You may wonder why in the world does an Auto Repair shop need a blog? Well, thanks to the solid advice of one of our longtime friends and clients, Wes Thorp, we felt that it would be a great avenue to let longtime & new clients to get to know us better. In fact, this blog is more than that, as it will allow us to:

- Keep you up to date about the Issues Affecting You and your automobile
- Allow us to post Neat Happenings and Events we will be holding
- Appraise you on how we're Growing & Expanding our business to Meet Your Needs
- Tell you how we're Interacting With Our Community
- Make Recommendations of other Local Area Businesses whom have earned our trust and respect through years of solid relationships

In addition, I look forward to receiving your emails for any questions you may have, so that others may benefit from reading the answers to your questions, and make constructive comments themselves.

We'll update this website with each latest blog entry, but if you want to read past blog entries, comment on entries, or subscribe to our blog, simply click on this link to www.LansingCarCare.blogspot.com!

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Wednesday, February 8th, 2006

Auto Body Tips

Working in the Auto Repair industry allows us to get to know other businesses working to serve everyone in our community. As such, we get the advantage of seeing others work in the case we need to send our own vehicles for work we cannot do ourselves. In this case, we have been frequenting Kalamazoo Auto Body for some time now, as they have done fantastic work for us as outsource jobs such as repainting replacement mirrors and fenders, in addition to trusting our own cars to their care. In fact, my own Jeep which had a need to repaint the rear due to an incident with a pole, has never looked better. I couldn't even believe that there was ever any damage.

Recently, Sue Irwin of Kalamazoo Auto Body sent us a letter thanking us for sending our clients to them for their Auto Body repair needs. They also sent the following tips in order to help you understand how to use an Auto Body shop and what to do when you need one.

1) Your car is likely to be one of the largest investments you'll make, preserve its value by having it repaired professionally. Choose a shop that has certified technicians with designations such as I-CAR and ASE.

2. Never drive a car that could be unsafe because of damages, most insurance companies will pay for a vehicle to be towed to a body shop as part of the collision claim.

3) Some insurance companies may request that you visit a drive through claims office or have an estimate written by a specific body shop, [however,] you always have the option of leaving your car at the collision shop of your choice and have the insurance company inspect the car there.

4) You are not required by law to obtain more than one estimate.

5) You have the right to have your vehicle repaired at the repair of your choice. Your insurance company cannot require you to go to a particular shop.

6) Ask if the shop will be using genuine manufacturer (OEM) replacement parts.

7) Your insurance company may require the use of non-genuine replacement parts, these are commonly called "Aftermarket", or they may request used or salvage parts, these are often referred to as "LKQ" (like kind and quality). When shopping for auto insurance, ask what kind of parts will be used if the vehicle is involved in an accident.

8) Ask if the shop offers a repair warranty.

9) Let the collision shop you choose help you negotiate your claim with the insurance company, this often leads to a better end result.

So if you find yourself needing some body work after a fender bender, or you just want to get the car repainted and restore some of its luster, do what we do, send your car to Kalamazoo Auto Body. Talk to Ted Irwin, and we're confident that you'll find their work as excellent as we have.

Kalamazoo Auto Body
2628 E. Kalamazoo St.
Lansing, MI 48912
517-484-8888 phone
517-484-1222 fax

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For More Blog entries, to comment on them, or to subscribe to our blog, simply follow this link to www.LansingCarCare.blogspot.com and keep checking back often, as I update regularly!