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Collision repair
Want to know more about the collision repair industry? Problems between body shops and insurance companies? Most of todays body shops are controlled by the insurance companies. They set the labor rates, have control over the estimating software, and slowly they want to own and operate all the body shops. This is illegal, but it doesn't stop them from trying. There are fewer technicians than ever, hardly anyone wants in this profession anymore, and more are getting out. Young people interested in cars can make a lot more as a mechanic or fabricator/customizer. Insurance companies cap paint and material costs, cut labor procedures, and give shops unrealistic time frames for repair. Also, insurance companies try to push you into going to one of their own shops. This is called steering( Texas HB 423), and it is illegal. By law, you as a customer have the right to take your car to any body shop of your choice. They are supposed to tell you this before going any further. These shops are called DRP's. direct reference program. Some DRP's still try hard but it's getting harder for a lot of them to keep up. They enter into contract with the insurance company to fix cars the way the insurance company wants, even if it's not right. This takes all controll away from the shop. The shop has to give big discounts and agree to the insurance companies terms. This means. if insurance company X wants to use aftermarket parts, or partial paint on a panel, the DRP shop is under contract to do it. The insurance companies are looking out for their bottom line, not quality for your repair. What they make sound like is for the customer's best interest, is really for theirs. Big DRP shops depend on fast turn around, and big volume to make any profit. That's why the quality of repair in one of these mega facilities with all the equiptment to do the job right, is sometimes substandard. We have had to fix paint match problems, alignment of panels, and poor workmanship, to cars fixed in these places on the customer's nickle; simply because they wanted it done right, but had a bad DRP experience. The customer would rather pay us to do it right, rather than take a chance for more bad wokmanship. The workers in these shops simply can't spend the time necesary to do the job right, even if they want to. The push for fast production cuts out the extra time it truely takes to get it right. All this is new to the public because the average person gets in less than five wrecks in their lifetime. When they do, the confusion starts. Whether we fix your car or not, if you are looking for quality, go to a shop that is not part of the insurance network, one that also has a good reputation, clean and organized, ASE or I-Car certified, without dust covered unfinished projects, or junk stacked in or around the shop. The shop doesn't have to look like the Taj Mahal, but at least clean and organized. Ask around first. Don't depend on your insurance agent, or claims rep. for a referral. We have been a word of mouth referral shop since 1994, honest, and proud of our work. We always take care of our customers first. This is why we won't become part of a DRP program, we don't need them.
These are links to monthly collision industry newsletters, Body Shop Business, and ABRN. Find out more about what's going on in this insurance company controlled industry.
http://abrn.search-autoparts.com/abrn/Collision+Repair/Connecticut-class-action-lawsuits-target-steering/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/530191?contextCategoryId=498
http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/advanstar/abrn0208/index.php?startid=Cover1&WidgetId=B806D12B-D4E8-8C41-D066-8CFA8C1065E2&BookId=92a20480a33ab068a157618c1e69ba82
