About a decade ago, a group of investors saw the value in purchase auto body shops that were going out of business. They knew there was money to be made since insurance companies often pay for repairs. Cash flow issues would be eliminated through these investments and these investors knew these closed body shops were an undiscovered gold mine.
These investment firms struck a deal with three large body shops that had a footprint in multiple states, and then they went on a buying spree. As their footprint grew, so did their buying power and they continued to acquire shops. In the collision repair industry, this is known as consolidation.
Last year, two of the biggest consolidators merged. They ended up forming one giant body shop chain with over 1,000 locations. This footprint and this buying power caught the attention of insurance companies who saw an opportunity to cut costs on repairs by feeding more cars to these chains. It is a win-win for the consolidators and the insurance companies, but not for the customers, and few body shops like to talk about it because of how it’s not the way auto body repair should be performed.
The reality is your Insurance company wants the fastest and cheapest repair for your vehicle allowable under insurance law in this state because they want to keep the length of time you are in a rental car to a minimum which is a big line item expense to insurance companies. But speed and size come at a great cost to you the customer.
Not to mention, there’s extensive training involved in today’s automotive repairs due to the complexities. Without this knowledge, corners are cut at these mass chain production body shops.
Lack Of Personalized Attention
When you take your car to be repaired at one of these chain body shops, you’re not going to get the same level of personalized attention you’d receive at an independent auto body shop. If you try calling the shop directly, you’ll end up getting transferred to an 800 number talking to someone who isn’t even at the shop. You’re no longer a customer, but merely a number. Are the days of someone caring about your car repair a thing of a past? They’re not, but where you take your car to be repaired makes all the difference.
The Problem
Lack of personalized attention is nothing compared to the repairs that go on at these national chains. They are notorious for lacking in quality and correctness of repairs. There will be dozens of complaints online, stating how the repair looks sloppy and poorly done. This is because these shops do the exact same type of repair for your car, often cutting corners in the process to speed up the turnaround time. After all, these chain body shops work on the philosophy of the faster the repair = more money from the Insurance companies. What you don’t see is how often these high production shops have to buy back cars because the repairs were so poorly done that the vehicle is rendered an economic total loss. This happens when the cost to fix the car again the right way exceeds the value of the car. This happens a lot, but very quietly.
When an auto body repair shop cuts corners on repairs, this means that they are also risking your safety. Your car’s manufacturer releases statements known as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Repair Procedures. These are guidelines set out by the manufacturer ensuring your vehicle is repaired precisely the way it’s meant to. Not only is this the highest quality of repair for your car, but it’s also the safest. Anything less and technicians can damage or potentially ruin the structural integrity of your car. Thus, making you that much more susceptible to being in an accident.
Typically at these chain body shops, you’ll see repairs done with a more affordable option known as “aftermarket parts.” Aftermarket parts are a knock-off, imitation parts that have not been tested for safety or accuracy. Let alone, and they haven’t been approved by the OEM manufacturer of your car. Anything less than OEM parts can reduce the value in your car. Also, it can cause the advanced safety features your vehicle is built with to no longer work properly.
We are committed to excellence in auto collision repair and to serving you with the highest quality repairs and value because you shouldn’t have anything less.
