See the Light: The Importance of Good Lighting Washington DC

Too many body shops work under poor lighting. But good lighting is absolutely crucial if a shop wants to do quality work in an efficient manner.

By Nathan Tarr
7/1/2007

I got my start in this glorious trade as many young men do as the all- important quality control guy: the detailer. The shop I worked for took detailing seriously and wanted the car sparkling inside and out. No quickie cleanups for this shop. I was taught early on that you can’t clean what you can’t see. My boss would check over my work by spreading seat cushions and crouching down to look at the bottom of rocker panels in search of dirt and grime, so I learned quickly that good lighting was imperative for me to do my job properly.

The importance of good lighting is evident not just in the detail shop, though. It’s one of the most important tools there is. Good lighting is absolutely crucial if a shop wants to do quality work in an efficient manner.

The Estimate
The most important part of any repair begins with the estimate. A sloppy estimate that misses a lot of extra damage doesn’t help anyone. It slows down the whole repair process, which results in unhappy customers. It also delays the shop getting paid as work stops while supplements are written. Obviously, everybody misses some things while examining damages, and some damages aren’t evident until the repair process actually begins. But how many times has a body tech come to your office to tell you ...