When you’re searching for the right collision repair shop in St. Charles, you probably imagine a team of talented auto technicians working hard to restore your car to its original state. At Glosswerxs, you aren’t far off – we provide auto expertise and quality service.
In this article, we provide you a firsthand look into what happens when you bring your car to Glosswerxs’s auto repair shop. Plus, we provide a few tips you can do so you are prepared if you ever need major repairs (hopefully not) after an auto accident.
That way, you can come out of a stressful situation and drive away with a restored vehicle.
In this article…
- What to Do At The Accident Scene
- Receiving an Accurate Repair Cost
- Six Questions to Find a High-Quality Auto Repair Shop
- What Happens in the Estimate Process?
- Parts and Repair Procedures
- The Refinishing Process
- Detailing and Cleaning
- Final Inspection and Delivery
Need Your Car Repaired Hassle-Free?
When you get into an auto accident, it pays to know a shop you can trust. Not only do they raise the bar for quality collision and auto body repair, they walk you through top quality service.
Contact us at (630) 803-5657 – we’ll help you through your auto repair needs.
What to Do At The Accident Scene
Before you give us a call, make sure you follow these steps for your personal safety, insurance, and prepare for your auto repair.
- Take photos of your auto accident. After the accident occurs, it’s important you assess your car’s damage. Photograph the actual scene for documentation and case filing (if you plan to do so).
- Seek medical care. Call an ambulance and police for medical assistance if you are injured or badly hurt.
- Tow your vehicle. Notify the police where you want your car towed to. If not, it could end up at the tow company’s storage facility where it collects daily storage fees.
- Collect missing parts of your car. Tow truck drivers like to store any fallen external car parts inside your vehicle, which is a bad idea because it may damage your car’s interior. To prevent further damage, ask the tow driver to place any parts on the bed of their truck.
- Fill out a police report. Talk with the police (be as accurate as possible) as this can help you from paying deductible if you are not at fault for the accident.
Receiving an Accurate Repair Cost
When searching for a reliable collision repair shop in St. Charles, you want to find one that provides you an accurate repair quote. Your best bet is choosing a company that deals directly with insurance companies and is familiar with repair procedures.
To expedite your car’s repair, the shop should have an adequate estimating system and resources – knowing this will help you along your way to a complete process.
6 Questions to Ask When Searching For a High-Quality Auto Repair Shop
- Does the shop work with insurance companies?
- Are the shop’s technicians I-Car certified (and can they prove it)?
- What are the warranties on your car’s repairs in the written estimate?
- How many years of experience does the shop have?
- Are repair parts being used OEM (original equipment manufacturer), aftermarket, or salvaged?
- What is the estimated time for repair and final cost if applicable?
Once you have called around and decided on a shop, you can bring your car to them to do a preliminary estimate on your damages (if car is drivable).
Keep in mind: The cheapest estimate isn’t always the best. Be sure to do your due diligence and ask those 6 questions. If the shop can’t answer them accurately, your repairs may likely be unsatisfactory.
Talk to an Auto Expert at Glosswerxs
At Glosswerxs, we expedite our repair estimates by allowing customers to send us pictures of their car’s damage, VIN number, and an easy contact form. We then email your estimate – it’s that simple and hassle-free.
For friendly quality service, call us at (630) 803-5657.
What Happens in the Estimate Process?
During the initial estimate process, there are small tell-tale signs to determine whether your repair is going to go smoothly.
Most auto repair shops will base their initial estimate on a visual inspection of the car’s damages. Initial estimates should always state FURTHER DAMAGE MAY BE APPLICABLE AFTER TEAR DOWN. Most shops, when looking at damages, can tell what’s behind said parts and will usually add them estimates. If you do not see that statement, it could hold up the process and you should consider taking their car to another location.
At Glosswerxs, we assure our customers we do whatever is possible to return their car to OEM standards.
Parts and Repair Procedures
After your estimate is complete (after teardown and add-ons where inserted), the shop is ready to order your car parts and get your vehicle ready for repairs.
There are 3 categories for parts:
- OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)
- Aftermarket (Off brand with slightly off OEM specifications)
- Salvage (Crash parts from another vehicle/refurbished OEM parts)
When going through the estimate, a production manager is given the task to order parts for the estimate. Almost all insurance companies are given a database on available parts if they are available. If they are, they will be included with your repairs.
At Glosswerxs, we order everything before repairs so we can assure we have the right and accurate parts for your car’s needs. That way, there is no downtime while the car is torn down.
Insider Tip: Collision accidents can warp the car frame to where OEM standard panels won’t fit accurately. One of the first things an auto body technician will focus on is the car’s frame dimensions and factory specs. They will use laser frame diagnostic systems to achieve accurate movement to OEM specifications.
A frame machine may be used here so that your vehicle will be repaired back to its pre-accident shape. The movement of structural parts should only be done by a qualified technician due the structural integrity that can be compromised if over exerted. It’s important that the frame and mechanical repairs are done in advance to avoid adjustments. At Glosswerxs, we know how to do this.
The Refinishing Process
After everything is fitted and ready, it’s time to start the refinishing process.
Parts are thoroughly sanded and sealed ready to accept are base coat and clear coat applications. Once refinishing is completed, our experts tend to lean towards the slower drying cycles to avoid certain issues that can arise due to rapid air dry. Chain body shops will only look at the number of cars they can turn out and not how they look. It may look good at pick up, but certain issues will eventually arise due to rapid curing of finishes.
Detailing and Cleaning
When repairs are finished, your car will be washed and its interior cleaned.
We remove any debris and metal dust. The paint will go through a paint correction process to ensure finishes accurately match. All the light components will also undergo further checking as needed.
Final Inspection and Delivery
At this point, this is where the production manager looks for minor glitches. Every tiny detail will be checked and fine-tuned to a showroom quality. Visual inspections are done and another test drive might also be performed after all the work is done.
If the production manager and the head technician give their approval of the collision repair, the vehicle is prepped for collection or delivery. Your friendly Glosswerxs representative will contact you so they can discuss the collision repair process in person.
You should be provided with a detailed and itemized list of all repairs and parts involved in the car work. The technician will also give you the final computation of the expenses with a complete breakdown of the items. At this point, you should perform your own inspection on the exterior and interior of the car to see if everything is done well. A representative from the auto body repair center will be present to accommodate your concerns.
Insider tip: Don’t take the keys until you are 100% satisfied with the collision repair. Never hesitate to point out any glitches you notice along the way. The repair technician or collision repair representative should also advise you about the next steps you should take including check-ups and paint care. They will also explain their warranty.
Let a trusted professional take care of your car’s repairs
Here at Glosswerxs, we strive for perfection for all of our customers.
While auto body repair is a complex process, we do the hard work to ensure your vehicle is restored to its original equipment manufacturer standards. All damages – including those that took place before the collision – should be fixed as well.
Give us a call at (630) 803-5657 and see why car owners in St. Charles and the northern Illinois area rely on us for auto repair needs.