After a car accident, there are many things to figure out so that you can get back to your life. The process can feel overwhelming, from recovering from injury to insurance claims to vehicle repair.
When it comes to choosing the right automotive collision repair shop, here are seven questions to ask:
- How long have you been in the industry? Get a sense of their hands-on experience with automotive collision repair. It’s important to trust that the team you hire has the expertise to complete the necessary repairs, so your vehicle is road-ready and safe to operate.
- When can I see a cost estimate? It’s fair to demand a full cost estimate before an automotive collision repair shop gets to work. You deserve to know exactly what will be done and how much it will cost before proceeding.
- How do you update your customers on their vehicle’s progress? Having your vehicle in a repair shop is always an inconvenience. A collision repair team should be considerate of this and have a system in place to regularly update their customers on their progress.
- Where can I find customer reviews of your work? Always seek out customer reviews of a vehicle repair company before hiring them. They should be happy to point you to customer testimonials as a transparent way to demonstrate their quality work.
- How long will the repairs take? While your vehicle gets repaired, you have to get on with your life. Quality automotive collision repair companies will respect your time and strive to give you an accurate timeline from the start, so you can plan accordingly.
- How often do you lapse your time estimations? It’s okay to press them about sticking to their timeline. Setbacks do occasionally happen, but they should have a consistent track record of getting repairs done on time that they are happy to attest to.
- What is your payment policy? Paying for automotive collision repair can be a hassle, especially when dealing with insurance and covering costly repairs. Make sure your collision repair shop is willing to be proactive in working with your insurance and has payment options that will suit your needs.