Cruise Reviews

It may be one of many people’s nightmares to have to go and seek out the correct body shop, having to find a good body shop or fender bender as some may call them is not always easy. The possibility of having to go and see one at some point of your driving career is more than likely, maybe through no fault of yours it may be that someone has by accident scratched the paint on your car.

Make sure you ask the manager, and then follow up with “How much experience do your technicians have?” That’s the really important question, because you want to know that the folks who will actually be working on your car or truck, repairing the sheet metal, straightening the frame, and painting the body panels really know what they are doing. Experience, as they say, truly is the best teacher.

I have found that, here in the Flower City, the average experience of body shop techs is slightly over seven years, and rookies are few and far between right now. That means you are quite likely to find a shop with experienced techs, if you just take the time to look around.

There is also another crucial element and again, it’s something you can ask the collision shop manager. Ask him, “How long have your technicians worked here?” Why ask this? Because you want to know that the technicians are stable and don’t move around a lot. Stability is really the best indicator of employee happiness and job satisfaction. Techs that are happy and satisfied with their work environment and their wages are the ones you want working on your vehicle, for obvious reasons.

Most of today’s body shops are very clean, neat and very well lit. These are usually the ones at the top end of the scale. It is normal for a well run body shop to have different areas of work designated.

If the manager can’t or won’t tell you how long his techs have been working there, it may be best to move on to another auto body repair shop. Body shop technicians seem to stay longer at one shop than in many areas of the country. This stability adds up to valuable experience for you.

When it comes to choosing a body shop, there are also local factors to consider. For example, in upstate New York, winter freezing and thawing must be taken into account, and an experienced repair facility will understand how to work under those conditions. The heavy use of road salt in Monroe County and the surrounding counties is an added intangible that your body shop must be aware of. Make sure they have been doing business locally for at least three years, preferably several more.

The final stage for the vehicle is the area for final assembly where the trim is re-attached, after which the car will be thoroughly cleaned and readied for you to collect or be delivered. If you have a body shop in mind or have had one recommended then ask for a tour around their facilities. Most good body shops will be more than happy to oblige. If not, then beware.