Going to an auto body shop is different than the usual maintenance checkup. You may need to go to a different shop altogether if your maintenance shop does not provide the right services to fix damage to your car. Finding a new place to take your car to can be challenging, especially if you’ve gone to the same shop for years. When you’ve narrowed your choices down, here’s a checklist of signs to go through to make sure you’ve found a winner.

Good References From Acquaintances

When you ask around about certain shops, you might be surprised to find that some of your friends and family already know about them. The great thing about this is that they can tell you about their firsthand experiences, positives and difficulties with the shop. If the shop you’ve picked gets rave reviews from them, that’s a stellar sign you’ve found one.

Loads of Certifications

The biggest certification your shop might have is the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, but there are plenty more to look for, especially on the local level. You can search for a shop’s reliability online, or multiple shops online (like typing in import auto repair Issaquah WA). When you go in for a quote, don’t be afraid to ask for proof of certifications.

Excellent Service

If you aren’t sure about recommendations from friends or online reviews, then try out a shop yourself to see how they do. Take your car into several different shops before an accident even happens for routine checkups, like an oil change. You can judge for yourself if the shop lives up to your standards. Employees who show obvious care for you and your vehicle needs are often indicative of what future service will look like.

There are plenty of great auto repair shops out there. Sometimes you just have to do a bit of research to find the perfect one.