Choosing A Bellevue Auto Body Repair
Keeping our cars in good condition is an important part of maintaining our quality of life. If you rely on your car for work, it's even more vital that it stays in good working order and that's it's in good condition, both mechanically and aesthetically. One of the best ways to keep your car, or cars, in good shape is to make sure you have a reliable mechanic like collision one. Because of this, your first step should be to find the right Bellevue auto body repair mechanic for you and your car as soon as possible. Ideally, you should start looking before your car needs to be serviced or repaired. Auto body repairs require the services of experienced professionals who are both mechanics and artists. These professionals need to have an intense aptitude for attention to the smallest detail because they will need to make your car look as good as possible. Once your car repairs are complete, no one should be able to tell that your car was ever damaged. Common reasons for needing auto body repairs include cars damaged in accidents, damage due to the car's age. Harsh weather conditions can also cause auto body damage. For instance, your car can suffer rust damage due to contact with the salt and other products used to remove snow and ice during the winter. Referrals from friends, family and co-workers are the best way to narrow down your choices. You should try to get at least 4 or 5 referrals, and plan to do follow-up interviews with at least 3 or 4 of them. If you're fortunate enough to get more referrals, try to break them up into smaller batches, so that you're never focusing on more than 3 or 4 at the same time. Some of the best mechanics in your area may not actively advertise, so referrals may be the only way to find out about these mechanics. Good, skilled, honest mechanics are always in demand, so once they have an established and loyal customer base, some find that they no longer have to actively advertise to get new customers. Labor costs, location and hours of operation are also important considerations. Larger shops may be able to offer you more hours of operation, however, they may also have higher labor costs because longer hours and more workers costs them more. When interviewing auto shops about how they charge for estimates, be sure to confirm if these estimates include all labor costs and not just the essential costs. For instance, if you get an estimate to have a dent in your car door repaired, find out if the estimate includes having the door removed and replaced as well as the actual repair. This is because some shops charge extra for labor that may be included in the estimate at other shops. As for location, you want to make sure your new auto body shop is close enough to easily reach whenever needed. Getting estimates from several shops before choosing one should also be a part of your selection process. Repair quotes for the same job can vary widely, even if shops don't charge extra for labor costs. Although you don't want to be overcharged, you also shouldn't automatically select the shop with the lowest estimate. Especially if the estimate is much lower than the others. Sometimes very low estimates could be a sign that the shop is cutting too many corners to keep the estimate low. Depending on the type of work that needs to be done to your car, these cost cutting measures could cause you big problems over the long run. Find out about warranties and work or satisfaction guarantees. The shop you choose should offer written warranties of at least one year for all jobs. Although some shops offer lifetime warranties, it's more realistic to choose shops that offer a two-year warranty for body work and a two to three year warranty for paint jobs. You should also find out whether the shop uses new parts and materials in repairs. If it uses used parts, find out if the savings is worth it.