It’s never an easy choice, deciding who should maintain your vehicles. We’ve all heard the scare stories about shoddy workmanship – sometimes downright dangerous – and, of course, the classic “Apologies, but we had to also fit this additional part to keep the car running smoothly. So we’ve added £499 to your invoice”. There are so many garages out there, and sifting through this minefield to find good quality mechanics can be challenging. So the alloy wheel repair and van body repair experts at our accident repair centre have revealed their top tips to help you find the right place…
What reviews does the garage have online?
Granted, garages are rarely the most techs-savvy of companies, but a quick 5 minute online search will help determine if the company is reputable, well-known, and if there have been any positive or negative reviews. Usually the really poor garages have a lot of online complaints and they are quite easy to discount.
Is your vehicle within its warranty period?
If so, you must either take it to the manufacturer’s dealership garage, or find an independent garage that protects the vehicle’s warranty. They will always use original manufacturer parts and come protected under the manufacturer’s guarantee. It may be worth checking this as well, some garages may claim to undertake work that is protected by warranty, but your manufacturer may not agree. Be careful!
Do you need a courtesy car?
Sometimes we don’t have the luxury of being without our vehicle even for a few hours; whether that’s for work or family purposes. If so, check if the accident repair centre offers a courtesy car.
Always ask how long the work is going to take.
A sign of a good garage is one that knows exactly what work is required, how long it’ll take, and what potential hidden issues they could find whilst performing the job. They should be upfront about this with you beforehand. A garage that doesn’t do this shows inexperience.
A Fixed Price
Always ask for a fixed price, and insist that any additional work be authorised by you before it is undertaken. This should be a given, but some garages are known to undertake “emergency” works without contacting the vehicle owners beforehand. The garage cannot insist that additional work be carried out, even if it means the vehicle is returned to you in an illegal state, ie the tyre treads are below the legal minimum. They may insist you sign a disclaimer, however, acknowledging you were made aware of the fact. Regardless, the experts at our accident repair centre do recommend having any legally required work done as soon as possible, but you can always shop around to get the best price for it. Don’t just go for the first quote. The garage may take advantage of the fact that you won’t want to be driving around in a dangerous vehicle and hence take the opportunity to overcharge you!
Manufacturer main stream garages
Don’t just go with manufacturer main stream garages, such as Audi, Mercedes, Vauxhall etc. There are many good independent garages out there that specialise in your specific type of vehicle. Check that these companies have good reviews and protect your manufacturer warranty if you have one, but a good independent garage can often do as good a job as main stream manufacturers and at a far better price. If you have a performance model, the independent/specialist garages often have more experience with these types of vehicles too. There are many garages out there, and we’d recommend driving a few extra miles if it means your vehicle will be better maintained.
Use Jenkins & Pain, Award-Winning Express Repairs Centre
There you have it, if you do find yourself needing breakdown repair, plasti dip, alloy wheel repair or vehicle damage repair and need a car repair or van body repair you can count on us to complete all jobs using industry-standard processes at our express repairs centre. Our vehicle body shop repair centre offers free quotes and with our exclusive repair service, we are sure you will be happy with the results. Contact our Vehicle Body Shop today. Jenkins & Pain are a vehicle accident repair centre based in Dover, Kent. We are proud to call ourselves an award-winning accident repair centre. Check out our guide on how to look after your alloys!
Ready to Visit Our Vehicle Body Shop?
We understand how costly and inconvenient it is for a vehicle to be off the road and therefore we use processes that ensure your vehicle is repaired quickly and efficiently. So whether you need minor scratch repairs, major body repair, or alloy wheel refurbishment, our van body shop and car body shop can guarantee a high-quality service. We also repair light commercial vehicles and motorhomes. Contact us today for a paint repair at our Car Body Shop!
