Estimating any type of repair work can be quite the challenge. Auto body work can be especially hard because a lot of major damage to the vehicle often goes unseen to the naked eye. If you miss anything, 2 bad things can happen…

You’ll discover the damage later and have to tell the customer their repair will cost more.

You don’t discover the damage and the vehicle ends up breaking down later.

Being able to get the estimate done completely without missing anything is hard but this week we are going go over 5 tips for a successful auto body estimate. Auto Body Specialties has remained open through the Coronavirus pandemic. We are here for all of your auto body and collision repair needs.

Tip 1: Thoroughly interview the customer about the repair needs for the vehicle. Make sure you get a full description of what occurred during the accident. Examine the vehicle closely with the client and have them point out the damage that they would like/need fixed. If you notice anything that they have missed, make sure you mention it to them and include it in the estimate.

Tip 2: Only employees who are professionally trained to do estimates should do so. Any employee who isn’t completely trained on doing an estimate may write one incorrectly or underestimate. They also run the risk of missing damage which will make the vehicle unsafe to drive.

Tip 3: Take photos of any pre existing conditions and existing conditions before starting the estimate. The photos will ensure that the vehicle leaves your shop with the correct damage repaired. It is also a sign of good faith to the customer that you are not going to add accidental costs to their bill because you have a photo of all the preexisting damage.

Tip 4: Make sure you schedule your estimates out. If you book too many estimates around the same time, you may feel like you have to rush through them. Rushing always leads to negative consequences such as missed damage and under estimating. Even if the customer has to wait a bit after their accident to get the estimate done, sometimes that is a good idea so they can have a clear head to communicate with you.

Tip 5: Make sure your estimator communicates well with your technicians. All communication does not have to be verbal. Many shops actually use a color coded paper system to record progress on the vehicle repair. Each person who works on the car must sign off on the paper before a new part of the repair starts. This ensures each repair is completed and if the next technician has a question on the last repair, they know who to ask.