How do I check how a collision shop handles parts delays and supplement approvals?

Start with the files. Choose jobs yourself, including a few slow ones, and read the notes. When was extra damage found? Who sent the supplement, and how long until it was approved? Was the customer told, and who made the call? Good shops have a clear routine and a person responsible for it.

Next, look at parts. Ask who orders them, how back-orders are tracked, and what happens when a part comes in wrong or damaged. See whether the shop has more than one supplier for common items, and how those suppliers treat the shop when parts are scarce. A single supplier that makes late deliveries is a risk you should price into your plan.

Then consider the work-in-progress. Cars waiting for parts or approval tie up bays and storage, and may sit for weeks. Ask how the shop decides what to work on next, and how often cars are moved outside. Your accountant can show how stalled jobs affect cash, since the shop may carry costs before it is paid. Finally, talk to a service manager and a long-time customer. Their stories show how much real communication happens and whether the shop keeps its promises when a job drags on.

Key takeaways

• Follow several slow jobs from found damage to approval to completion.
• Ask how late and wrong parts are tracked, and whether suppliers are varied.
• Check how many cars are stalled and who tells the customer.