Ever wonder how a Paintless Dent Repair company works? They seem to pop up out of nowhere when the hail hits and disappear just as quickly when it is gone. Most people are not familiar with Paintless Dent Repair unless they have dealt with auto hail damage. At The Dent Company, we get asked this all the time. While Paintless Dent Repair is still the best method to repair hail damage, how these companies work is another point of interest. While we won’t cover them all, this should give you a good understanding of how most work.
The very first thing you should know about most Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) companies is that they exist for one purpose and that is auto hail repair work. Sure, they will still fix small dents and door dings on the side but the real money is in auto hail repair.
A Paintless Dent Repair Company may be Temporary
While The Dent Company maintains a full-time auto hail repair facility in Arvada, CO. and operates year-round, that is not always the case with other PDR companies. Since we do have a high-volume and permanent facility, we can offer other services such as small dent removal, door ding repair, and even body shop repairs. While this certainly keeps us busy, it doesn’t compare to a line of cars with hail damage needing repair. Other PDR companies solely exist to travel to hail impacted areas. There, they will set up a temporary location and begin work. Once the job ends, they will travel to a new location. Since PDR doesn’t require a ton of equipment, a location could be a small shop or even a large tent.
There is nothing wrong with these traveling companies. Without them, body shops would not even come close to handling the sheer volume of repairs needed when an area is hit with hail. Many customers come to us, instead of the one recommended by their insurance company, because the wait time was 6 months or more.
The Dent Company also Travels for Auto Hail Repair
While the Denver area is where we call home, we still travel to other parts of the country to repair hail damage. Recently, we found ourselves in Oregon for a big dealership auto hail repair job. The area was hit and hail took out most of their vehicles. When the dealership reached out to us, we headed out. We knocked out over 300 cars and trucks in no time. It was a win-win.
Mobile Paintless Dent Repair
Mobile PDR companies, usually made up of one or two people, make a living driving a PDR van to their customers. These vans are not cheap by any means and contain all the tools necessary for the job. A small dent or door ding can be repaired in a couple of hours while the customer is at work. They usually also have car dealership accounts to fix the dents on the lot.
Paintless Dent Repair is a Lucrative Business
Hail damage repair is very lucrative to both the business and the PDR technicians but it does come with sacrifices. Like a body shop, a PDR company charges per dent to be repaired. Paintless Dent Repair fixes dents without the need for body part replacements. Remember, you only get ONE factory paint job. Dents are gently lifted out using highly specialized tools by PDR technicians. Without the extra expense of parts and downtime for prep and paintwork, the profit margins are higher while still being able to do the job for less. For a typical auto hail repair job, a PDR technician may fix hundreds of dents in just a single vehicle! In the case of a major hailstorm, that same technician could have another 50-60 cars waiting to be repaired. A highly skilled technician can easily make over $100k a year in a large concentration of hail damage. Their work is long, hard and can take them away from family for months as they travel to where the hail is. Each PDR technician comes with their own equipment that can add up to over $10k. You can go to our Paintless Dent Repair Estimate Calculator page and see our Hail Matrix which breaks down what it costs for each dent based on size and location.
Auto Hail Repair is Commission Based
As with a mechanic, PDR technicians work on a per-car basis or commission. That percentage is based on the total insurance claim amount minus expenses. At The Dent Company, all work must pass our high standard of quality before we return a vehicle to the customer and the technician gets paid. This ensures the perfection we expect as a company and that the vehicles are done right the first time.
Insurance Companies Won’t Refer a PDR Company
Once a hail damage claim is filed, insurance companies typically recommend a local body shop for repairs. They won’t, however, refer hail damage to a Paintless Dent Repair company. The reasoning is simple. They have an existing relationship with the local body shop and know the repairs will be made the way THEY want. This includes requiring aftermarket parts and the most economical course of repair. Shops will follow these guidelines to keep the insurance companies sending them business throughout the year. Unfortunately, they are the first to fill up during a hail storm where they will be backed up for months.
Paintless Dent Repair Uses Body Shops, Too
We have referred to what is better for auto hail damage, PDR vs Body Shop but the truth is they are not in competition and work together. Most Paintless Dent Repair companies have great relationships with body shops and work is traded all the time. We will typically send a vehicle to a body shop only when a part of the vehicle exceeds the limitations of PDR. In most cases, it is because the paint is damaged. The Dent Company is a “PDR First” shop and we repair all areas first using PDR and only send the remainder to a body shop for repairs. This is especially beneficial in the case of a light collision and hail damage. it also lowers the cost, turnaround time and the overall impact on the vehicle since only that affected area needs to be re-painted.
We hope you are more informed about how Paintless Dent repair companies work and decide to call one for auto hail repair or the next time you have a small dent or need a door ding removed. Bring your vehicle by The Dent Company and we are sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the results!
About The Dent Company
At The Dent Company, word of mouth and customer satisfaction has made us successful from day one, and we never forget that. We want to be your go-to dent company and the one you tell your friends about. All of our work comes with a lifetime warranty and a satisfaction guarantee.
The Dent Company
(866) 685-4245
The Auto Hail Repair Experts
America’s Dent Co.