Getting in a car accident can be overwhelming and flustering. The events following an accident will include speaking with your car insurance, whether you are at fault for the accident or not. Another step is searching the internet for a “collision repair near me.”

The process of getting your car fixed after an accident can vary. It is likely that the police will be the first people to be at the scene of the accident and be the ones to inspect the accident. Then you will get an accident report that you can then take to your insurance. After you inform the insurance of the collision, some insurance companies want to send an inspector of their own, but other times they will leave it up to you to get an estimate of the damage. You may be wondering “how do I go about finding a shop to do collision repair near me?”

East End Body Shop 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.

East End Body Shop serves the following cities in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky: Ona, Milton, Huntington, Barboursville, Culloden, Catlettsburg, Hurricane / Teays Valley Ceredo, South Point, Kenova, Lavalette, Wayne,  Proctorville, Chesapeake,  Ironton and Ashland.

How to know if the auto body shop is right for you?

Recommendations

The biggest reason people typically choose the auto shop they do is that they either have had good experiences with the shop in the past or people they know have given good recommendations for the shop. If you are looking for a shop for collision repair near me, it’s important to do your research on their services.

East End Body Shop has several testimonials from their customers about their experience with the mechanics, their ability to answer their questions, and the quality of their services.

One customer said, “I am so happy with my experience with East End Body Shop! They did a fantastic job with fixing my car, coordinated my rental and kept me informed during the process! They cleaned the interior of my car and even gave me a mug with chocolates when I picked it up! It is so refreshing to see customer service at this level, especially during a stressful time. Thank you East End Body Shop!”

You can read other testimonials from customers on their website.

collision repair near me
collision repair near me

Reasonable estimate

Don’t settle for the first auto shop you find when searching “collision repair 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 super cheap quote compared to the other shops, that may be a red flag that they are not going to fix it correctly. Be willing to spend money on the repair but not necessarily spend the most.

Ask the necessary questions

When searching for a shop for “collision repair near me,” 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
  • What is the payment policy?
  • Are the technicians certified?
  • Do you use aftermarket or original equipment manufacturer parts?
  • Do you have experience working on this type of vehicle?
  • Your estimate is more/less expensive than others. Can you explain why?

Listen to your intuition

As you are researching auto body shops to take your car to, it’s important to listen to your gut. You should also pay attention to the traffic and how clean and organized the shop is. 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. 

It is also nice to find an auto shop with friendly mechanics. 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.

collision repair near me
collision repair near me

Qualifications

You want to ensure that you find a shop with qualified mechanics. When you are visiting the shop, look for any awards or certificates the shop has earned; the owner usually hangs them on the wall in the waiting area. This can be a good sign that it’s a reputable auto body shop.

If you are in need of collision repair near me, consider East End Body Shop. At this shop, you will get excellent customer service, reasonable prices, and experienced mechanics. The shop even offers free estimates.