Perhaps the biggest nightmare for any car owner is to deal with a body shop that isn’t up to par. It’s common enough to find body shops that don’t do a good job or who aren’t upfront about their services. The last thing a car owner wants is to delay the process of getting his car fixed because he can’t find a reputable, trustworthy body shop to get the job done. We’ve compiled 5 signs of a bad body shop, and we hope you look out for them the next time you’re in need of a repair!
Time Delay
We lead busy lives, and we need our cars for many reasons – to go grocery shopping, for emergencies, to pick up our children, to get home from work, and more. If your car is damaged and you take it to a body shop, you should expect a reasonable turnaround time on the work.
Too often, though, the repairmen will say they need to find a part or that the repair is going to take longer than expected. They might be holding on to your car in hopes that you’ll pay more for additional services, or they may be understaffed. Regardless of the reason, if your car is at the body shop for much longer than their estimated time of completion, switch shops at once!
Price Changing or Gouging
Often, a repairman will give you an estimate as to how much the services will cost. He’ll factor in the price of parts, the cost of labor, any lot fees, and more. Sometimes, though, the repairman will add extra costs without letting you know, or he’ll charge a much higher price than is reasonable because you need a part. If you notice this at your body shop immediately get another opinion and don’t pay – there may be a court case waiting if the body shop owner is acting illegally.
Poor Customer Service
Body shop owners go through a lot of issues on a day-to-day basis. These problems range from irate customers to a lack of parts, from workers not showing up to services going awry. However, some shops simply exhibit poor customer service. They don’t talk about prices, they refuse refunds, they don’t call back or offer updates. If you find yourself being ghosted by your body shop or if you find their customer service etiquette to be awful, you might be better off finding a shop that cares about its customers.
Negative Reviews
You shouldn’t pick a body shop only based on proximity or price. Check out what other customers are saying and see if there are a lot of negative reviews. If there are a lot of people talking about shoddy service, broken parts, or price changes, that’s a red flag. Overwhelmingly positive reviews, though, are a good sign!
Poor Hygiene
We don’t mean the worker’s hygiene, but the cleanliness of the shop itself! If there is a lot of debris around, or if the shop is covered in grease and dirt, that’s a sign that the owner and employees don’t pay attention to cleanliness. You might not want your car to get ruined during the repairs – find a shop that looks as clean as possible.
Auto Body Auto Care and You
At Auto Body Auto Care, we make sure that our body work is top notch. We practice excellent customer service and we never change prices without warning. Our reviews speak for themselves. Pay us a visit today or call if your car is in need of body work. We’re a body shop that you can trust.
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