The proliferation of smartphones and tablets is growing at an exponential rate. We can book travel and schedule vehicle service appointments. We can even manage many aspects of an insurance claim—from reporting the claim to communicating with the adjuster or collision shop.
But while you're more than able to review claims in your claims system and monitor communications from your adjusters, insureds and claimants, do you have that same confidence that your direct repair shops are communicating effectively?
A recent claims-satisfaction study by J.D. Power and Associates indicates that customer-satisfaction touch points consist of 62 percent claim-estimation process, 36 percent collision-shop experience and 2 percent rental-car experience. That means when your customer goes through your Direct Repair Program (DRP) process, you are outsourcing 98 percent of customer touch points to your collision shop. As a responsible insurer, you need to be fully aware of the processes direct repair shops have in place for communicating with vehicle owners. You also need to make sure those processes are clear and add value to the claims experience.
In a recent claim experience, I received canned updates on the progress of my repairs, which added little value to me. The updates led me to believe the promised delivery date was on schedule right up until the day before it was supposed to be ready, when I received a one-sentence email informing me that my estimated delivery date had been “updated” from Monday to Thursday. I felt that the use of the word “updated” was an insincere way of communicating the delay.
When I picked up the vehicle on Thursday, I learned there were several small issues that required me to schedule rework. And guess what? After I dropped the car off for rework, I got the same canned email I had received when I dropped off the car for the original repair: a message thanking me for making an excellent choice. Clearly, they should have sent me an apology and a promise to quickly and accurately correct the deficiencies. Instead, the email gave the impression that the shop was out of touch with what was going on. Worse, it served to further aggravate an already disappointing customer experience, which in turn reflected poorly on my insurance company.
So the question is, as a claims manager, do you know how your DRPs communicate with your customers?
Statements and opinions expressed in this this blog are solely those of the author. They are not offered as and do not constitute legal advice or opinion of Mitchell International Inc.
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