Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for auto body repair companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Automobile Collision Center, achieving and sustaining high levels of customer satisfaction is the direct result of the way it communicates with its clients. “We understand people are sometimes afraid to leave their vehicles with a body shop, so we make sure to explain our process in great detail so our customers know exactly what to expect,” says General Manager Jeff Choe. “At the end of the day, we want each customer to know they’ve dropped off their car at a facility that does honest, quality work.”

Automobile Collision Center has been providing automotive collision repairs for all types of vehicles at three locations in Hayward, Newark and Mountain View since 2002. The family-owned and operated company’s I-CAR and ASE-certified technicians are trained to use a variety of state-of-the-art equipment to return customers’ cars to their pre-accident conditions, including a paint matching system and a computerized frame and unibody straightening system. “Our employees have years of experience and are able to serve our customers’ needs as quickly and efficiently as possible,” says Mr. Choe.

Despite having more than 50 employees and three separate locations throughout the East Bay, Automobile Collision Center still strives to offer the type of personalized service that’s often reserved for smaller body shops–a detail-oriented business approach that’s endeared the company to its clients. “When a customer brings their car into any one of our locations, a service manager will go over every detail of the vehicle and explain the necessary repairs,” says Mr. Choe. “We’re here to help our customers through the process in any way we can.”

Another distinctive feature of Automobile Collision Center is the balance it strikes between quality work and affordable pricing. “Sometimes it’s hard to find a body shop that offers both top-level work and reasonable prices, but we’ve managed to find a comfortable medium,” says Mr. Choe. “Our capabilities are just as extensive as a dealership, but our prices are similar to those of a smaller business.”

By simply being a good customer, you can greatly expedite the auto body repair process. Ultimately, it’s your auto body shop’s responsibility to perform thorough, quality repairs on your car, but you play a big part in the process as well. Being straightforward, honest and easy to work with sets the tone from your side and creates an environment conducive to a good working relationship. Here are a few simple steps you can take to be a good customer when you take your vehicle into an auto body shop:

• Be clear and upfront with the shop representative. Clearly explain your problem, the outcome you’re expecting and the specific ways the shop can satisfy your expectations.
• Most problems with auto body shops occur because of a breakdown in communication. By being clear about both parties’ expectations, you can avoid most conflicts. Before you leave your vehicle at a shop, restate your expectations and goals and reiterate your understanding of the agreement to the technicians.
• Be sure your service writer has a phone number where you can be reached at all times. Your repairs will move faster if your service writer can immediately contact you for any necessary updates or authorizations.
• Ask your service writer if you should call to check on the progress of your body repairs or if he or she will call you with updates.
• When your shop contacts you, immediately return calls to keep repairs on schedule.
• Promptly pay for the repairs.

Once collision repair work is finished, all California body shops are required by law to give you a written invoice that details all the completed work. This invoice must include:

• The name and physical address of the repair shop and its registration number
• A list of all services performed
• An itemized list of all replaced parts that states whether the parts were new, used, salvaged, reconditioned or rebuilt • The total auto collision repair cost, including the amount due for body mechanic labor
• The shop’s Environmental Protection Agency number (if applicable) and any hazardous waste disposal fees

It’s important to compare the written invoice to the work that was actually done. Ask your body repair specialist to show you the repairs and check them against the invoice. Your shop should be willing to explain the repair process and give you any special instructions for maintaining the repairs and/or new body paint. If you have questions about what was completed or how the work was done, this is the time to ask.

Q: How long will my repairs take to complete?

A: That depends entirely on the amount of damage and time needed to acquire the parts. The process can also be delayed by your insurance company, although we keep on top of that and expedite the insurance process as much as possible.

Q: Do you use original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts?

A: We prefer to, but it really depends on what your insurance policy says. If you insist on OEM parts but your policy doesn’t authorize them, we can try to negotiate a discount with our supplier, but you’ll be responsible for paying the difference between what your insurance company pays for and what the OEM parts cost us.

Q: Do you use environmentally safe paints?

A: Yes. California law requires all auto body shops to use waterborne paints.

Q: Do you offer any discounts?

A: We offer a 10 percent discount on our regular estimates for customers who come to us via Diamond Certified.

Q: Do you provide a shuttle service?

A: Yes.