Get Your Fix
Carr Tech Automotive Solutions Makes Damage Disappear
Writer / Lois Tomaszewski
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell
Business owner Kevin Carr is motivated by several things – his faith, his family and the quality of the work he provides to his customers.
Most of the customers at his dent repair business, Carr Tech Automotive Services, fall into two categories, Carr says.
A high percentage of my customers are the people who are aggravated about the ding they see every day as they get into their car headed for work, and also the person who is super frustrated to come out to a parking lot and find their car damaged, he says.
Carr spent seven years working in the mobile paintless dent repair business, being trained by a good friend he met when working in jail ministry, before opening his own shop in April of 2018. It is a family business, and that means that his wife Elizabeth and the couples nine children have put in blood, sweat and tears, he says, to get it running and keeping it going.
On weekends and sometimes during the week the children often visit the shop. It is a perk that Carr enjoys.
That quality family life carries over into the quality he places on the work his team completes for customers. Carrs business motto is, A good name is to be chosen over great riches, from Proverbs 22:1. He stands by the quality of the work. It is the same trait he expects of those he hires.
New hires need to be team-oriented. He currently employs four full-time people. Three mobile dent repair technicians, an office manager, and a detailer and painter are all part of his team.
I want people who work together and root for each other, Carr explains. I want people who want a career. Passion is required. Youve got to love your work and take pride in it, and know your name is connected to that.
The dent repair business is complex, and once potential employees learn all the nuances of the repair process and methods used, Carr says they eventually earn hat-off respect. For a properly trained tech, this is more than a job, its an art.
Carr Tech uses a method that pushes out dents and dings without painting. These dents can be the result of grocery-cart hits, door dings or even hail damage. Carr has even seen a few dents caused by a collision with a deer. If the vehicle has a dent and the paint surface has not been broken, Carr Tech should be the first call.
The repair methods used at Carr Tech differ from those that are used by a traditional body shop, but Carrs methods are often completed within one day, dont require repair reports, and are usually much more cost effective for the customer. Repairs of dents caused by hail take longer because of the potentially excessive damage.
Traditionally, damage that occurs from a hail storm is fixed with a polyester putty product, which is then sanded, buffed and painted. Otherwise, the damaged panels are taken off, replaced, and the car is repainted. This is labor intensive, which adds to the cost of the repairs.
The Carr Tech method is the preferred method of repairing dents, Carr says. It repairs the dented surface without requiring any use of body filler, repainting or color matching. It is typically more cost effective for the client, depending on the size and damage.
Carr Tech has specialized in paintless dent repair since opening, and is expanding the services offered including System X ceramic coating, which is similar to that Car Ceramic coating. RestoreFX, a paintless clear coat repair system, was recently added, and it takes care of scratches caused by pets, debris or car washes, among other causes.
Its like hitting the reset button on your vehicles clear coat, Carr explains.
Anyone who needs a dent repaired is encouraged to check in with Carr Tech. If the damage is caused by hail, the customer should file a claim with their insurance company first, and then contact them with the claim number and insurance company contact and they can take it from there. If the dent is not from hail damage, Carr says the customer can take a photo of the dent and send it to Carr Tech via text. By looking at the photo, Carr can advise the customer as to the options, and whether the repair can be done by his team or should be taken to an auto body shop. He works with insurance companies for needed repairs, as well as local body shops.
Unless it is really mangled, we can get an estimate prepared with a photo, he says.
When a repair is needed, the Carr Tech dent repair team can travel to the customer or take care of the vehicle at the Warsaw shop. His team travels throughout northern Indiana including Fort Wayne, Elkhart, Bristol, Granger, Lakeville, South Bend, Plymouth, Rochester, Goshen, Leesburg, Wabash, North Manchester, Columbia City, Syracuse, Middlebury and other locations.
Carr has been in this business long enough to learn some important lessons. He feels quality is more important than speed. The key to customer satisfaction, he says, is to undersell and over-deliver. This ensures that the result will meet or exceed customer expectations. Without quality, the stress factor increases, he says.
For Carr, his reward is seeing something damaged become repaired, and giving his customers what he calls the wow effect. He likens this to his strong faith, which compels him to give Bibles to anyone who stops in and asks for one.
We get to do auto restoration, but God takes ruined sinners and does a spiritual restoration, Carr says. My faith is the heartbeat that keeps us going.
Customers can come into the shop at 904 South Buffalo Street in Warsaw, call 574-241-1234, or visit carrtechautomotivesolutions.com for more information.
