Choosing An Auto Body Shop

 ICBC's TOP TIPS FOR SHOP SELECTION

On a typical day, there are 730 crashes across the province. That means there's one crash approximately every two minutes. Being in a crash can be stressful to say the very least — especially if you need to get your vehicle repaired as quickly as possible. And with so many body shops out there, how do you know if you're choosing the right one?

You can get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice, but ICBC recommends choosing a c.a.r. shop VALET facility. Here are the top five reasons why:

1. Lifetime guarantee: c.a.r. shop VALET facilities are accredited by ICBC to provide safe, high-quality repairs that are guaranteed for as long as you own the vehicle, so you can trust that the work on your vehicle gets done right. 
2. Keeping your freedom: With a c.a.r. shop VALET, you'll always have another mode of transportation to get you around while your vehicle is being repaired. c.a.r. shop VALET facilities will discuss alternate transportation options with you, which may include providing you with a courtesy vehicle.
3. Free vehicle pick-up and drop-off: It's not "VALET" for nothing. Vehicle pick-up and drop-off service is available to you if you need it. c.a.r. shop VALET facilities will offer to pick-up your vehicle to complete the repairs, whether it's from your home or your work or any other location as long as it's within 30 km of the shop's location. Once the repairs are done, they'll even bring it back to you washed and vacuumed!
4. High-quality repairs: All c.a.r. shop VALET facilities must meet or exceed ICBC's high standards for repair equipment and business practices. They also have trade-qualified technicians with up to date technical training, so you can be sure that the work done on your vehicle is of high-quality and safe. 
5. Customer satisfaction: c.a.r. shop VALET facilities are driven to provide you with excellent customer service. They're measured on customer satisfaction through surveys conducted by AutocheX ? a third party company that specializes in tracking customer service levels for body shops across North America. And today, seventeen ICBC c.a.r. shop VALET facilities received the annual AutocheX Premier Achiever Award for their outstanding customer services.  

These shops achieved customer satisfaction scores in the top four per cent of the approximately 9,000 shops measured from across North America. Scores are based on key award criteria such as the shop's ability to keep customers informed, provide on time deliveries and provide efficient, safe and quality repairs. Approximately 70,000 ICBC customers of the 428 c.a.r. shop VALET participants are surveyed annually.

"We're committed to working with our collision repair partners to provide our mutual customers with excellent service and high-quality repairs," said Craig Horton, senior vice-president of claims. "We're extremely proud of the 17 shops that have consistently made customer service a top priority."

The following ICBC c.a.r. shop VALET facilities have won a 2010 Premier Achiever Award:

• B&A Auto Body, Quesnel
• Bodycraft Collision, Langley
• Craftsman Collision (1981) Ltd., Vancouver ? Powell St.
• Don's Auto Body, Aldergrove
• Grandcity Autobody Ltd., Richmond
• Hartley's Autobody Ltd., Sechelt
• Jan's Precision Auto Body, Langley
• Kelowna Chrysler Dodge Ltd., Kelowna
• Ladner Auto Body Ltd., Delta
• Lee's Autopride Collision Ltd., Vancouver
• Little Valley Restorations, Ladysmith
• McDermott's Body Shop Ltd., Vancouver
• Meadowridge Collision Ltd., Maple Ridge
• Mertin Chevrolet Cadillac Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd., Chilliwack
• Taylormotive Service Ltd., North Vancouver
• Sunnyside Autobody (1980) Ltd., Surrey
• Sunshine Auto Body Ltd., Langley

To find an ICBC c.a.r. shop VALET facility in your community, visit icbc.com and select "Auto body shop" under the "Find a location" in the left-hand toolbar.