Auto Hail Repair Process
When a car first arrives the vehicle undergoes a thorough cleaning and inspection of all damage.
Hail related and unrelated prior damage are marked with grease pens and all dents are measured and counted. The original insurance estimate is checked for accuracy.
Supplementation
If the initial inspection reveals deficiencies in the original estimate, the insurance company is contacted and a re-inspection of the vehicle is requested. This is perhaps the most important part of the process. Most original estimates are short by as much as 200%, and in fact most insurance companies intentionally write the first estimate “light” and a large percentage of insured claimants accept the original estimate and assume they can’t afford to get their vehicle fixed.
Disassembly
Once a vehicle is ready for repair the required panels and components are carefully removed and labeled for reassembly. For example, headliners are typically dropped down to allow access to the underside of the roof panel.
Paintless Dent Repair
After disassembly a highly trained PDR technician meticulously massages all dents back to their original pre-dented shape. This is done with a variety of different tools and methods. When a panel’s underside is not accessible, a glue pulling method is sometimes used. This involves gluing a pull tab to the outside of the dent and gently pulling the dent out with a slide dent puller. The combination of the two skill sets allow almost any dent in any location to be fully repaired without using invasive access techniques.
Reassembly
After all the dents have been completely repaired a supervisor inspects the work for any flaws and the vehicle is reassembled.
Final Inspection and Cleaning
After the vehicle is reassembled all related functions are checked. For instance, if the headlights were removed to fix the dents on a fender, the headlamps will be aligned and aimed. If the headliner was removed it is checked to make sure all interior lights function properly and then the vehicle is washed and vacuumed prior to delivery.
Delivery and Payment
Once the repair is completed the customer is contacted to arrange delivery of the vehicle. Payment in full is due at this time. Often the insurance company will make a check payable directly to Dent Headquarters and therefore the customer can take possession of their vehicle without having to secure payment of any kind. Sometimes insurance checks are made payable to two parties; both Dent Headquarters and the insured. In this situation, Dent Headquarters will stamp the check and the customer will sign it over to Dent Headquarters. However, some insurance companies will make the payment out directly to the insured and then the customer is responsible for making sure the money is available before or at the time of delivery.