Direct Repair Shops: What They Are & How They Work

Most drivers love their cars. They are the ultimate symbol of individuality and allow you to exercise your independence. Autos get the best gasoline, comfortable tires and specialized customizing.  They get shades and covers to protect them from the elements.  When they are dirty they get a nice bubble bath with the best detergents, a complete vacuum job, soft towel drying, protective lotions and waxes.

When an accident happens it is often perceived as a personal affront; how dare anyone hurt your “baby”!  This is why having a good quality repair shop is so important, after a “crash”.

In the early 1990’s insurance carriers began taking a look at how they could make a customer feel more comfortable with auto body repairs.  Body shops had developed a bad reputation as places that were very dirty, unsafe and guilty of doing questionable work.  In fact, many women did not want to go anywhere near a body shop.  I remember body shop owners and their employees being pegged as a hard drinking and careless bunch of uneducated and anti-social males.

Into this world came a number of changes. First insurance companies began hiring women to do vehicle appraisals. More and more women were becoming permanent members of the workforce, and drove to work every day. Methods of vehicle repair became more complex, requiring specialized knowledge and detailed craftsmanship. Vehicles changed and utilized computerized diagnostics and digital technology.  The public preferred and frequented clean and orderly repair environments.

As body shops morphed into their present day state, insurance carriers realized that improving a customer’s experience with a body shop was a huge opportunity to improve policyholder satisfaction.

This is how the Approved Repair Shop Program was born. It is truly one of the nicest things that has ever happened for the benefit of the auto insurance consumer, since autos came on the scene. The present day Direct Repair Program, which succeeded it, can best be described as a program that assures that your vehicle repairs will be done speedily, with a minimum of paperwork, in a high quality detailed manner, with 100% satisfaction guaranteed for the life of the repairs.

Before you are ever involved in an accident, your insurance carrier visits body shops in all of the areas where they have customers, and inspects the facilities for cleanliness, appropriate repair equipment, training of the body shop personnel, estimating and accounting standards, quality of workmanship, and customer satisfaction experience.  Insurance carriers vary somewhat in the specifics of their programs, but many insurance carriers now have Direct Repair Programs in place.

The first Direct Repair Shops were in rural areas, and allowed the insurance carriers to save money by skipping the step of hiring “independent” appraisers, to inspect their customers’ damaged vehicles.

As the insurance and auto repair industries have become more and more computerized the Direct Repair Program has taken on the new role of estimating for the repair process.  Now, a body shop that is a Direct Repair facility, also does the estimating and photographing of your vehicle’s damages on site, and sends the results to your insurance carrier on the day that your vehicle arrives.  Parts are ordered as soon as the repairs are approved on-line.  If your vehicle is drivable,  you can have it estimated and photographed, continue to drive it till the parts are in and the shop can start on the work, bring it in at your convenience thereafter, and receive it back in pre-loss condition in a vastly shortened time span.

Best of all, because your insurance carrier has pre-approved the shop’s work, your completed repairs are guaranteed for life.  To illustrate this point, let me give you an example.  A year ago my vehicle was damaged in an accident that resulted in over $4,000 in damage. I utilized a Direct Repair Shop for the work, after visiting the facility to make sure they met with my high standards.  The work was completed so quickly that I never got to the point where I was comfortable with my rental car.  Recently I noticed that the hood emblem had faded. I called my insurance company, and they called the body shop authorizing ordering and replacement of the part.  If I had needed to pursue the manufacturer of the part directly, I probably would have had to pay for the part up front, had the fading inspected at the dealer (who is many more miles away), and then written several letters to accomplish the same result.

The Direct Repair Program saved me a hassle, time, money and a great deal of frustration.

As the owner of a vehicle, you have the ultimate say as to who does the repairs, when it is damaged. If your insurance carrier has a Direct Repair Program you will usually be given a list of shops to choose from. You can then decide, which of the shops, is the best choice for you.

My advice is to ask your insurance carrier to give you a list of shops, before you ever get into an accident.  Then go to the shops and take a look.  Make a decision on who will do your repairs, long before you need to take a vehicle in. You will feel so much more at ease after an accident, knowing your “baby” is in good hands.  Furthermore, at the time of a “crash” you may not be able to look after your “baby”.  If you are injured you will have to leave its side, to take care of yourself.

One of the best advantages of the Direct Repair Shop program is that there is absolutely no time wasted waiting for a check to arrive. In addition, many of the Direct Repair Shops can have a rental car delivered to the shop, at the day and time that you drop you r vehicle off for repair. You can leave your rental car at the shop for pick-up, by the rental company, when you arrive for your repaired vehicle.  One Direct Repair Shop I know of even has rental cars on the premises, at all times.

My special thanks to Even Gatti , Direct Repair Program Vendor Manager for CSAA, and Gary Spahn of Body Best Collision Center, a Direct Repair Shop in Sonoma, California, for sharing their insights and experience, and thereby contributing to the writing of this article.