Any Recommendations for Auto Body Chains?

I think this is one of those things where individual franchises vary wildly and there's a lot of luck about which shop, and which folks end up doing the work... But worth asking?

My dad's 2009 Legacy has some bubbling at the top of the windshield, and the leak is annoying the SRS stuff; so he needs someone to pull the windshield, sort the rust, and touch up the paint (presumably the body shop can either install a new or the same windshield, or can coordinate with mobile glass to do so).

He's in Eugene, OR, and there's a Maaco there, but I think most of the others are local. Which isn't so much good, bad, or indifferent as just unknown, and I'm trying to avoid unknown given the variablity of body shops. I'll do some online poking for reviews, but the closer I can get to semi-first-hand info the better?

I can't tell whether Auto Craft is a chain or just a common name...

Oh, not this:

I would not use a chain type place I do not think. I would research the more local guys, Yelp, Google, etc.

Maybe search the GRM Assist Thread for a GRMer in the local area and reach out to them.

I spent the last 6 months dealing with direct repair shops at work. Most of them are chain stores. IMO Caliber is the best of the chains. But I would research any I'd be considering on Google and Yelp (with the understanding that, right now, everyone is having parts issues so you can ignore the whiny customer posts about repair times).

However...if I'm doing my own car I'd find a good mom-n-pop shop. I've worked for a big dealership shop, a mom-n-pop shop and have worked with hundreds of other shops. If you can find a small shop with a good reputation you'll usually get far better service than at a place the tech is just punching a time card. 

How long ago did he have the new windshield installed?  Usually rust around a windshield is from a improperly installed new windshield. They missed/caused some bare metal and salt and water gets in and bingo rust. I would ask him if he has the paperwork from the install and see if it has a warrantee. It might not cost you a dime.

In reply to MyMiatas :

Good thought, but unfortunately not applicable here. I just foisted this car on him, and the issue I think has roots in a little ding from something getting dropped on the car during my late mother in law's ownership.

Thanks for the inputs, all!

Sounds like I need to swallow my misgivings about Yelp and see who comes up well between that and Google (er, different misgivings there).

On yelp, at the bottom of the first page of reviews, there's a link for "not currently recommended" reviews. Click on that and read them too. If the business doesn't pay yelp their vig, then they bury the positive reviews. If they do pay, then they bury the negative reviews. Yelp sucks but there's still value in the reviews. Just view them with a skeptical eye. 

We have had the local Maaco do some work and were satisfied with what they did. 

That said, I think they are all locally owned franchises so quality may vary a good bit between locations. 

I think Trent is in Eugene and he runs a classic car restoration shop. He might know who to take it to. 

I didn't know that about Yelp... I mean, that there was any sort of workaround. It's the sort of protection racket part that gave me misgivings.

Glad to hear Maaco can at least be okay, as was sort of my impression. As was the "individual franchise" variation. Sometimes it's nice to know what you know is more or less right, even if you wish you knew more.

I bugged Trent first thing; for the most part the folks who work on the sort of thing he does and the folks fixing windshield booboos on slightly aging Subarus are different folks, but one of his in-house body guys was able to give a local recommendation for a "normal" shop. My dad's got that in hand as he goes to get his requisite three quotes, and got one other local recommendation (with a second confirmation), so things are looking up.

Again, thanks, everybody!