Maybe you were just involved in an accident and need to get your car repaired, or you were driving it and started hearing concerning noises. Now, you need to figure out where to take your vehicle for repairs or for a diagnostic. You may be asking yourself “how do I find auto body shops near me?”
East End Body Shop in Huntington, West Virginia, offers a variety of services including
mobile claims management, interest-free financing, auto body repair, frame repair, collision repair, auto painting, glass repair, automotive detailing, auto mechanical repair, automotive claims, insurance repair work, and auto body paint.
Take word-of-mouth into consideration
The first step in finding an auto body shop for your car is to ask people you know in your area for recommendations for body shops near me.
You may find several advertisements for a few big companies, but those are not always your best option. You may find a small business that your friends and family recommend that will do a better-quality job. Small auto shop businesses tend to care more about their customers because they have a smaller clientele, and the owner may even be the one working on your car personally.
The personal experience you receive at auto body shops is just as important as the pricing and time frame of the repair.
Take the shop’s location into consideration
If you live in a larger city, you should expect to spend more money on auto repairs at the shops in your area. Chances are when you look for “auto body shops near me,” you will find the big chain auto body shops that will charge more per hour for labor, which can really rack up your total cost. You may even pay more for the parts themselves. If you want to avoid a cost overall, you may want to consider finding a shop that is a little bit outside of your city or a smaller business auto body shop.
Your intuition can go a long way
As you are researching auto body shops to take your car to, it’s important to listen to your gut. If the shop seems to never have customers, it may be because people have had bad experiences with it. If the place is cluttered, dirty, or disorganized, that might reflect what kind of work you can expect them to do on your car. If you visit a shop where the mechanics and/or owner are grouchy, it may not be a good fit for you. It’s never going to be a good experience if you are dealing with a grouchy mechanic working on your car.
Be sure to ask the necessary questions
When searching for “auto body shops near me” to repair your car, be sure to find out all of the necessary information regarding the work they will do.
- What kind of warranty comes with the repair work?
- How long will the warranty last and what will it cover?
- How long will the auto repair take?
- This will depend on the extent of the damage and if the auto body shop has the parts needed to repair the damage
- Does the auto body shop offer rental cars or loaner vehicles?
- If you are going to be without a car for an extended amount of time, you may want to ask if the shop has a rental facility on or near the property that they will arrange a rental for you.
- Is your car covered while it’s in the shop?
- Does the auto body shop carry fire and theft insurance in case your car is damaged, destroyed, stolen, or burglarized while it’s in the shop?
- Will the paint match the rest of your car?
- Cars usually have a paint code on a plate located in a door jam, under the hood, or in the trunk so you know the exact color if it needs to be repainted. Be sure the auto body shop has that color in stock and isn’t going to use one that is similar
- How soon can you wash your car after a repair?
- Especially after a paint job, it’s good to know if there are any restrictions on the next time you can wash your car.
- What is the payment policy?
- Payment policies may include rates of labor, cost of materials, warranty information, guarantees, and forms of payment they accept. Be sure to know all of this information before having them repair your car
If you are starting out needing an auto body shop to run a diagnostic on your car to figure out what is wrong with it, you will want to ask a few different shops what the cost of diagnostics is. Some shops, especially small-town shops, will do a free diagnostic while others charge for labor.
Get several estimates done
Don’t settle for the first auto shop you find when searching “body shops near me.” If you want to avoid an auto shop overcharging you for a repair, it’s smart to take your car to a few different shops to get a quote from each one.
You should not necessarily go for the cheapest one either. If an auto shop gives you a significantly cheaper quote compared to the other shops, it may be a red flag that they will not fix it correctly. Be willing to spend money on the repair but not necessarily spend the most.
A lot more goes into finding an auto body shop to repair your car than you may think. So, before settling on the first shop you find when searching for “auto body shops near me,” be sure to follow the steps above.
East End Body Shop’s Promise
If you are in need of an auto body shop in the Huntington, West Virginia area, check out East End Body Shop. At this shop, you will get excellent customer service, reasonable prices, and experienced mechanics. You can also read testimonials from customers about their experience with East End Body Shop.
