The elements to a successful OEM collision repair programme
- March 7, 2019
- Posted by: Simon Wait
- Category: IBIS News
For IBIS USA’s seventh session, delegates heard from Tim Turvey, global vice president, General Motors, customer care and aftersales, who spoke about the elements to a successful OEM collision repair programme.
Firstly, Tim described GM’s vision in terms of autonomous vehicles and ‘Technology that will help us unlock the future.’
Tim next delved into what trends GM anticipated in 2019. These include new vehicle sales market to remain strong, petrol prices to stay at low levels, record level average transaction prices to continue and EV/SAV/AV innovative mobility opportunities to continue developing fast. As well as a market shift from cars to trucks and crossovers.
When it came to collision strategy, Tim stated there to be three main problems: customer experience, the quality of repair and brand reputation. He believes all of these are critical.
At the centre of these issues are the vehicle owner, repairer, and insurer. The role of the OEM is to inform, educate, empower and support the customer, as required, through the collision repair process. As well as to provide service to alleviate the collision repair process. Regarding the repairer, OEMs need to know how to involve them and support technicians with an understanding of the changing technologies and ensure they can execute safe proper repairs. Lastly, an OEM needs to support insurers on estimating and streamlining repair work; aligning communication and agreed upon repairer for customer ease.
Tim stated that, ‘All three have to work together to reduce cycle time, insure happy customers, and create seamless methods.’
Furthermore, Tim discussed what the future for GM looks like with the example of the 2019 Sierra LD T1 repair procedure. The available active safety technologies in the 2019 Sierra include new surround vision, lane change alert with side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, front pedestrian braking and more.
On the topic of customer experience, GM aids customers in collisions through the vehicle connectivity of OnStar members, by helping direct and guide them to a GM Collision Repair Network (CRN) and provide GM CRN access to tools and GM service information.
GM supports the repair industry by ensuring repairers have the correct GM service information integrated into the existing workflow and that the overall repair process returns the vehicle to proper safety requirements.
In the event of a total loss, Tim stated, ‘Providing a good hand-off to GM dealers for replacement is essential to maintaining customer loyalty.’
To conclude, Tim emphasized GM’s focus on the customer experience. He explained that to put the customer first GM provide estimators and technicians access to all GM-written repair procedures, improve the cycle time for repair completion, measure safe repair KPIs ensuring all participants are adhering to the CRN program requirements, and create ease and speed in support of allGM customers on some of the most technologically advanced vehicles.
IBIS USA partner were 3M, Axalta, Solera Audatex, BETAG Innovation, Symach, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Fix Network World, Mitchell International, PPG, RSG, Verifacts, CARSTAR, Caliber Collision, Chief Automotive, I-CAR, OE Connection, and PartsTrader LLC.
