Denver--What distinguishes your collision repair facility from others? In a competitive marketplace, customer service is what separates the great shops from the ordinary, said Dave Henderson, president of SeeProgress Inc., which offers AutoWatch, a Web-enabled system that allows customers to monitor their vehicle's repair status.
"The customer is the ultimate decision maker," Henderson said. "The greatest opportunity to claims satisfaction is to keep customers better informed of the progress of their vehicle repair."
At a luncheon on March 7 hosted by FinishMaster Inc., a distributor of automotive refinishing products, and the Hertz Corp., Henderson described to shop owners and managers the benefits of AutoWatch. Additional sessions were held March 6 in Colorado Springs and March 8 in Fort Collins.
"Today it's about marketing," he said, who has 30 years of experience in the collision repair industry. "You've got to wow the customer. They have to be impressed with something you've done."
The No. 1 question from collision repair customers is when their vehicle repairs will be completed, Henderson said, citing a J.D. Power and Associates study that weighed key elements of the repair process that formulate customer satisfaction.
The report stated that 62 percent of customer satisfaction in a collision repair hinges on the claims and estimation process; 36 percent on the collision repair facility; and 2 percent on the rental car.
"They get to check the whole process, from the first photo to the end of the repair," Henderson said, adding that shop personnel can use Auto Watch as a closing tool, "It's the wow factor."
Customers typically check the status of their vehicle's repair from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while they're at work, Henderson said. The online photos are usually shared with co-workers, who see the shop's name on the computer screen, he said, adding that it's a natural word-of-mouth marketing tool.
Auto insurers understand the gravity of the customer experience during a claim, Henderson said. One of five policy holders start shopping for new insurance after a claim, he pointed out.
Insurance agents also have the ability to track the status of their customers' repairs, Henderson said. Earlier this year, he said, Esurance, a direct-to-consumer auto insurance company, partnered with SeeProgress Inc to increase customer satisfaction.
After implementing AutoWatch, Henderson said many shops experience a 30 to 40 percent reduction in phone calls about repair status. The entire process of posting a repair takes 20 minutes or less, he said.
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