We have three Toyota vehicles that were damaged by hail in late June 2023. Our insurance is with Geico, and they lined us up with inspections with a Pro-Master Auto Hail Center in Highlands Ranch, CO. Between comments from Pro-Masters' CEO (Greg Nardini) and Geico during the inspection of the first vehicle, first impressions were great. I liked that the CEO allowed me to watch the process of taking various types of dents throughout other vehicles with a few different methods. Unfortunately, Pro-Masters ended up being a bit of a disappointment. A review is warranted, and although the constructive feedback will likely mean Pro-Masters will not follow through with a deductible coupon, honesty is a good thing. During the initial conversation with Pro-Masters' CEO, I was thinking he also thought the same. Hopefully, this review will be of help to other potential customers while also making Pro-Masters a better company.
1. Work Quality. In September, the repair work on two of our vehicles was completed. Thankfully, the dents from the hail damage were well taken care. However, there were some new scratches on the vehicles. These were not noted during the drop-offs, and I am confident they were new. To Pro-Masters credit, they took a few minutes to buff some scratches with a pink product containing both wax and a polishing compound (supposedly an Italian product). For short term, this seems to have worked reasonably well. There were some scratches on the plastic bumper, and Pro-Masters' Malia said she would talk to the CEO about trying to address. For the interior of both vehicles, there are some slight signs of work in the headliner. As of October 8, 2023, we are still waiting to hear back from Pro-Masters. Since the repairs were for two vehicles were completed on September 6, this seems like a long time to hear back from Pro-Masters.
2. Cost. The initial cost estimates for both vehicles were quite low compared to the final cost. Once a cost exceeds 50%, there are a few concerns. As we were covered by Geico, the financial part should be looked into by Geico. We are just thankful to have Geico insurance.
3. Timeliness. Repairs were to occur within 2 weeks of the drop-off. Two weeks was on the Geico app, and Pro-Masters' Malia advised that they strive for less than 2 weeks. On Thursday August 31, I called and spoke with Malia. She advised the vehicles would likely be ready on Friday September 1 and no later than Monday September 4 (holiday). Malia mentioned that they had simply had a few finishing touches. I did not question the September 4 date as I was told they work 12+ hours per day, 7 days/week during the busy seasons. On Tuesday September 5, I left two voice mail messages. The Pro-Masters recording said that would call back the same day as the voice mail message. On September 6, I call again a few times I eventually got through and spoke with Malia. The turnaround time was 16 days (August 21 to September 6). There are definitely issues with Pro-Masters project management and communications. Thanks to Geico for covering rental vehicles.
4. Communication. This is where we are most disappointed. Taking longer on the vehicles would have been well received if were kept in the loop on our vehicles. Shouldn't it be possible to proactively communicate with customers the anticipated date of completion? During the early days of the work, it should be fine to give a range of dates, but as the work near completion, surely Pro-Masters can give a firm date and reach out to the customer. As a side note, I did reach out to Geico, but in the end, anything they have for a completion date would come from the vendor. So, here comes the biggest concern about dealing with Pro-Masters. It is honesty. During the drop off with Malia in August, I referenced what Doug had told us about the process and how Pro-Masters was going to do a few things make it as easy as possible for us with our 3 vehicles. Malia offered up that "it happens all the time", and then stating "he lied".
Let's end on a positive note. We really like Geico, and we most recently dealt with Patrick. He made the extra effort to drive to our homes on a Sunday and do two of the inspections once it was noted that dropped the ball on taking two of our vehicles and doing inspections, after we brought them in for an appointment over the previous week (which accomplished nothing). A great comment from Geico was that we were free to use anyone. I suppose that is obvious, but since the inspections were directed to Pro-Masters via Geico, and there were both Geico claims reps and Pro-Masters employees working side by side, I got to caught up in the momentum of using Pro-Masters. Hit the pause button and look at what option is best for you. Also, it should be shared that Geico provides a warranty for hail damage work for as long as the vehicle is owned. That may also be with other insurance companies. However, it sure gives me pe read more