Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for auto body repair companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Fulton Body Shop, the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is establishing a relationship of trust with every person who enters its St. Helena facility. “We’re part of a small community, so it’s very important for us to maintain our reputation as an auto body shop people can trust,” says owner Greg Minnick. “Ultimately, we want every customer to feel comfortable knowing their car is in good hands.”

Fulton Body Shop has been performing body repairs on all types of foreign and domestic vehicles since 1978. In addition to straightening frames, installing OEM replacement parts and refinishing paint to auto manufacturer quality, the company takes on minor work such as paintless dent removal, interior and exterior detailing, glass replacement, plastic repair, and more.

Unlike less experienced auto body shops that take an “assembly line” approach to their work, Fulton Body Shop prides itself on providing personalized, detail-oriented service for every customer. “We do whatever it takes to make our customers happy, from delivering their cars and giving them rides home to fixing small dings and scratches for free,” says Mr. Minnick. “This type of personal approach allows us to take care of each customer’s individual needs, which they really appreciate.”

Another distinguishing attribute of Fulton Body Shop is the way it handles original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. “Most auto body shops will only use OEM parts if a customer’s insurance plan covers them, but we use them whenever possible and even negotiate with insurance companies to get them approved,” explains Mr. Minnick. “Sometimes this can extend the repair process, but we feel it’s worth it to provide our customers with the quality repair jobs they deserve.”

Take simple steps to properly care for your vehicle’s exterior. A car’s exterior paint job consists of two components: the base coat, which is the actual paint itself, and the clear coat, which is applied over the surface of the base coat to protect it. When your car’s paint gets scratched, you might be able to fix it yourself by polishing and applying sealant or wax to the clear coat. Generally, if you can’t feel the scratch with your fingernail, you can avoid repainting that area.

When it comes to the comparative benefits of sealants versus wax, one of the biggest things to consider is longevity. Wax tends to wear off more easily, so it usually needs to be applied more than once a year. However, if your car has a dark-colored paint job, you might want to consider a sealant application—it’s more expensive, but you only have to do it once a year, so it’s more cost-effective than waxing.

If you want to polish scratches on your car’s bumper, remember that since it’s made of plastic, your polishing efforts can be more complicated than usual. Plastic doesn’t react to polishing the same way that metal does, so if you want to fix a scratch on a bumper, you’ll have to repaint the whole thing.

If you’d prefer to have all this exterior work performed by a professional body repair shop, ask your friends and family for recommendations. “A company that has maintained a loyal clientele base and developed a reputation for doing good work is likely to be a reputable one,” says Greg Minnick, owner of Fulton Body Shop in St. Helena. “Also, finding a good body shop for detailing work is a good way to stay prepared in case your car gets damaged in the future. If you already know the shop you want to use, your car will spend less time off the road and you won’t have to pay for multiple tows.”

Q: How long will it take to fix my car?

A: We can give you a time estimate when the repair process begins, but it won’t be exact. Sometimes it takes longer because we’re negotiating a better price for parts, the approval from the insurance company is delayed or we find additional problems.

Q: Will you work with my insurance company?

A: Yes, we work with all insurance companies.

Q: Can you match the exact color of my car’s original paint?

A: Yes. We use a computerized color matching system, so you won’t even be able to tell which parts were repainted and which weren’t.

Q: Do you use OEM parts?

A: We use OEM parts whenever a customer’s insurance policy allows for it. If we have to use aftermarket parts, we thoroughly inspect them for defects before using them, and if we find any, we’ll negotiate with the customer’s insurance company to get OEM parts approved.

Q: Can you detail my car?

A: Yes, detailing is part of our repair process. We also offer detailing as a stand-alone service.