modern body shops.

[vash]

i just got my truck back a few days ago.

i have not been in a fender bender in YEARS! this time. got hit on a thurday, truck was done the following wed. blew my mind. called my insurance AAA, got a work order..they suggested a shop that was on their list. no biggie, i know the shop..it's huge. i went to the shop. some guy in a neat polo shirt met me at the door and took a look at my truck. last body shop? i had to whistle to some guy sanding away, wearing a jump suit that was dusty from some carcinogens. the "inpsection" was done while the guy had his half-mask resperator tuck up on his forehead, and he had a cig hanging out of his mouth.. oh, he had knee pads..

this time. he took my truck right there and then. the shop looked like my dentist office. reseptionist up front..expresso maker..big glass fridge full of water and drinks. shuttle guy drove me to hertz..got a car. got the car. my truck was done fast, took my rental and left it at the body shop..got in my truck drove home. so easy!!! and the check for my crush bike rack showed up in the mail the next day.

crazy!! people denting their cars is big business.

[porsche4life]

My neighbor is a painter at a local high end shop.... Makes low 6 figures just shooting paint, doesn't deal with customers or anything else. Yes it's big business these days!

[Gogar]

I think it's called the "medical devices" model.

"Come right in! We'll pay your deductible and overbill the insurance company for you! you don't have to worry about a thing!"

[KevinP73]

Originally Posted by Gogar

I think it's called the "medical devices" model.

"Come right in! We'll pay your deductible and overbill the insurance company for you! you don't have to worry about a thing!"

I can tell you've never been on the business side of a "modern" body shop.
Technically it's illegal for a shop to pay your deductible(depending on the state and the insurance company). Most bigger shops also have estimators who are embedded employees of the individual insurance companies. It's in their better interest to see that the estimates are not inflated.
That may have been the practice back in the days of the smaller independent shops but those days are long over with.

[Gogar]

Lighten up, Francis!

[Steve Carlton]

You've been overhauled!

[vash]

i'd back my new bumper into a tree if Courtney Hanson was overhauling my truck.

[KevinP73]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Lighten up, Francis!

On a lighter note............I've seen this expression before but I'm not aware of it's origin. Is it a line from some movie or something, or is it just a general euphemism intended to keep a conversation from getting unnecessarily intense/hostile? Just askin........

[Paul_Heery]

[craigster59]

Was it Caliber Collision? I have AAA also and that was the shop I chose from their list. They would text me every day with updates, "parts ordered", "40% completion" and so on. It was great and all genuine Toyota parts.

[John Rogers]

One word......Garage Los Ponchos.

[mattdavis11]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Was it Caliber Collision? I have AAA also and that was the shop I chose from their list. They would text me every day with updates, "parts ordered", "40% completion" and so on. It was great and all genuine Toyota parts.

Caliber Collision, the McDonald's of body shops. I hope you didn't take the FJ62 there.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

Caliber Collision, the McDonald's of body shops. I hope you didn't take the FJ62 there.

No it was my '07 Tacoma. Some right front damage due to a novice driver cutting across 4 lanes of traffic to turn into Carl's Jr. They did a good job, gaps line up, respray matches. if it had been more extensive and possible frame damage I would have taken it elsewhere.

[911SauCy]

I used to sell a service offering into body shops in CT, none of which present as described.

Always leaving me wondering, "when am I going to find the time to learn myself to paint?" I'm sure not paying any of these clowns a premium to paint my 911 when the time comes.

FWIW, Good for this body shop!!! They identified what is plaguing their business and clearly took it upon themselves to fix the problem and differentiate. I bet it's paid off in spades !!