Body Shop Estimator Role
If you're looking for body shop estimator jobs, explore our DARCARS Careers page. Our team is looking for someone with excellent customer service skills, negotiation know-how, automotive knowledge, and strong attention to detail. This is a rewarding position that comes with the opportunity to meet all kinds of interesting people and gain valuable skills and experience that can help you throughout your career. If you have relevant experience with damage assessment in the automotive sphere, we want to hear from you.
Our body shop estimating position comes with a few responsibilities and daily duties that require excellent verbal and written skills and, of course, people skills. In return, you'll be eligible for a range of benefits, including paid time off, insurance coverage, and more. Read our guide to learn more about the expectations for a dealership body shop estimator on our team, then apply online with your resume today.
Body Shop Estimator Job Description and Responsibilities
A professional body shop estimator needs more than just a breadth of automotive knowledge. We're looking for well-rounded individuals that can perform a variety of functions. In a body shop estimating position, you can expect your day-to-day duties to include the following:
- Grow your knowledge of automotive parts, labor, repairs, etc.
- Visually inspect vehicles to assess damage and collaborate with technicians for more details
- Calculate the cost of repairs, including labor costs, part replacement, and more
- Use computer software to order parts, calculate costs, and gather customer information
- Communicate costs with customers, insurance adjusters, and technicians
- Negotiate costs depending on the needs of the facility, customer, and insurance adjuster
- Gather updates on repairs and communicate them with customers as needed
- Research current market trends, industry standards, repair techniques, and more
- Update records, organize customer information, and delete old files as needed
Body shop estimator job duties may include others beyond what's mentioned above. If these duties sound like a perfect fit for you and your skillset, fill out an application online so we can review your history and experience. However, don't worry if you don't check every box – we'd still love to learn more about your background and see if you might be a good candidate for this role.
Body Shop Estimator Education Requirements and Qualifications
A body shop estimator regularly communicates with others, including customers, insurance providers, and technicians. Soft skills for this kind of work are a major plus, as is customer service experience. Here are just some of the skills you may need to succeed in one of our body shop estimator roles:
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Proficiency in math, reading, and computer software
- Excellent customer service skills
- Ability to manage deadlines
- Great attention to detail
- Ability to estimate damages, repair costs, and labor hours
- A team-oriented attitude
A certificate or degree in auto body repair or collision repair is useful for this job. Certifications in hospitality or customer service management can also give you a competitive edge when applying for a body shop estimator job. Experience collaborating with other teams, organizing tasks, and project management may also help you stand out in a pool of applicants.
Always list your proficiencies in your resume, along with any products you helped develop or examples of your past experiences to showcase your customer service skills. Additionally, any practical automotive knowledge, your work history in damage assessment, and mentions of problem-solving skills will look great on your resume and can help you land an interview.
DARCARS Automotive Group Body Shop Estimator Benefits
Why work with DARCARS Automotive? Lots of great reasons! For one, our robust dealership job benefits package provides access to health care for you and your family, can help you save for retirement, and encourages a healthy work-life balance. You can receive these benefits when you're hired for one of our body shop estimator jobs or another role at a DARCARS Automotive location:
- Medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage
- Life insurance coverage
- 401(k) options for long-term retirement savings
- Generous paid time off
- Several paid holidays
In addition to these benefits, you can take advantage of the opportunity to learn on the job, meaning you'll get more experience for future positions and may be able to advance your career with our company. As a DARCARS Automotive employee, you'll also have access to special discounts on cars, parts, and repairs at our dealerships and service locations, helping you maintain your own ride. We sell and service a wide variety of vehicles to better support our community.
We hope we've answered all your questions with this auto body shop estimator job description, including the typical responsibilities and necessary qualifications. If you are invited to interview for this position, we recommend coming to our location with more questions that will give you a chance to both emphasize your interest in the role and determine whether it will be a good fit.
Submit Your Dealership Body Shop Estimator Application Today
We hope our guide has helped you figure out what your next steps should be for landing one of our entry-level body shop estimator jobs. If you have proficiencies in customer service roles, excellent written and verbal skills, experience with using computer programs, and knowledge of the automotive industry, we would love the chance to speak with you.
Are you ready to become a member of our automotive repair family? Fill out an online application for one of the body shop estimator jobs on our DARCARS Automotive Careers website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements to be a body shop estimator?
Typically, becoming a body shop estimator requires some education and work experience. A body shop estimator role usually requires a candidate to have a vocational degree or certificate in auto body repair, experience in a customer service role or related field, experience with computer systems, and excellent written and verbal skills. Additionally, negotiation skills and a highly organized personality will help you succeed in this job.
How can you become a body shop estimator?
The path to becoming a body shop estimator varies, depending on your location and experience. Many combinations of work experience and educational background can lead to becoming a body shop estimator. For example, someone with a degree in auto body repair and a knack for customer service can apply for this role, or your qualifications may be based on auto shop experience.
How much do car dealership body shop estimators make?
The pay rate for a body shop estimator varies depending on your locale, experience, and more. Employees with more years of experience may make more than those just getting into the field after graduation. Additionally, your ability to negotiate with insurance companies and customers can help you stand out in the organization, potentially resulting in higher pay and bonuses. Our team will give you more details during your interview.