Close to 10 years ago, a group of private equity investors discovered there is money to be made from investing in auto body repair shops. The reason for this is insurance companies pay for the repairs and that eliminates cash flow issues. They knew that consumers would always need collision repair, no matter what the future of the automobile industry would hold.
These investment firms struck a deal between three large body shops. Each of these giant three had multiple locations, which is when these investors went on a buying spree. They went to smaller body shops that were independently owned and went straight to the owner who was on the way out. From there, the investors would acquire these smaller shops in a method would be known as “consolidation.”
Fast forward to 2018: two of the biggest consolidators formed a high production body shop chain with over 1,000 locations across the country. Insurance companies caught wind of this purchase and saw this as an opportunity to save money on repairs. How? They would send more cars to these body shop chains. This would benefit everyone involved, except for the customers. You read that right: everyone would be benefitted in this purchase except for you, the customer.
We’re here to explain the difference between high production body shops and independent shops, like Cherry Hill Collision, right here in New Jersey. We do this so that you can have a better understand of what to expect when getting your car repaired.
The Reality
When you’re without your car, it’s a real inconvenience, right? It doesn’t matter if a family member is borrowing it or if it’s being repaired at a body shop. It simply is a real annoyance and can disrupt many aspects of your life. After all, nobody ever plans to get into a car accident or any situation in which they need car repair.
Your insurance company knows how inconvenienced you are without your vehicle, which is why they want to get your car back to you as soon as possible. However, there is a catch: they also want to spend as little money as possible for the repair.
As a result, insurance companies will put the pressure on a repair shop to perform faster repairs, which is often where you’ll see corners are cut in the repair process. The complexity of car repair nowadays can’t be performed “just like that.” Regardless, insurance companies only want to pay a certain amount for your car repair and have it returned to you by a deadline. This happens far too often than we like, which why we’re telling you the real differences between these two body shops.
No More Personalized Attention
If you were to take your car to one of these body shop chains, you’ll no longer have the personalized attention that comes from an independent body shop. You’re simply a number in line and not a person. You start to wonder if the days of someone caring about your car repair is a thing of the past. Fortunately, the answer is no. It’s all about where you take your car that makes all the difference in how you are being treated.
Faster Doesn’t Always Mean Better.
National body shop chains are under a contract from insurance companies to perform faster repairs at a specific budget. Because of this, these shops are notorious for sloppy repairs and incorrectness of the overall process. They’ll cut corners in the repair process to save time and money, which can severely damage the car. Not to mention, these type of quick repairs are unsafe for you and anyone else in your car. This is because body shop chains run on the philosophy that the faster the repair = more money from the insurance companies.
What often happens is these high production body shops often have to buy back cars because of poorly performed repairs. The “repaired” vehicle is considered a total economic loss. This happens when the cost to repair the vehicle exceeds the overall value of the car. We wish we could say this only happens on rare occasions, but it happens more than you think.
Your Safety Is Our #1 Priority, Or Is It?
As mentioned above, when an auto body shop cuts corners in the repair process in the name of saving time and money, they’re also putting your safety at risk. Your car’s manufacturer releases repair procedures known as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) repairs. OEM repairs instruct the technicians exactly how a repair should be done. The way cars are manufactured today means more complex repairs, which will take longer.
The best body shops know to look up OEM repair procedures for your vehicle because they are the safest and highest quality. A body shop chain will often neglect these procedures and will perform the same type of repair for every car that comes into the shop. No car repair is ever the same, even if the same car comes in with the same damage. It isn’t the same: plain and simple.
There is a fine line between getting your car repaired and getting your car repaired that will last. Why have a temporary repair when you can have a high quality, safe repair that is exactly how your car’s manufacturer would want your car repaired?
Where In New Jersey Can I Take My Car To Be Repaired The Right Way?
Here at Cherry Hill Collision know you have many choices on where to take your car to be repaired in New Jersey. When you come to our shop, your safety is our number one priority and we aim to show you why we are the best at what we do.
We feel that we are truly the best because are committed to giving you the highest quality of repair out there. All of our technicians are up to date on the latest OEM repair procedures and have received extensive training. You will never be left in the dark throughout the repair process. Once you get your car back, it will be looking, running, and operating as if it was brand new!
Let us help you in your auto repair process! We can be reached at (856)-663-0500. If you’d like to schedule an appointment or to get an online quote, click here to get started!
We look forward to hearing from you and helping you in any of your auto repair needs!
