Hailstorms are causing vehicle damage at a rate the United States has never seen before. Across the country, hail is raining down on automobiles with such force that it is destroying windshields, bashing up bodywork, and causing billions of dollars’ worth of damage.
Has your own vehicle been the unlucky recipient of a hail-related attack? If so, you could be faced with a repair bill that hits four figures. Hailstorms don’t fall under certain insurance policies, so you could be faced with going it alone to get your car fixed.
Due to the money involved and the work required, you have to make a wise choice with your auto hail repair shop. If you fail to do your research, you could be faced with an even bigger headache than you expected.
So what do you have to look out for when choosing a hail repair shop? For assistance, this article is going to use the example of one of the country’s foremost shops: StormWise. Customers are straight to the point with their assessment of StormWise: ‘For hail and dent repair best in Denver’.
As a result, the company is the perfect choice for spotlighting the six key factors behind selecting an auto hail repair shop.
1. Customer reviews
When someone is deciding to use a business for the first time, it’s common for them to read feedback via customer reviews. These reviews serve as guidance and provide an insight into product/service quality. Any company can promise the moon, but it doesn’t mean they will deliver. Reviews help to cut through any bluster.
For local businesses like an auto hail repair shop, one of the best sources for reviews is Google. When analyzing the reviews left on Google, there are a few points to consider. First of all is, obviously, the overall rating the shop has received. Yet an overall five-star rating might not mean much if there’s only, say, two reviews in total. Ideally, you want to read feedback from a large pool of former customers, as this gives a better overview of a company.
In addition, it is wise to keep an eye on the timestamps of reviews. The most recent feedback is the most important. It’s not all that rare for a business to drop off in terms of quality. So while a repair shop might have a lot of positive reviews in total, recent negative comments could paint the true story.
2. The repair process
Auto hail repair shops all have their own preferences when it comes to repairing damaged vehicles. A traditional outlet, for example, will tend to go with a repair process that involves sanding, grinding, and repainting.
Yet as StormWise demonstrates, these traditional techniques are obsolete in this day and age. Now the best method to restore hail-damaged vehicles is with paintless dent repair. What makes this repair process better? One reason is that it is non-intrusive to your vehicle. Your car not only retains its original factory finish in terms of paint quality, but your paint warranty will also remain in place (when possible).
Perhaps most importantly, for the customer, paintless dent repair is also faster and inexpensive when matched against traditional hail repair.
3. Repair experience
Whenever you’re receiving a service of some kind, experience plays an important part. This is particularly the case when repairing your vehicle after a hailstorm. If handled by an inexperienced team, the quality of the work could be lacking – and this could cost you even more money in the long run.
Start by investigating how long a repair company has remained in business. In general, the longer they have been open, the better. This shows they have been a trusted source for an extended period. Yet you should also pay attention to how long they’ve been performing their repair process. Paintless dent repair, for example, takes time to perfect. If a repair shop has only just switched over to this method, your car may suffer from an imperfect finish.
During the storm season, it’s not uncommon for dent repair shops to bring in new technicians to cover the increased workload. This isn’t the most reassuring fact for your car. As a result, you should try to pick a shop which only employs experienced, certified technicians who have been in the job for at least many years.
4. Work quality
It’s a simple point, admittedly, but it doesn’t make it any less pertinent. You need to consider the overall quality of the work put in by your repair shop of choice. When doing this, ensure you check; they offer a lifetime warranty. StormWise provides this type of warranty, which gives customers peace of mind they will receive a professional job.
Furthermore, see if the repair shop goes through their quality check inspection. This way, you’ll have a clear picture of the work they carry out when restoring vehicles.
5. Service quality
While the repair quality is the priority, you also want to receive a high level of customer service. Take a look at the ways – if any – that your repair shop goes above and beyond for their customers. StormWise, for instance, offers a complimentary valet service to pick up any damaged vehicles. They’ll even drop off a rental car if required.
To find out more about their approach to service, delve into the reviews left by customers. If they feel the service was either great or lackluster, they’ll make sure to point this out in their feedback.
6. Completion timeline
When your vehicle has been damaged, you want to get the repairs done as soon as possible. Sadly auto hail repair is not a quick process. Yet it can take even longer if you make the wrong choice with your repair shop.
Some shops will take on as much work as possible, especially during the storm season, and this means their waiting lists have an army of customers – not good if you want the work done quickly. Industry experts like StormWise, however, never let their waiting list go out of control. Even during the storm season, they aim to fix hail damage within one-to-two weeks.