I like the idea of visiting an auto shop prior to choosing an auto collision repair service as it will give us an idea of how they conduct their services. It is important for us to be aware of how they conduct their service, as it will ensure us that we are paying for professional service on top of ensuring that our cars will be repaired by experts. Assuming that I am involved in an auto collision, I will definitely make a point to visit my options before choosing an auto shop to have my car repaired.
I like the idea of asking for multiple quotes before deciding on which auto repair shop to send our cars to. It makes sense for us to get multiple quotes as we will be able to determine which shop offers the best service. Assuming that I need my car to be repaired, I will definitely remember to ask for multiple quotes and compare the prices.
My uncle was in a car crash last week, and he would really like to make it look a lot newer. He would really like to get some help from a professional that can help it look like new. I’ll be sure to tell him about how he should get multiple quotes for the work in order to save a lot of money.
Thanks for the advice on how to find a repair shop. My car was recently damaged in an accident. I’ll follow these tips so I can find a reliable auto repair shop.
I do agree that it is important for us to visit the auto repair shop before hiring them following an auto collision. My dad mentioned that he needs to have his car repaired as he was involved in an accident recently. I will accompany my dad to survey various auto shops before we choose one to have his car fixed.
It makes sense that you would want to visit a shop if your car gets dented. My bumper got a dent because I backed into a tree the other day, so maybe I should find an auto body shop to see if they can fix it for me. I’ll be sure to choose one that has modern equipment to ensure that they can handle this right.
I like that this post mentioned that when looking for an auto body repair shop following an auto collision, it is important for us to check with our insurance provider. it makes sense as sometimes they have a contractor with insurance companies. After reading your post, I think I will get in touch with my insruance company to know which auto repair shop do they cover.
I bumped my car into my stone mailbox, so it ended up getting dented. It makes sense that getting my car properly repaired would be important! I’ll be sure to get a professional to help me out with this.
I accidentally backed into my stone mailbox, and I ended up denting my car. It makes sense that getting the right professional to ensure that everything is handled properly would be important. I’ll be sure to actually visit a repair shop before I choose them.
Thanks for explaining that getting multiple quotes is a good way of making sure you do not get overcharged. My wife was driving home last night when she got into a car accident. The engine to our car is not working, so I’ll start getting quotes so I can find an auto mechanic that can repair our car at a fair price.
Thanks for the tip to prepare for a collision by starting before the actual repair. Maybe I could meet with a repairman now. Get them familiarized with my car so they can have spare parts on hand.
My car got a big dent on it when I crashed it, and I’m not sure what to do about it. It makes sense that I would want to get a collision repair shop to help me out with this. That would be a good way to ensure that I handle things correctly.
I bumped my car into my wall, and I ended up damaging the front of it. It makes sense that I would want to get a collision repair shop to help me out with this would be beneficial! That seems like a good way to ensure that I handle things correctly.
Thanks for the tips concerning collision repair. I was recently involved in an auto accident. I’ll look for a professional who can help me repair my vehicle.
I appreciate that this post underlined that when looking for a collision repair, it makes sense as in doing so we will ensure we hire the right profesional. It makes sense as it ensures they are qualified. I will keep this information in mind.
Thank you for the advice about talking with the people who will actually be working on the car. My brother was in a car accident last night and he is trying to find a reputable repair shop that can restore his car. I think it is a good idea to consult professionals who can do the job quickly and effectively.
I will try to start taking my car to a shop before I need a repair. i just don’t have a lot of time. Maybe I can get a professional to help me out.
I like how you said to talk to the people who will be working on your car. My brother recently got into a smaller car accident a couple of weeks ago, and since it left some damages to his car, he wants to look into getting it repaired. I’ll make sure to pass these tips along to him as he searches for an auto body repair shop to go to.
I like your tire tips. I need to get a new set of snow tires. My tires skid too much.
Thank you for explaining that you should get multiple quotes to get the best value for your money. Our son go into a minor accident yesterday and we’ve been wondering where to take his car to get it fixed up. We’ll be sure to start looking around town and getting some quotes so we can find a good place to get it taken care of.
Thank you for pointing out that the best way to go about choosing a body shop is to get multiple quotes. My cousin was in a minor traffic accident, but it was enough for him to want to seek repairs. We will get some quotes in the morning.
I never knew that you should have a free time checkup for your car to implement safety. Last night, a friend of mine told me that he was involved in a car collision, and he was hoping to find a reliable repair service that could repair the windshield of his car. Thanks to this enlightening article, I’ll be sure to tell him that he can consult trusted auto collision repair services as they can provide more information about their rates and services.
I like what you said about checking for the gold certification. My wife’s car has an engine problem. I’ll have to have a mechanic do an inspection.
That is true that you should talk with the people actually working on the car. My car was wrapped around a tree in an accident. I’ll have to take it to a shop for repairs.
It really helped when you talked about getting multiple quotes before choosing a collision repair shop. Last weekend, my cousin was involved in a trucking accident, so he’s looking for a professional to make his car look good as new, and I think your guide could help him. Thanks for the insight on visiting different auto collision repair shops first.