DRPs, Here We Come? ….Direct-Repair Programs
Some say be careful what you wish for. We wish our shop were on direct-repair programs. Part 1 of a year-long series.
How to Drop 13 DRPs — and Live to Tell About It
It didn’t take long to learn that more volume doesn’t always equal more money.
DRPs: Our Business Skills
Stop the finger pointing. How well we do in this trade has a lot more to do with our business skills than with how “bad” insurers are. In fact, direct-repair programs have, dare I say it, made many shops more efficient and profitable. It was more than 40 years ago, but I still remember sitting
Going Head-To-Head with DRPs
If you’re of the opinion that you can “beat ’em and don’t want to join ’em”, you need to market your shop
aggressively to consumers and offer them something they can’t get at a preferred provider shop.
DRPs: Strictly A Business Decision
In 1984, direct-repair program (DRP) – the original Allstate PRO System – was virtually unheard of. Although the concept had been tested on the East Coast and in some of the big cities, most body shops had never been introduced to the idea. One spring day, two people – known as “inspectors” – from Allstate
The Evolution of DRPs
“To every thing – there is a season – and a time – for every purpose – under heaven.” Those lyrics have been repeating in my head since I began outlining this article examining direct-repair agreements. Why? Because to examine DRP agreements without examining their history and evolution would – in my opinion – be
DRPs: Don’t Go Away Mad, Just Go Away
Since so many changes are taking place on the repairer-insurer-consumer horizon, all anyone can do is speculate about the future. Not being a betting man (I’ve never even bought a lotto ticket), I’d venture that the answers to Bill O’Keefe’s questions might be “yes” and “no”–but not necessarily in that order. At a recent NACE,
DRPs: Probing the Legalities
There’s a definite conflict of interest when the payer (insurer) controls the quality of repair work. In fact, without the independence of the professional repairer, some say there’s no difference between the DRP shop and the insurer – just a different organization with the same interest, adverse to the property owner. But that doesn’t make DRPs illegal – or does it?
The Concept of DRPs: Good or Bad for the Industry as a Whole?
When asked if the concept of DRPs is good or bad for the industry as a whole, it’s no surprise that 85 percent of the respondents to the BodyShop Business 2002 Industry Profile who aren’t on DRPs say they’re bad. Many of you in that 85 percent are downright anti-DRP and have great arguments as
DRPs: Do You or Don’t You
“I don’t DRP for any insurer that would impede my ability to do so,” says one respondent to our annual Industry Profile when asked if, as a DRP, he can still repair a vehicle to pre-accident condition.