Choosing a Local Auto Body Painter

Dings and scratches are an unpleasant but unavoidable part of owning a car.  No matter how much we’d like to protect our vehicles, accidents will happen.  Whether the damage is caused by a wayward shopping cart or a major accident, eventually most automobile owners will need the services of a good, local auto body painter.

When choosing the best auto body painter, it may not be necessary to find the biggest name or largest shop.  Often, a local business can serve your needs just as well.  Working with local businesses makes the whole community stronger.  One auto body painter located in Kingston is Body Shop Benjamin Clement.

Clement came to Kingston from Quebec and started his paint shop with a loan from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation through The Entrepreneurship Centre at KEDCO.  He started with only one bay, determined to do things right.  Since then, his business has expanded to nearly four times its original size.  (His family has doubled in size as well!)  He is well known for his restorations as well as insurance work as his shop continues to grow.  Choosing a local business like Clement’s will give you a personal touch that a big chain cannot supply. Check out their website at www.bodyshopbenjaminclement.com.

Here are a few tips for choosing a local auto body painter.

• Good reputation.  Bad work speaks for itself.  Ask people about their experiences and look at examples of the shop’s work.
• Get written estimates from several shops.  If there seems to be a large discrepancy in price, ask why.
• Look at the overhead.  Huge shops may have a fancier lobby or free coffee but they also have a lot more staff to pay.  This increased overhead will probably be passed on to you in labor charges.
• Ask about the warranty.  A “lifetime” warranty with paragraphs of small print may not really give you any guarantees.  Look for a solid yet reasonable warranty to be sure the shop stands behind its work.

Don’t overlook your local entrepreneurs when choosing an auto body painter.

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