In an era defined by the instant gratification of the Internet, tech-savvy body shop owner Barbara Morgan is getting in the game by giving her customers up-to-the-minute updates on their vehicles’ repairs with the click of a mouse. Morgan installed eight cameras that stream live footage from repair bays and paint booths at Nissen’s CARSTAR Autobody Shop in Palm Bay, Fla., onto the shop’s Web site.
Morgan told the Web site Florida Today that she hopes the video feed will drive more customers into the 30-year-old shop that she bought in January, which sees about 10 cars a week. The cameras are the first part of Morgan’s new customer communication system, and next, she hopes to install a management system that gives customers e-mail or voicemail alerts as vehicles progress through repair steps. Through the shop’s Web site, customers can also enter an e-mail address and password to check repair status.
"I don’t want to sit around here like the Maytag repairman," Morgan said. "I’m trying to have a slice of the pie. If I can be a notch above my competitors, that will hopefully drive more business to me."
Morgan said the cameras will offer customers peace of mind and help to build trust. So far, customers have reacted positively to the new system.
"To have the reassurance of seeing that everything that should be done to the car is being done is fabulous. They should have had this a long time ago,” one customer said.
Click HERE to see the live feed.
