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Car Owners and Leaseholders

Hail Damage

Q. My car just got hailed on. What do I do?
A. If you’re insured, your policy probably covers hail damage. Just call your insurance company to file a claim. They may want to perform their own estimate, or they might send you to a body shop. In either case, tell them that you want Dixie Dent to fix your car! And if you’re not insured, just call us for a free estimate at 615-476-0114.

Q. I found your flyer on my windshield. Where is Dixie Dent working in my town?
A. As a service to the public, and to the body shops and dealerships in your town, we come in after a hailstorm and search for hail damaged cars, leaving a flyer about how to go about getting the repairs done. Just call 615-476-0114 and we’ll tell you which shops we’re working with in your town.

Q. How long will my estimate take?
A. A thorough estimate should take between 30 and 45 minutes.

Q. Can you do my repair on the same day you estimate it?
A. Sometimes, yes! In fact, if you come to us in the first few days after a storm, it’s quite likely that you could have your car repaired on the same day as the estimate. This is because it typically takes other customers several days to file a claim and to decide when they’d like to have it fixed.
But if your hailstorm reached “catastrophic” levels, you should expect your repair to be scheduled even weeks in advance, since there are so many cars waiting to be repaired.
If you’re wanting your car fixed sooner, please ask! A shop might make the mistake of assuming that you’re content to wait like everybody else, but if you volunteer to be called in the event of an unexpected opening, it can be a “win/win” for everybody. Our technicians might just be able to squeeze you in between other scheduled repairs, provided that they know that you’re open to that.

Q. How long is my repair going to take?
A. It depends on a few things like:

• How widespread the hailstorm was. (How many other cars there are that need to be fixed along with yours.)
• The number of dents on your car.
• The size and depth of the dents.
• Whether parts like glass, mirrors, and moldings were damaged. (Those parts have to be replaced by the shop, which takes a while for new parts to arrive.)
• Whether any of the panels on your car are damaged so much that PDR is not possible. (For instance, if the hail cracked the paint, or if the number of dents is so high that it would be cheaper just to replace the hood altogether than to pay a technician to remove all the dents.)

All these factors influence how long your repair will take. But it should help you to know that in many cases, a customer’s car can be returned in 2 to 4 days, while in other cases, it could be as long as 2 weeks or more. When you bring your car in for repair, we should be able to give you a pretty accurate idea of how long it will take.

Q. Why should I have my car repaired at all? Why not just live with the hail damage and do something fun with the insurance check?
A. Here are a couple of reasons you should consider:

• If you cash in this time and opt not to have the repairs made, your insurance company will most likely refuse to pay for any future repairs of storm damage to your car. So what happens if you can live with your current state of hail damage, but you get hit harder the next time? Then you’ll have a car you can’t live with, and you’ll have to pay for repairs out of your own pocket. (And you’ll be paying to fix two sets of hail damage, and not just one!)
• If you don’t repair your car, you are sacrificing your resale value. So you might gain some extra cash in the short term, but you’ll just end up losing money when you sell or trade your car.

Q. Do I have to have it repaired with Paintless Dent Repair, or can I have it repaired conventionally?
A. It depends on your insurance company. More and more companies are insisting on PDR for the panels on your car that can be fixed by PDR. But some might give you the choice.

Q. Why should I choose PDR if my insurance company allows conventional repair?
A. There are several reasons. Here are the three most compelling:

• PDR can fix your car in days, as compared to weeks for conventional repair.
• PDR leaves your original paint job intact, removing the dents without damaging your paint job.
• PDR uses no fillers (such as Bondo) that can crack in time.

Q. Why should I want Dixie Dent to perform my repairs? Aren’t all PDR companies pretty much the same?
A. No, they’re not. If you have nickel- or dime-sized dents, most companies’ technicians can remove those, but Dixie Dent’s veteran technicians can remove dents much larger than this without cracking your paint. Don’t get us wrong; we’re not claiming that we have the only technicians who can repair the more difficult dents. Rather, what we’re telling you is that we are known for being able to handle the hard stuff. In fact, many of our relationships with body shops and dealerships were established when an insurance adjuster suggested to the shop owners that they use Dixie Dent!
Secondly, you want to have your repairs done by a company who will still be around should you notice any problems with your repairs in the future. Dixie Dent guarantees to all the body shops and dealerships with which we work that we provide a full warranty on all our work, and that we’ll return to the shop at any time to solve any warranty issue that should arise---even months or years after the repair was made. To learn more about our company, please see our About Us page.

Q. What do I need to do to prepare for the repairs?
A. Thanks for asking! If you will clean out your vehicle, that makes it much easier for our technicians to work. They’ll have to sit inside your car (front and back seats) to get access to the roof, and they’ll open your trunk to get access to the quarter panels and the trunk lid. When there are items left in the car, it makes it more difficult to gain access.
Also, if your car is particularly dirty or dusty on the outside, you might have it washed before you bring it in for an estimate or a repair. Otherwise, we’ll need to take the time to wash and dry it before we can see the dents well enough.

Door Dings and other Dents

Q. I have a couple of door dings on my car. Won’t my auto insurance cover it?
A. Probably not. Check with your agent or policy to make sure, but most insurance policies only cover collisions and “acts of God”, such as hail or falling tree limbs. But the good news is that many dents like yours can be repaired for less money than your regular auto insurance would require for a deductible, anyway!

Q. How much will it cost?
A.PDR will usually be a third of what conventional repair at a body shop costs. Please take a look!

Q. What kinds of dents can you repair?
A. Take a look at our photos page first, and then if you have further questions about your dents, please contact us.

Q. How long will it take to get my door dings fixed?
A. Once your car and our technician are in the same place (at your house or a body shop or dealership), many small dents can be removed in just a matter of minutes. More difficult dents make take a few hours.

Q. Can you fix my dents garage at home?
A. Absolutely, provided that we are able to schedule a technician in your area in a timeframe suitable to you. We prefer to work indoors where our specialized lighting instruments work best, so your garage would be a fine place to do your repair. But even if you don’t have a garage, we can still arrange to take your car to a local body shop and bring it back to you when it’s done.

Q. How can I get an estimate?
A. Just contact us by email or phone and we’ll arrange a free estimate for you. If we have a technician available in your area, we can arrange an estimate at your home or place of business if you like. Otherwise, we’ll agree on a body shop to which you can bring your car for the estimate.

Q. How long does an estimate take?
A. It depends a bit on the situation. Once the technician is looking at your car, a few door dings can be estimated in only five minutes or so. Hail damage, on the other hand, may take as much as thirty minutes to estimate accurately. Another factor to consider is how much time, if any, might be spent checking in at the dealership, and whether the technicians are immediately available at the time you come. If you’re in a rush for time, please feel free to call ahead and let us know about your situation. We’ll do everything we can to expedite your estimate!

Q. Can you fix my car at the same time you estimate it?
A. Sometimes yes---and especially when you just have a few small dents. If you approve the estimate, it’s likely more efficient for everyone to go ahead and do the repairs right then.

Q. How about hail damage? Can you fix that the same day you estimate it?
A. This is often possible, but not always. Hail damage ranges greatly in the number and severity of dents. A hail repair can last from one day (in the case of extremely light damage) to as many as four or five days in the most severe cases. (And sometimes the body shop will need to order parts for your car, such as replacement glass or window moldings---things that cannot be repaired by PDR methods.)

Q. I want my car repaired soon, but the body shop scheduled my appointment a long time from now. What can I do?
A. Volunteer to be flexible enough to bring your car in earlier, should there be an opening. It’s not uncommon for scheduled car owners to fail to keep an appointment, or for PDR technicians to finish a job faster than expected. So if the body shop will agree to call you in such a situation, it’s a win/win for everybody involved!

Body Shop Owners/Managers

For Hail Damage Repair

Q. Why should I use Dixie Dent instead of the other companies out there?
A. There are lots of reasons, as the following questions and answers will show. But for starters, here’s the secret to our success: We have a “win/win” mentality that has worked very well for us since 1995. In short, we have structured our business model so that everybody wins, including you, your customer, our technicians, and Dixie Dent. And as a result, Dixie Dent is highly recommended by several insurance companies, and our retention rate for our technicians is among the best in the industry. Our work is of very high quality—but it’s not just about the work; it’s about the relationship. Just contact us for a list of references.

Q. My town just got peppered with hail damage and I’ve never worked with PDR before. What do I do?
A. We can help! Send us a request for information and we’ll email you some materials on how things normally work in a body shop. This will take you through everything from who handles which responsibilities to how everybody gets paid. If you need to talk to us immediately, just dial 615-476-0114.

Q. How much time after the hailstorm do I have before I have to get set up with PDR?
A. It depends on how you look at it. Most dealerships and body shops tend to take several days to decide which PDR company to use and to begin with estimates and repairs. But this is where you can seize an advantage if you like. While everyone else is still figuring out what to do, Dixie Dent can help you to implement a plan within the first 24 hours, so that you’re up and running before your competition---even with advertising. Why not be prepared ASAP?

Q. How much of all this could we set up before it hails?
A. Most of it. We offer a “standing agreement” in advance. It simply means that we’ve agreed to take care of you immediately should it hail, so that you don’t have to interview the crowds of PDR salesmen who will surely visit you in the days after it hails. Within 24 hours, our advance team will be there to help establish your scheduling and repairs---amongst other things. And this also means that you know just what to tell your customers from the first phone call after it hails! Just send us a request for information and we’ll talk about our standing agreement.

Q. Can you help me with marketing?
A. Yes! As a way to further serve our clients at no extra charge, Dixie Dent has just adopted a new direct marketing strategy in which we come to your town and within 24 hours of hail fall and scout for hail-damaged cars, placing flyers on their windshields. This benefits our clients by giving them a bigger piece of the “pie”. And it also makes the “pie” bigger by helping many customers avoid the mistake of opting not to have their cars repaired. Please read more about our direct marketing program.

Q. What about radio and print advertising?
A. We can give you some suggested ad copy to set you apart from your competitors.

Q. We already have a door ding guy. Why should we use you instead?
A. There are a few good reasons. First of all, the business model of a typical “door ding guy” is simply inadequate to meet the demands of a catastrophic hailstorm. But this is exactly our business model.
Secondly, different skills are required for repairing hail. A technician who does not regularly work with hail damage will have all manner of problems that our hail specialists will not have. This means we have the manpower to fix your cars right now, and we have no need to put you off until we can take care of our “regular” customers first---because you are our “regular customer” and hail is our regular business. Remember, “in and out” is the key to repairing catastrophic damage. You want as few hang-ups and issues as possible, and you don’t need somebody trying to re-invent the wheel when you could have already been making lots of money with Dixie Dent.

Q. How much of this damage and I going to have to fix myself?
A. It depends on which PDR company you use. Dixie Dent fixes the hard stuff. We can often save a panel that one of our competitors might have “kicked” for conventional repair. This means you don’t have to go find a part and paint it to match. Ordinarily, you’d love to have that work, but in a catastrophic hailstorm, you won’t have time for it---you’ll be glad to have us knock it out for you quickly.

Q. How hard is it going to be for me to manage this hailstorm?
A. We manage our technicians so that you don’t have to. We pay them, so you don’t have a bunch of guys asking you for money. And we see to it that your shop stays as full as is optimal for the amount of customer traffic you’re experiencing. In short, our job is to put out as many of your first as we can.

Q. Do you warranty your work?
A. Absolutely, for the lifetime of the car.

Q. How do I know you won’t pick up and leave as soon as there’s another, more exciting, hailstorm in some other town?
A. Because we built our good reputation by staying until all the work is done. We’ll even sign a contract for you to guarantee all our promises to you in writing.

Q. What do you do once most of the work is done and a straggler comes in?
A. Once we’ve finished the bulk of the work and we no longer have a technician in your shop every day, we’re still available to service your account. Just schedule the customer a day or two out and let us know ASAP. We’ll send a technician for the estimate or the repair.

Q. If I use Dixie Dent in my shop, can I use some other PDR companies, too?
A. Yes, you can if you like. This will complicate matters a bit, but some shops feel the need to protect themselves by allowing multiple PDR competitors to work together. Be prepared, though, to need to have more than one contact person. This means you’ll be having to write multiple checks instead of just one, and when questions arise, it will take you longer to track down the answers. Generally, when we go into a shop as one of many, we come out having convinced the manager that Dixie Dent is the only PDR company he needs.

Q. I’m concerned that one company can’t handle all this damage. Can Dixie Dent really handle all this damage?
A. Yes. This is what we do. And we’ll put as many technicians in your shop as possible to get the work done ASAP. If the customer traffic demands it, we’ll even work two 12-hour shifts, 7 days a week until it’s all done. We have scores of technicians available, so it would take quite a lot of hail damage to overwhelm us.

Q. I already know that Dixie Dent is working in my competitor’s shop down the street. Don’t you consider that a conflict of interest to work in my shop, too?
A. Not at all. Here are some things to think about:

• If it’s not Dixie Dent down the street, it’ll just be somebody else and your competitor will still be a competitor.
• If it’s another PDR company, it may be a company that “low balls” their estimates to try to draw in customers by advertising a discounted service. This is to nobody’s benefit, since it tends to turn the whole industry into a pricing war. What’s ideal for you is that every PDR operation in town is using the standard PDR pricing matrix for hail damage repairs. So if it’s Dixie Dent down the street, you can be assured that that the estimates that come out of that shop will be just like the ones we’ll do in your shop. Remember, in a pricing war, everybody loses---and the emphasis changes from high quality repairs to discount pricing.
• There’s a reason that we’re already in the shop down the street. Ultimately, it’s because of our excellent reputation. Whether that shop has worked with us in the past, or whether we were recommended to the shop by one of their insurance adjusters, we’re there because of our “win/win” philosophy and our excellent work and service. And that same level of performance is available to you, too.

Q. OK, I’m interested in working with Dixie Dent. What do I do now?
A. It’s easy. Either call us at 615-476-0114 or contact us through our information request form. Either way, we’ll have a representative contact you ASAP and we’ll come sit down with you to work out the particulars of your situation.

For Dings and Dents

Q. I know you are strong in hail repair. Can you also provide me a technician for occasional ding and dent repair.
A. Yes, we can. In fact, we enjoy the opportunity to keep a working relationship with our body shops---even if you only have a job for us every few weeks. Just call us and we’ll send you a technician ASAP. 615-476-0114

Q. I have a hard time keeping a good PDR technician. They all want to run off after the hail whenever it storms.
A. We can help with that. When you work with our technicians, you have all of Dixie Dent looking out for you, and not just the one technician. So if a technician is sick or on vacation or working elsewhere when you call, we have the “depth” to send you another excellent technician in his place.

Q. Just how big a dent can you fix with PDR?
A. You’d be surprised! Take a look at our before and after photos page. PDR is not just for “door dings” anymore! If you have a questionable dent, let us come and look at it for you.

Dealerships

For Dents and Dings

Q. I know you are strong in hail repair. Can you also provide me a technician for occasional ding and dent repair.
A. Yes, we can. In fact, we enjoy the opportunity to keep a working relationship with our dealerships---whether you have daily work for us, or only one job every few weeks. Just call us and we’ll send you a technician ASAP. 615-476-0114

Q. I have a hard time keeping a good PDR technician. They all want to run off after the hail whenever it storms.
A. We can help with that. When you work with our technicians, you have all of Dixie Dent looking out for you, and not just the one technician. So if a technician is sick or on vacation or working elsewhere when you call, we have the “depth” to send you another excellent technician in his place.

Q. Just how big a dent can you fix with PDR?
A. You’d be surprised! Take a look at our before and after photos page. PDR is not just for “door dings” anymore! If you have a questionable dent, let us come and look at it for you.

For Hail Damage Repairs to Your Lot Cars

Q. Can you fix the hail damage on my lot cars?
A. Absolutely. That’s what we do. And we do it at a wholesale rate. And we also offer a package deal, where we can fix your lot cars while we’re using some of your available service bay space to repair hail damage for the general public at your facility.

Q. Can I really make a profit off of hail damage repairs?
A. Sure you can---the body shops sure do! You get profit from the repairs, and you also get a lot of new traffic on your lot, which you can eventually translate into new customers.

Q. Why should I use Dixie Dent instead of the other companies out there?
A. There are lots of reasons, as the following questions and answers will show. But for starters, here’s the secret to our success: We have a “win/win” mentality that has worked very well for us since 1995. In short, we have structured our business model so that everybody wins, including you, your customer, our technicians, and Dixie Dent. And as a result, Dixie Dent is highly recommended by several insurance companies, and our retention rate for our technicians is among the best in the industry. Our work is of very high quality—but it’s not just about the work; it’s about the relationship. Just contact us for a list of references.

Q. My town just got peppered with hail damage and I’ve never worked with PDR before. What do I do?
A. We can help! Send us a request for information and we’ll email you some materials on how things normally work in a dealership without a body shop. This will take you through everything from who handles which responsibilities to how everybody gets paid. If you need to talk to us immediately, just dial 615-476-0114.

Q. How much time after the hailstorm do I have before I have to get set up with PDR?
A. It depends on how you look at it. Most dealerships and body shops tend to take several days to decide which PDR company to use and to begin with estimates and repairs. But this is where you can seize an advantage if you like. While everyone else is still figuring out what to do, Dixie Dent can help you to implement a plan within the first 24 hours, so that you’re up and running before your competition---even with advertising. Why not be prepared ASAP?

Q. How much of all this could we set up before it hails?
A. Most of it. We offer a “standing agreement” in advance. It simply means that we’ve agreed to take care of you immediately should it hail, so that you don’t have to interview the crowds of PDR salesmen who will surely visit you in the days after it hails. Within 24 hours, our advance team will be there to help establish your scheduling and repairs---amongst other things. And this also means that you know just what to tell your customers from the first phone call after it hails! Just send us a request for information and we’ll talk about our standing agreement.

Q. Can you help me with marketing?
A. Yes! As a way to further serve our clients at no extra charge, Dixie Dent has just adopted a new direct marketing strategy in which we come to your town and within 24 hours of hail fall and scout for hail-damaged cars, placing flyers on their windshields. This benefits our clients by giving them a bigger piece of the “pie”. And it also makes the “pie” bigger by helping many customers avoid the mistake of opting not to have their cars repaired. Please read more about our direct marketing program.

Q. What about radio and print advertising?
A. We can give you some suggested ad copy to set you apart from your competitors.

Q. We already have a door ding guy. Why should we use you instead?
A. There are a few good reasons. First of all, the business model of a typical “door ding guy” is simply inadequate to meet the demands of a catastrophic hailstorm. But this is exactly our business model.
Secondly, different skills are required for repairing hail. A technician who does not regularly work with hail damage will have all manner of problems that our hail specialists will not have.
This means we have the manpower to fix your cars right now, and we have no need to put you off until we can take care of our “regular” customers first---because you are our “regular customer” and hail is our regular business. Remember, “in and out” is the key to repairing catastrophic damage. You want as few hang-ups and issues as possible, and you don’t need somebody trying to re-invent the wheel when you could have already been making lots of money with Dixie Dent.

Q. I don’t have a body shop, so what do we do about the panels and parts that can’t be repaired by PDR?
A. We’ll take care of it. We’ll order the parts in whatever way works best for you—either on our own, or through your parts department. And for the panels that must be repaired by conventional means, we’ll refer the cars to whatever body shop you’d like. If you don’t have a favorite body shop to which you’d like them referred, that’s OK, because we’ll be developing relationships with the shops in town, and any of a number of them would love to have the extra business.

Q. How hard is it going to be for me to manage all this?
A. We’d like you to greet and to schedule your own customers, so that’ll require some extra work. But remember, this is bringing fresh traffic onto your lot, so that’s good for everybody!
Other than that, our technicians are self-managing. And we’ll set up a protocol for handling all the paperwork in the most efficient manner possible. In short, our job is to MAKE it manageable for you!

Q. Do you warranty your work?
A. Absolutely, for the lifetime of the car.

Q. How do I know you won’t pick up and leave as soon as there’s another, more exciting, hailstorm in some other town?
A. Because we built our good reputation by staying until all the work is done. We’ll even sign a contract for you to guarantee all our promises to you in writing.

Q. What do you do once most of the work is done and a straggler comes in?
A. Once we’ve finished the bulk of the work and we no longer have a technician in your shop every day, we’re still available to service your account. Just schedule the customer a day or two out and let us know ASAP. We’ll send a technician for the estimate or the repair.

Q. If I use Dixie Dent in my dealership, can I use some other PDR companies, too?
A. Yes, you can if you like. This will complicate matters a bit, but some dealerships feel the need to protect themselves by allowing multiple PDR competitors to work together. Be prepared, though, to need to have more than one contact person. This means you’ll be having to write multiple checks instead of just one, and when questions arise, it will take you longer to track down the answers. Generally, when we go into a dealerships as one of many, we come out having convinced the manager that Dixie Dent is the only PDR company he needs.

Q. I’m concerned that one company can’t handle all this damage. Can Dixie Dent really handle all this damage?
A. Yes. This is what we do. And we’ll put as many technicians in your dealerships as possible to get the work done ASAP. If the customer traffic demands it, we’ll even work two 12-hour shifts, 7 days a week until it’s all done. We have scores of technicians available, so it would take quite a lot of hail damage to overwhelm us.

Q. I already know that Dixie Dent is working on my competitor’s lot down the street. Don’t you consider that a conflict of interest to work in my shop, too?
A. Not at all. Here are some things to think about:

• If it’s not Dixie Dent down the street, it’ll just be somebody else and your competitor will still be a competitor.
• If it’s another PDR company, it may be a company that “low balls” their estimates to try to draw in customers by advertising a discounted service. This is to nobody’s benefit, since it tends to turn the whole industry into a pricing war. What’s ideal for you is that every PDR operation in town is using the standard PDR pricing matrix for hail damage repairs. So if it’s Dixie Dent down the street, you can be assured that that the estimates that come out of that shop will be just like the ones we’ll do in your shop. Remember, in a pricing war, everybody loses---and the emphasis changes from high quality repairs to discount pricing.
• There’s a reason that we’re already in the shop or dealership down the street. Ultimately, it’s because of our excellent reputation. Whether that shop has worked with us in the past, or whether we were recommended to the shop by one of their insurance adjusters, we’re there because of our “win/win” philosophy and our excellent work and service. And that same level of performance is available to you, too.

Q. OK, I’m interested in working with Dixie Dent. What do I do now?
A. It’s easy. Either call us at 615-476-0114 or contact us through our information request form. Either way, we’ll have a representative contact you ASAP and we’ll come sit down with you to work out the particulars of your situation.

Insurance Companies

Q. Do you work with all insurance companies?
A. Absolutely. In fact, the development of our PUSH TO PAINT™ system and the Sullivan PDR Estimator™ has involved lots of feedback from our friends all across the insurance industry.

Q. Will you do hail repair for the pricing on the insurance company matrix?
A. Probably. We work with all the major companies’ pricing matrices so far. If you have a new one, send it to us and we’ll let you know!