On Your Terms
As of late, insurance companies have staunchly positioned themselves on the offensive, launching all sorts of new “customer-driven” programs to get them in good with the motoring/car-crashing public. Insurers being on the offensive, however, puts the repair industry on the defensive, forcing shops to react to whatever insurers throw their way. Problem is, being reactive
Get Your Head Out of the Sand
Unless an insurance company chooses the “repair” option in the insurance contract — making it fully liable for its repair choices — it has no legal right to be involved in the repair process.
At Their Mercy: Progressive Has Been Opening a Lot of New “Concierge Centers”
You may have noticed that Progressive has been opening a lot of new “Concierge Centers” lately, where customers deliver their damaged vehicles and, within 15 minutes, are out the door and assured that a claims rep will handle the repair process from start to finish. The insurer has opened 11 of these centers since April
DRPs, Here We Come?
DRPs are expensive. And once financially dependent on DRP volume, you’re no longer in complete control of your business. That’s why we ask ourselves two key questions before making any DRP purchases. Part 4 of a year-long series.
Bullied No More: Learn How to Counter Intimidating Negotiation Techniques
“My way or the highway” negotiation techniques have intimidated the repair industry long enough. Learn how to counter them.
How to Get Paid, “What’s The Most Effective Approach to Get Insurers to Pay My Labor Rate?”
Labor rates have always been an area of contention between shop owners and insurance companies. From time immemorial, the two camps have been divided on the issue, and monumental arguments have arisen any time this subject is broached. So before we can arrive at any real answer to the labor rate question, we must first
The Old Blame Game
There’s been a lot of talk lately about a law firm representing Progressive Insurance Company asking an Illinois shop to reimburse the insurer $141.45 for a rental car — due to the shop causing unnecessary repair delays.
How to Get Paid, “What’s The Most Effective Approach to Get Insurers to Pay My Labor Rate?”
Labor rates have always been an area of contention between shop owners and insurance companies. From time immemorial, the two camps have been divided on the issue, and monumental arguments have arisen any time this subject is broached. So before we can arrive at any real answer to the labor rate question, we must first
Show Me the Savings!
Insurers are writing for partial paint times on repaired panels, claiming it doesn’t take as long to apply color to part of a panel as it does to the whole panel. We all know this is bogus.
DRPs, Here We Come? If We Want Our DRPs, Insurers Need to Respect Us
After a short period of kowtowing to insurers, we came to our senses and realized that if we want our DRPs, insurers need to respect us. Enter: our “house rules.” Part 2 of a year-long series.
State Farm Ups Ante: State Farm to Replace Its DRP with New “Performance Driven” Program
The headline read: State Farm to Replace Its DRP with New “Performance Driven” Program. The news spread across the industry faster than Ebola and was about as well-received. State Farm’s Service First and Select Service — which have been touted by repairers as the best direct-repair programs out there (for whatever that’s worth) — are
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.