According to a newsletter written and published by insurance consultant Brian Sullivan The Importance of Collision Repair Quality / Auto Insurance Report, Sept 18, 2000 issue consumer's satisfaction with insurers falls sharply as auto damage claims increase in complexity. Thus, consumers may likely be very happy with their experience when they have had a simple fender-bender repaired that progresses unimpeded through the estimating process and out the collision shop's back door. Just as likely, however, Sullivan warns that consumers will inevitably experience some level of dissatisfaction with the shop, insurer, or both, when their cars suffer moderate to hard hits.

Understanding that consumers are often distrustful of insurers, especially when they recommend repair shops, it would be advantageous for insurers, as a means of gaining consumer confidence, to encourage an independent post-repair inspection following completion their customer's repairs. Post-Repair Inspection provides a layer of accountability that corrupt insurers and crooked shops resist. When insurers become proactive in this area, volunteering to cooperate with auto inspectors who attempt to determine the quality and value of the repaired property, consumers are more likely to view their insurer with a lesser amount of suspicion.

In addition to increasing the chances of retaining consumers who look upon their insurer more favorably than a root canal, post-repair inspection can uncover faults and fraud that could expose an insurer to undue liability. Below is an example of how one insurer used a post-repair inspection service to protect itself from libelous activity caused by a subcontracted adjusting company.

EXAMPLE: The rear of Bob's late model Toyota was heavily damaged after being struck by an auto that was uninsured. Because he lives in a rural area, Bob's insurer hired an outside adjusting company to write a damage report and handle the claim on its behalf. Bob was not entirely happy with the repair performed by the shop that his insurer recommended, but didn't want to raise a fuss. It was not until an electrical short left him stranded for the fourth time that he notified the insurance company of his dissatisfaction.

The insurer decided to seek a neutral opinion of the condition of Bob's car and hired the services of a post-repair inspector. A review of the paperwork prepared by the adjusting company found that the appraiser wrote to clip the car in an effort to hold repair cost under the total loss threshold. As per the state law, the insurer's representative sourced the rear clip from a salvage vendor and referenced it on his damage estimate. Subsequently, the shop ordered the part and performed the repair as the adjuster had written it.

What resulted was disastrous. First, had the appraiser been more knowledgeable of OEM repair procedures he would have known that Toyota does not endorse repairs using salvage clips. Even if the manufacturer would have permitted such, the sourced part was scavenged from an older car, making it insufficient to indemnify the policyholder. But it gets worse! During removal from the donor car, yardmen cut the clip with a chop saw, failing to unplug the wiring harness that feeds the rear electrical components such as the taillamps and fuel pump. Technicians found all of the wires on the donor clip severed when the part arrived at the shop and promptly notified the appraisal company.

Because the adjuster refused to allow a supplement for new wiring or an extension on the claimant's rental car, the shop was forced to repair the damaged wires in the car's original harness to make the systems operable and get the job out the door on time. This repair was performed in an elementary fashion by twisting wires together and wrapping them with electrical tape. The consumer was never made aware of the wiring repair or the clipping procedure that compromised his safety.

A Happy Ending

Armed with a detailed post-repair inspection report, the insurer sought to right the wrongs. The repair shop was placed on a probationary status for its shoddy performance. Next, the insurer held the adjusting company responsible for the poor choices its appraiser had made. Finally, Bob received a huge apology and a check for the retail value for his car, money the insurer eventually recovered from its subcontractor. Combined, these actions allowed the insurer to extinguish itself from unknown future liability and left Bob glad he had chosen an insurer that really cared about him.

There's no secret to the fact that employees and subcontractors perform their roles with greater care when they know their performance will be inspected and reported. Insurers can use post-repair inspections to hold their partnering shops and adjusters accountable. Doing so could lessen the liability to which insurers might be exposed. Moreover, it could ultimately make them appear more caring to consumers who usually feel intimidated and vulnerable, especially when dealing with repair shops that haven't earned their trust.

content & design 2002-2008 David Williams and SafeCollisionRepairs.com

About Safe Collision Repairs

For more than ten years, David Williams of Wheelersburg, Ohio's Safe Collision Repairs has worked with consumers and attorneys in the tri-states of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia to expose unsafe auto repairs and maximize recovery on auto insurance claims. Some of the company's services include Post-Repair Inspections, Prepurchase Inspections, Auto Damage Assessments, Lemon Law Investigations, Expert Court Testimony and Diminished Value Calculations using an advanced version of Network Information Communication's WreckCheck program.

Inquiries can be directed to: Safe Collision Repairs David A. Williams Post Office Box 70 Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694 (740) 456-1111 (740) 355-4056

Disclaimer

The content expressed on this website and in the article above represents the opinions of David A. Williams. Williams is neither an attorney nor public insurance adjuster, but is an expert, consultant, and writer specializing in the field of automotive collision repair and valuations. The information provided herein is not intended to be a substitute for legal or insurance advice. Because collision repair is a continually evolving science, any text, materials or links found herein are provided without claim or guarantee to their accuracy or completeness.