Family Owned Body Shops: A Better Choice

People with a family owned body shop have faced competition with the bigger chain companies over the last couple of decades.  With competition at an all-time high in just about every industry, the auto body repair business is no different.  With the big chain auto body repair shops buying smaller shops and forcing others out of business, we’ll explain why this isn’t a good idea.

Smaller, family-owned or independent body shops offer better service, higher-quality parts and repairs and are not influenced by insurance companies.

Better Service

With bigger chain body shops, there are always quotas to be met, which means getting as many vehicles in and out of the shop as quickly as possible.  This means pressure on the technicians to service the cars as quickly as possible. 

When this happens, quality usually suffers.  And because these bigger companies aren’t concerned about their reputations in the community, they’re instead almost completely focused on quantity and profit. 

A smaller family owned body shop has a vested interest in the community and knows how important customer relationships are.  This is the backbone of their business.

orlando auto body team photo
family owned body shop vs. big chain business

Using Quality Parts

Because family owned body shops take being a part of a community seriously, providing quality service in a timely fashion is important to them.  And using quality parts is also a top priority.

Many of the bigger chains will use generic or after-market parts for their repairs.  This is a two-fold problem.  First, these parts aren’t made as well or as high-quality as original manufacturer equipment (OEM) parts.  OEM parts are made specifically for a vehicle’s make and model by the manufacturer and therefore the car can be restored, literally, to its pre-accident condition.

It’s been shown that OEM parts are safer as well as allow the vehicle to perform at it’s best when used.

Less Overhead 

Chain body shops have much more overhead costs than a family owned body shop.  Big companies have marketing departments, managers, sales teams and a host of other costs associated with keeping their shops running. These costs are always passed down to the consumer.

Family owned body shops have much less overhead.  And because the work they put out is not assembly-line style—getting as many cars in and out as possible—most smaller shops nurture their employees to be the best they can be.  They try to maintain a “family style” atmosphere in their work which is passed on to the customer.

Insurance Company Direct Repair Program

Many of the bigger chain shops are tied into an insurance company’s “direct repair program” (DRP).  This is a program where the body shop meets certain standards set by the insurance company and gets “approved” by them.  The insurance company then attempts to steer customers toward these shops when contacted after a collision.  It should be noted that you always have a choice as to which body shop you want to use after a collision.

Although the aim of the insurance companies with a DRP is to provide fast, quality service and keep costs low, the opposite occurs many times.  As mentioned above, service and parts quality suffers due to insurance companies trying to cut costs. This is great for insurance companies but bad for consumers.

Overall, using a family owned body shop is a good choice.  Here at Orlando Auto Body you’ll get friendly faces, great service and OEM parts to make sure your vehicle is restored to it’s pre-accident condition. Because we’ve been a family owned business for over 30 years, we truly take pride in our work and want our customers to not only think of us first but refer their friends and family.  Call us today at (480) 844-4858.