I have concerns about Service King in Seattle/King County. I am not hearing good things about their shops in my area and it just so happens to be the only shop that State Farm Insurance will pay for. Yes, I know that I have the right to take the car to the shop of my choice, but State Farm will only pay 1/2 the going labor rate in Seattle.
It also adds to my concern that the service guy at my Tesla service center recommended I steer clear of Service King. He said that he has had to send cars back for rework.
So I went and visited the Seattle Service King and talked about replacing the bumper. They recommended against it because "replacing the bumper would mean that you would have to repaint the entire bumper...and the new paint would be shinier than the other original paint..." This car has been in a previous accident and that shop was able to paint the new fenders just fine.
If the shop doesn't feel confident that they can make the car look like it was before the accident, why are they on Tesla's certified list??
Tesla and their team have always been excellent to work with. Seems strange to have such a high level of quality with Tesla and then someone not at the high-quality level.
I understand that they needed to ramp up their service options, but I'm surprised that they allow folks that provide a poor product to be certified. Granted, Service King may be fine elsewhere in the country, but I really can't take my car to another state to get a quality repair from them.
Thanks for letting me vent here.
Geoff
Background:
My 2013 Model S (60) got rear-ended. The good news in that no one was hurt. The bad news is that both I and the guy who hit me have State Farm insurance.
State Farm's labor rate for cosmetic repair is $54/hour and $100/hour for bodywork. Service King also happens to have these rates. I have checked with five other Tesla certified shops in Seattle/Bellevue and their rates are $120-130/hour.
Yes, I have talked to my insurance agent and yes I am now in the market to get a new insurance agent.
It also adds to my concern that the service guy at my Tesla service center recommended I steer clear of Service King. He said that he has had to send cars back for rework.
So I went and visited the Seattle Service King and talked about replacing the bumper. They recommended against it because "replacing the bumper would mean that you would have to repaint the entire bumper...and the new paint would be shinier than the other original paint..." This car has been in a previous accident and that shop was able to paint the new fenders just fine.
If the shop doesn't feel confident that they can make the car look like it was before the accident, why are they on Tesla's certified list??
Tesla and their team have always been excellent to work with. Seems strange to have such a high level of quality with Tesla and then someone not at the high-quality level.
I understand that they needed to ramp up their service options, but I'm surprised that they allow folks that provide a poor product to be certified. Granted, Service King may be fine elsewhere in the country, but I really can't take my car to another state to get a quality repair from them.
Thanks for letting me vent here.
Geoff
Background:
My 2013 Model S (60) got rear-ended. The good news in that no one was hurt. The bad news is that both I and the guy who hit me have State Farm insurance.
State Farm's labor rate for cosmetic repair is $54/hour and $100/hour for bodywork. Service King also happens to have these rates. I have checked with five other Tesla certified shops in Seattle/Bellevue and their rates are $120-130/hour.
Yes, I have talked to my insurance agent and yes I am now in the market to get a new insurance agent.