LAS VEGAS — Insurers and repairers are seen as one entity by the consumer when an accident happens — so making the experience as positive as possible is a benefit for all involved.
Representatives from both the insurance and repair shop sides discussed ways to maintain positive interactions and outcomes for customers.
Something as simple as keeping the customer informed adds great value to the insurer/repairer relationship. It creates less questions, inquiry calls and helps maintain positive reputations for both the repairer and insurer.
Darrell Amberson, director of operations for LaMettry’s Collision, stressed the importance of working in harmony with the insurance companies in order to reduce delays and frustration for both the customer and the repair shop.
Consistency in expectations and process, metrics and KPIs will help shops keep costs in line and communications streamlined. Other functions, such as insurance carriers being able to download estimates is one function that panel members thought could speed communication.
There is a lot of waste in the administrative process, and bridging the gap and fixing the process requires input and energy from both side, said panel moderator Elainna Sachire of Square One Systems. “Persistence and consistency is key,” she said.
Customer retention is also important, both for repair shops and carriers. If shops can exceed a customer’s expectations during a repair, it helps a carrier to retain that customer, which is vital to the carrier’s success. So it remains a partnership at all turns between the repair shops and carriers, the panelists said.
Efficiency is also vital. “There are new ways to handle processes. We need to reduce redundancies at every turn. Not everything can be made better, but we need to keep our customers moving and make all processes operate as a win for the customer and the carrier,” said Clint Marlow, auto claims director with Allstate Insurance.
Overall, there needs to be an ease of doing business. “There needs to be consistency. Not a different message, different KPIs every time we deal with a repair shop,” We have time to work together to figure out ways to remove friction. Marlow says.
The customer glues the industry together. So overall, panelists agreed both repairers and insurers need to always be looking to find a better way to serve the customer.
