After our FJ Cruiser was rear-ended days before th...

After our FJ Cruiser was rear-ended days before the '16 blizzard, I came to realize that if I didn't find a worthy, reliable body shop quickly, I wouldn't have a 4 wheel drive for the inevitable blizzard.
The driver at fault had Geico insurance and I set out to find a good body shop in the DC/Montgomery County area. To Geico's credit, they worked with me fairly and quickly.
All of the shops that I visited that were Geico affiliates were not impressive to say the least. All were very busy and doing marginal work as they moved cars in and out. Plus they confirmed to me that they used aftermarket and used parts whenever they could. I had another option: to take my car to a non-Geico affiliate and hope that they would fall within Geico's estimate.
After getting an estimate here in Montgomery Co thru Geico, I decided to travel an hour to Younger Collision Center to have the work done...
..and there's no doubt in my mind that I made the right decision.
I was greeted by friendly folks in the front office and in the shop itself. Before I even stepped foot into the shop, I was asked if I needed help. I immediately saw a huge difference in customer service when compared to the despondent attitudes here in the DC area body shops.
Gail at Younger Collision Center immediately understood my dilemma: I really wanted to get my FJ back before the snow started to fall. Although she couldn't make any guarantees, she assured me that they would do all they could to get my car back to me as quickly as possible. She also worked with me in making sure that Genuine Toyota parts were used whenever possible.
She had me in a well equipped rental and I was ready to head back home..until my son asked that I grab something out of the FJ glove compartment.
I went back in, and to my surprise, my FJ was already in the shop being assessed by 3 technicians! They had gotten started on it minutes after I had left.
On Friday, the day of the blizzard, and the 11th hour to get my FJ back, I called Younger to check on the progress.
Charlene (?) confirmed that everything had been done (new rear door, bumper, paint, exhaust, tire, etc.) but they were waiting on one relatively minor part - a license plate bracket. She offered to have the technicians temporarily secure the plate so that I could get my vehicle, and when the part came in, they would either send it to me or I could stop by to have it installed. I gladly accepted the offer.
When I got to Younger, my car was sitting out front, washed and vacuumed. Again, something that most of the Geico affiliates in Montgomery Co. were too busy to do.. The paintwork was perfect, as well as the fitment of pretty much all of the rear-end parts...
..and they were able to use Genuine Toyota parts and still stay within Geico's estimate! I got lucky in that respect.
Overall, this is a 5 star facility however you slice it...
From the customer service in the office, to the skills and conscientious body shop techs, I received top-notch service for my beloved FJ.
I won't hesitate to return to Younger Toyota for service, collision repair or to purchase a new or used Toyota. It's well worth the drive.
And in my case, we are now the only family for blocks who can get out of our neighborhood. We aren't stranded, thanks to Younger's Collision Center stepping up to the plate.
Take if from someone in the DC area: Folks in Hagerstown are fortunate to have Younger Toyota right in their back yard.