When a person sees a car repair shop or garage, he or she might imagine it to be a mom-and-pop business operated by an old geezer with oily hands. But you may be surprised to learn that collision repair shops are a thriving business in the automotive services industry and in fact are even a growth sector. In some cases, what started as a full-service shop that offered mechanical, electrical/electronic and body and painting services have ended up as service shops concentrating on body repair and painting.
With millions of cars on the road, it is inevitable that fender benders and crashes occur, and this translates to a source of steady business for collision repair and auto body shops. Look up local directory listings or do a search online and you will find dozens of companies offering repair and repainting services. A car owner can also choose to go to the car dealer where the car was bought, but dealer services can be overpriced and not necessarily of the best quality when it comes to collision repair and repainting. When comparing auto body repair shops, look for one that is well-equipped and has a knowledgeable and friendly staff. A car's looks are important to any car owner and like-minded individuals who treat your car like it was theirs is an excellent sign that your car will be taken car of properly. Of course, word of mouth is one of the best advertisements but if you're new to an area, shops with certified technicians are your best bet in ensuring quality work.
A well-equipped shop can handle just about any sort of collision damage, except of course when critical safety structures are compromised, in which case it is better to have the insurance company declare the car as a total loss. Shops with ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) or similarly certified technicians will be able to ascertain with a high degree of confidence what types of collision damage are repairable and which are not. Bear in mind that most of today's cars use a combination of steel alloys and heat treatments to produce a vehicle structure that is light for promoting efficiency, yet strong enough to meet crash safety standards. Unknowing repairmen will sometimes just cut off the damaged portions of a structure and weld in hand-formed steel sheets. In the wrong area, the car may look repaired but will in fact be severely weakened structurally. Which is why when your car is involved in a big crash, you have to make sure that the shop you bring your car to have the necessary expertise in collision repair to properly evaluate vehicular structural damage. Automobile Service Excellence certification helps ensure that the people you are talking to about the repair of your car have undergone the correct training to bring your car up to spec.
