VeriFacts Automotive joined Sam’s Garage at SEMA to share how it works with collision repair shops to ensure consumers receive a safe, cost-effective repair. Click here to check it out!

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VeriFacts Automotive held a webinar on June 11 to educate the collision repair industry on counterfeit parts.

The webinar brought together four leaders battling counterfeit parts to discuss the growing challenge, how government organizations and OEMs are working to eliminate them and what collision repair professionals can do to protect themselves and their customers:

• Abe Jardines – Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center
• John Lancaster – Subaru of America, Inc.
• Teena Bohi – Toyota Motor North America
• Andy Forsythe – Nissan Group of North America

As collision repair facilities see repair jobs begin to increase, one concern is sourcing the parts to fix those vehicles in a timely, affordable manner that meet insurance carrier, OEM and industry repair standards.

Forbes.com
Jason Metz

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Even if you’re staying at home to help flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, you might get unexpected car damage and need to file a car insurance claim. For example, a large branch could fall on your car, or you could get into a fender bender on the way to a curbside grocery pickup.

What to do at the Scene of an Accident

If you get into a car accident, maintain at least a 6-foot distance between the driver of the other vehicle and their passengers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

You can verbally exchange information from a safe distance, or you can take a photo of your insurance card and exchange it through text messages. If you need to call the police to the scene, you can wait in your car and the police officer can help facilitate the exchange of insurance information.

If your car is undrivable because of the damage, you may need to call for a tow truck. If possible, try to arrange a ride home with a family member or someone you live with. If you need to ride home in an Uber or with someone else, be sure to practice the CDC’s guidelines to protect yourself and others.

How to File A Virtual Car Insurance Claim

In a typical car insurance claim scenario, an adjuster might come to your home to inspect the car damage and give you an appraisal.

But auto insurance companies are adjusting to new norms amid the pandemic. Many urge their policyholders to file and manage claims online or through the companies’ mobile apps. You can also call the insurance company to file a claim over the phone, but wait times may be longer than usual.

Many auto insurers were already investing in virtual-claims technologies before the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what some major insurers can offer.

Allstate has “Virtual Assist” to expedite car insurance claims. Virtual Assist allows body shops to create an initial estimate and get approved for additional repair as they work on your vehicle. You can submit your initial claim using Allstate’s “QuickFoto Claim” within its mobile app. Allstate can send you payments instantly through its QuickCard Pay. The company expects to handle 90% of its auto insurance claims using virtual tools.

American Family customers can access their accounts online or with the MyAmFam app to make a claim or check the status of a claim.

Amica’s app offers the ability to upload documents, photos and media to file a claim. You can enroll for text messages and email notifications for the claim’s status, and message your claim handler. You can also sign up for direct deposit for claim payments.

Auto-owners insurance customers can connect via the customer center app to upload and view claims documents.

Erie Insurance customers can monitor a claim through their online accounts.

Farmers Insurance has temporarily moved to a “technology first” approach in processing claims, according to Trevor Chapman, a Farmers spokesperson. Customers can file claims remotely through Farmers.com, the mobile app, or by calling their agent or the 24-hour call center.

You can also use Farmers’ photo-estimating tool to get an appraisal. If you need an in-person appraisal, you can remain in your vehicle during the inspection process and communicate via text and phone with the claims representative.

Geico encourages customers to check their claim status through the Geico mobile app or the company’s website.

Hanover Insurance offers online claim handling, and you can file and monitor a claim through their mobile app.

Liberty Mutual says its auto-repair appraisers will not be visiting customer homes or auto body shops except in emergency situations. If you need to file a claim, you can upload photos of your car damage online or through the Liberty Mutual app, which includes an assisted-photo tool and step-by-step guide for taking damage photos.

Nationwide customers can file claims and check status online.

Progressive says you can file a claim online, through the company’s app or by calling the company. Progressive’s website says they will be limiting in-person interactions as much as possible.

State Farm customers can file claims online or through its mobile app.

Travelers Insurance has several virtual options, including virtual inspection tools that allow adjusters to view damage without being on-site. You have the option to utilize real-time video chat and apps to guide you through the claim process. You can also upload photos and videos of damage at Travelers.com.

USAA customers can file a claim through its mobile app.

What About No-Contact Auto Repair?

If your car is in need of repair, you’re going to need to get it over to an auto repair shop. The good news is that many auto repair shops have taken steps to limit person-to-person interaction and reduce the chances of COVID-19 exposure.

“We have been able to quickly launch some new programs to our Carstar franchisees,” says Dean Fisher, president of Carstar North America, a network of independently owned collision repair facilities. Fisher says that these services include increased cleaning and sanitizing, vehicle drop-off and pickup guidelines, and photo-based repair estimates.

It’s a good idea to ask your auto repair shop what steps they have taken to limit in-person contact. If you’re not comfortable with the answers, consider a different shop.

To give you an idea of what types of questions to ask, here are some recommendations from VeriFacts Automotive, a company that offers guidance to collision repair facilities.

• Limited interaction. Ask about discussing your vehicle using virtual methods, like Skype, Zoom or Google Hangouts. If you do need to visit the shop, ask to schedule an appointment during off-peak hours and maintain at least a 6-foot distance from others.
• A clean, sanitized environment. An auto repair shop should ensure that its visitors’ area is sanitized, including computer terminals, equipment, counters, entryways and bathrooms. Bring your own pen in case you have to sign any forms.
• Drop-off and pickup services. If possible, Verifacts Automotive recommends leaving the car in a secure location with the keys in a signed, sealed envelope inside the car. You can also ask your shop if they are able to pick up your car at your house and drop it off after repair.
• Sanitized vehicles upon arrival and return. Ask your shop if they plan to sanitize your car, including the steering wheel, dashboard, knobs, gear stick, door handles, armrest and cup holder.

Digital Dealer.com, April 2020
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For many collision repair facility owners and managers, they are not afforded the downtime to focus on improving their shop processes and operations because of the constant attention to cycle time, length of rental and vehicle throughput.

Today, as collision repair shop owners are evaluating their current car count and the estimated volume for the next month, there is an opportunity to retain valued technicians and team members while increasing the efficiency and performance of your facility when the vehicle volume returns.

“We are thinking of all of the collision repair shop owners, managers and technicians around the country as they deal with this health and economic challenge at work and at home,” said Farzam Afshar, CEO of VeriFacts Automotive. “No one wants to face declining car counts and repair volume, but if there is a silver lining to all of this, it does provide an opportunity to focus on how you can improve your business during the downtime.”

As the federal government has deemed automotive repair as an “essential” business, shop owners across the country are working hard to change their business practices to reassure customers of their health and safety when getting their vehicle repaired. Many of these practices, like shop cleanliness and customer service enhancements, will have a lasting impact on shop operations.

VeriFacts Automotive, which works with thousands of collision repair facilities and industry suppliers across North America and regularly coaches shop owners on their shop environmental health standards and operational enhancements, is offering shop owners guidance on improving their businesses during this downtime.

1.  Facility Maintenance and Spring Cleaning – With a lower car count, now is a good time for a thorough cleaning of the entire facility. Clean and sanitize all walls, counters, surfaces and floors. Consider interior and exterior painting to give everything an updated, fresh look – a project your team members may tackle while they aren’t as busy repairing vehicles. And now that the shop is clean, it’s an ideal time to explore opportunities to keep it that way, such as a dustless sanding system.
2. Equipment Maintenance – This is an ideal time to perform the annual maintenance on equipment and tools and make needed repairs. If it’s time to replace equipment, now is a good time to negotiate with equipment suppliers to make those purchases.  It is imperative that you research and purchase equipment and tools that are OEM approved based on the mix of vehicles your facility repairs.
3. Inventory Management – Conduct physical inventory of all of the supplies, parts and materials you have in stock and determine how to order and use more efficiently. Make sure equipment is correctly inventoried so you can accurately depreciate on your financials.
4. Organize Parts and Supplies – Tired of searching for parts or looking at a messy supply room? There are a variety of shelving, rack and cabinet system that make finding the products needed for each job easy and efficient.  It’s important to add a tracking system so as parts and supplies are consumed, they are re-ordered promptly, thus reducing delays on repairs.
5. Paint Department Improvement and Cleaning – The paint booth is the vital part of the body shop, but if it isn’t taken care of, breakdowns can be costly. Deep clean the booth and remove overspray, change filters, clean pits and update lighting. Reapply booth coating or sand down and repaint inside and out. Consider adding a booth wrap on the inside walls and floors to make future cleanup easier. Also look at improving air movement for waterborne paint conversion. This may be the time to consider upgrading from your current booth to one that is more efficient to operate. If the paint room and all of the equipment in it is splattered and spackled, that’s potential contamination and debris that could get in your paint and mar your paint jobs. This is a perfect opportunity to work with your paint partner to look at new paint systems that make it more organized and efficient, as well as adding wall containers for cups, lids and liners and counter surfaces that are easier to clean up. Reducing the painter’s time in the mixing room delivers more profitability in the paint department!
6. Shop Process Improvements – Are there bottlenecks in the workflow in your shop? Are you wasting time moving cars around rather than repairing them? An evaluation of your shop layout and repair process can identify new opportunities to improve how vehicles move through the repair process in your shop, increasing efficiency and decreasing unpaid time. From streamlining the workstations for each step of the repair process to vehicle tracking systems to implementing parts bins or carts, simple changes can add up to big returns. Most paint company provide this service and if your paint company does not please ask VeriFacts to assist you.
7. Employee Training – Technicians and team members frequently complain about lost work time due to training, so now is the perfect time to participate in online training and coaching programs. VeriFacts Automotive provides virtual coaching and support to shops, which complements online training classes and webinars from suppliers like your paint, equipment and materials partners.
8. Employee Reviews – A key factor in retaining and growing team members is feedback and career pathing.  Annual or ongoing reviews often get put on a back burner in busier times, so this an ideal opportunity to conduct reviews with your employees, get their feedback and map out how to grow together.
9. Year-End Financial Evaluation and Budget Planning – As you close your books on 2019, this is the time to conduct a thorough financial review with your accountant. If you’re part of an MSO, review your financial plan with your peers and field operations team. Together, you can identify where you could cut costs and spend more efficiently, as well as evaluate how you can recover typically lost revenue through better repair mapping and tracking.
10. Manage Your Parts Orders and Vehicle Intake – During this pandemic time, a collision repair facility is looking to take any jobs in.  Make sure you verify parts availability before you disassemble drivable vehicles to ensure you can get the parts to repair them in a timely manner.

“We are always here to help our collision repair customers, in good times and challenging ones,” added Afshar. “We want to help them set their business on the proper course for success as we emerge from the current situation back to more prosperous times.”