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Spring and Summer Storms Keep Auto Body & Repair Shops Jumping

Posted by Andrew Donahey | Mon, Mar 23, 2015 @ 04:30 PM

Auto Body Repair Hail StonesSpring and summer are peak times for severe weather and storm damage to cars. The state of Florida experiences the most thunderstorms per year on average, and the southeastern US and southern plains also get a lot of storms in a given year.

But a severe thunderstorm can happen anywhere, as auto body shops that have been in business for a while can attest. 

The biggest hailstone recovered in the US was in Nebraska in 2003 and was 7 inches wide. For comparison the standard softball used in slow-pitch is about half as big. Though nobody weighed the Nebraska hailstone, a hailstone in Kansas in 1970 had a 5.7-inch diameter and weighed a whopping 1.67 pounds. And large hailstones can fall at speeds greater than 100 mph: ouch! 

Hail damage alone can do a number on a car's appearance, even if hailstones aren't that big.

Common Types of Storm Damage to Cars

A tornado or a big tree can destroy a car, but lesser events can also cause damage. Falling limbs and hail can cause anything from dinged paint to a hood full of divots. Colorado's Front Range happens to be located in the part of North America with the highest frequency of large hail, and residents can count on eventually having to deal with hail damage. Over the last decade, insured hail damage in Colorado alone amounted to $3 billion, and this area usually gets three or four catastrophic hail storms every year. 

What Insurance Typically Does and Does Not Cover

Hail Stones Auto Body Repair ShopIt's easy for consumers to be confused as to what their homeowners' insurance and car insurance covers as far as things like hail damage to cars, and if you operate an auto body repair shop, they may ask you. Hail damage and storm damage to your car isn't covered by homeowners' insurance, even if one of your own trees falls on your car.

Storm damage to cars is covered under comprehensive auto coverage, which not everyone has. People who drive older cars often drop comprehensive coverage to save on premiums, so if their cars experience storm damage, they'll have to cover repair costs themselves if they want the damage fixed.

How Auto Body Shops Can Cope With Extra Business After Storms

A major hail event can put auto body repair shops into overdrive. In some cases, insurance companies will go so far as to set up marquees in front of local shopping centers so they can assess the claims of large numbers of people in a short time.

Those who have storm damage that is covered by comprehensive auto coverage will still have to pay a deductible before their insurance kicks in, and this may be up to $1,000.

Busy auto body shops have to be able to securely process a lot of personal checks in these situations, and experienced shop owners know that people facing unexpected expenses like this often need some help to make that payment.

How Multiple Check Payment Service Can Help

Auto Body Repairs Multiple CheckTo help their customers and to simultaneously protect their cash flow from returned checks, savvy auto body repair shops often team up with a check payment processing service that offers something called multiple check or "hold check" service.

Checks are approved via terminal at the point of sale, and then the shop sets up a payment plan with the customer to pay off the account within 30 days to accommodate the customer's cash flow situation.

Merchants like it because full payment is guaranteed by their check processing provider, and customers like it because they can pay over the course of 30 days rather than all at once. When a multiple check service provider offers risk mitigation and guarantees a check, even if the check is returned the shop gets paid. 

Conclusion

Spring and summer are prime seasons for storm damage to cars, and auto body repair shops can find themselves busier than usual.

But by working with a check payment processing service that guarantees checks and offers extras like multiple check service, your auto body repair shop can be confident when checks are processed, and you can offer customers the convenience of paying over time so they're more likely to go ahead with a repair. 

 

hold check, multiple check

 

CrossCheck leads the payments industry with numerous cost effective check processing programs that can help you increase sales, cut risk, and keep customers happy. CrossCheck has an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau and includes 24/7/365 live customer service at no extra cost. 

Topics: Auto Repair

Written by Andrew Donahey

Marketing Director Andrew Donahey leads a dedicated group of digital marketing specialists that generates relevant content for the financial services sector. He also collects vintage “anything” and has a Golden Retriever kennel.