How to choose a great panel beater near Granville – 7 important factors for making an informed decision

#1 Are they licensed to provide the panel beating service?

Accreditation is important. It is indicative of compliance with criteria established by relevant authorities. In this case, a valid Motor Vehicle Repairer’s License is required for Panel Beaters in New South Wales. Repairing complex high-value machines like cars, especially luxury brands, you would definitely want to engage an accredited and legitimate smash repairer such as Parramatta Smash Repairs. 

#2 Do they have a good word-of-mouth reputation?

The bad apples in the smash repairs industry may have tarnished the whole industry’s reputation, so it’s important to do your research and not just ask Google. 

• Informal word-of-mouth referrals count – ask people around you who have engaged smash repairs services 
• Formal recommendations from reputable insurance companies provide some baseline assurance of competence
• Ratings and number of entries in Google Reviews (and comments on consumer forums or social media channels, if any) could also give you the social proof based on the consistency in their customer satisfaction

#3 How long do they estimate it will take to complete the repairs?

Ask at least two repairers for a comparison. There may be a difference of days, weeks or months. Quick turnarounds could suggest the presence of a larger team or more experienced staff, and slow turnarounds could suggest the shop is under-resourced or badly managed.  It would be wise to make at least one site visit before you pick the smash repairer, because you could tell a lot by observing how they conduct their business.

#4 Is a workmanship guarantee provided?

Clarify if there is a lifetime service guarantee (which means a guarantee on the quality of repair for as long as you own your vehicle) with the insurer or repairer, so that you do not have to fork out extra expenses for future repair if the initial repair proves to be faulty.

#5 Does the repairer have specialist technical capability?

This is important, especially if you have a luxury car. A repairer with experience on cars of the same make, model, and year as yours are likely to provide better quality repairs. 

#6 What is the quality of their facilities, equipment & parts?

The combination of expertise and great tools gives you the best results. Have at least one tour of the workshop facilities. This provides clues on how well the shop is managed, how safe and clean the premises are, if there is ample space for protecting your car from the elements, whether they use old or advanced technology, and if they use superior parts and paints. 

#7 Do they look after customers as well as they look after cars?

Customers who need to arrange for smash repairs may be in a stressed or anxious state. The best smash repairs shop not only looks after the car’s repairs, but also the customer’s peace of mind. Ways to make customers feel supported include timely and frequent updates, making it easy to get insurance paperwork done, getting alternative transport arranged, and providing towing services if required.