There are many roles with varying responsibilities within an auto panel and paint shop. From auto body technicians to panel beater jobs, every position has a unique part to play. One position that is often overlooked, but can be a hugely rewarding career move, is that of a vehicle accident estimator.
What Is a Vehicle Accident Estimator?
A vehicle accident estimator, also known as a body shop estimator or collision estimator, is someone who inspects and analyses damage to a vehicle and determines a likely cost of repair.
A body shop estimator job typically involves comprehensive checks of vehicles, making detailed notes of assessments made, completing simple calculations, and conveying findings to the customer.
What Skills Does an Accident Estimator Need?
A vehicle accident estimator job requires experience in a number of areas:
Panel-beating Knowledge
For an accident estimator to be successful, they should have sufficient knowledge of the repairs needed on a damaged car. Ideally, they would have a background as a qualified panel beater or smash repairer at an auto shop.
The position of accident estimator is a common career progression for panel-beater jobs and auto body technician jobs.
Related post: How to become a panel beater
Understanding of auto paint
Painting vehicles is an art, and many people don’t realise the complexities and costs involved with spray-painting a car. A collision estimator must understand the costs involved so they can provide a more accurate estimate. For example, an auto paint technician or vehicle spray painter will have a strong understanding of auto paint costs.
Good communication
Unlike an employee who repairs vehicles behind the scenes, an accident estimator will need to have good communication skills. This is because they are required to notify the customer of the repair estimation, and the process followed to reach the final amount.
This information will then need to be shared with other relevant team members as well.
Attention to detail
The ability to notice the small things is a great trait to have when estimating the cost of a repair job. Sometimes the smallest detail may end up being the most expensive, so it’s important to notice everything.
Every detail then needs to be recorded and shared as needed.
Great organisation
There’s a lot riding on the efficiency of the vehicle accident estimator. For the customer to understand the repair costs, and see the breakdown of tasks required, the estimator must get the details inline. Similarly, the smash repairers need to know when the car is ready to be repaired, and how long it should take to fix.
All the analysis and figures noted must be recorded and filed both on computers and as a hard copy.
Will You Need a Degree or Certification?
There are certifications that can help you secure a body shop estimator job, but experience is far more valuable.
Having previously held an auto body technician role or a panel beating job is favourable as you know first-hand what a job will cost to repair.
Benefits of an Accident Estimator Job
An accident estimator job is a popular career move for experienced repairers as this position shouldn’t require any tools and manual labour is limited.
The role is well-paying and is often seen as a career progression for those who are used to completing the repairs back-of-house.
For those who like talking and meeting new people, this job requires a friendly persona to make customers feel welcome.
Advance Your Career at Gino’s Panel & Paint
If this career opportunity sounds right for you, Gino’s Panel & Paint would love to hear from you!
See more details of our accident estimator job and other available jobs by clicking here.