Auto Claim Specialists

Fair settlements through knowledge and negotiation!

We are experienced in negotiating claims with insurance companies.

We have teamed up with Vehicle Value Experts for access to the best vehicle valuing tool available. Together, with the best knowledge and the best negotiating skills, we can ensure a fair settlement on your auto claim.

No One Else Comes Close to our Total Loss Value Assessment! Contact us from anywhere in the U.S. to have a local Auto Claim Specialist working for you!

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771 East Southlake Blvd. Southlake, TX 76092 817-756-5482 Fax: 866-550-0484 Toll Free: 800-736-6816 claims@autoclaimspecialists.com

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• Over 25 years of front line skilled knowledge & hands-on practical experience involving automotive mechanical repair

• Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster Agency with a duty to act on your behalf!

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Vehicle Value Experts is a unique Consultant Firm that specializes in Insurance Total Loss Market Evaluation Reports; Mechanical and Body Shop Estimates and Finalized Motor Vehicle Repair Evaluations; Diminished Value Assessment and Claims as such and Motor Vehicle Fair Market Value Reports.

Founder Robert McDorman

ASK MIKE: How Do We Empower AND Educate Our Customers before There’s a Problem with Their Insurer?

This month, we “ASK MIKE” to share his thoughts on how shops can better educate consumers on proper repair procedures before a problem arises with their insurer. We at Texas Automotive hope you find the following exchange useful, and we encourage you to reach out to us if you have a question for Mike on this or any industry-related matter that he can answer in a subsequent issue.

Texas Automotive: There are many issues that could come up between a body shop and an insurer during the repair process. Disputes over parts usage, proper procedures and payments immediately come to mind. How can shops educate and empower consumers before a repair so they know what to expect and will be less frustrated or angry if problems arise?

Mike Anderson: First off, I’d like to start by quoting Ryan Taylor from Bodyshop Booster: ‘People are more afraid of making a wrong decision than they are of spending money.’ When a customer first contacts us, whether it’s via phone or in person, it’s important to establish that we’re the right choice to fix their vehicle. We must gain their trust. In addition, we also need to understand that when it comes to dealing with customers, competence leads to confidence. By using credible sources to show that we’re competent, we build confidence with the vehicle owner. Think of it as a triangle that represents time. Most people spend very little time with the customer at the beginning, and that triangle gets wider at the bottom. We need to spend more time with the vehicle owner, proving that we are a competent and trusted source to fix their vehicle.

There are several ways to do that. Obviously, online reviews matter. Today’s customers have a ‘trust and verify’ mentality. In the past, many customers took a dealership’s or insurance company’s recommendation at face value. That actually hurt shops that were not DRPs. Even if today’s customers receive that recommendation, they still go online and do their homework. So, you need to position yourself with good online reviews.

When that customer first reaches out to us, we need to educate them on our competence and credibility. For example, if you’re a certified shop, you may say, ‘Hey, Mrs. Jones, I’m sorry that you wrecked your Nissan, but the good news is we’re one of only 32 shops out of 600 in this state that have met the training and equipment standards to be Nissan-certified, meaning we have advanced training on fixing your car.’ The key words are ‘advanced training,’ because that separates you from everyone else and makes you special. When the customers came on-site to drop off their vehicle or to get an estimate during my days as a shop owner, I liked to ask for their permission to get their owner’s manual from their car; then, I would review that owner’s manual with them and point things out. For example, I’d tell them what their owner’s manual said about seatbelts or seat calibrations. Doing that helped to establish that I was credible.

If you do that and then call them down the road to tell them that the insurance company won’t pay for X, Y, or Z, it’s not as much of a shock to them because you’ve already established that you’re very knowledgeable about their vehicle. I don’t think that you should tell them over the phone that they’re going to have to pay out of pocket, because that’s going to scare them off. You need to get them through the door so you have a chance to prove your competence to them. That way, if at some point you do need to tell them that they need to pay for something out of pocket, you’ve already sold them on why you’re worth it and why you can be trusted.

TXA: To be honest, I sometimes see consumer-facing

messaging that some shops have on their Facebook pages and elsewhere that would turn me off if I were unfamiliar with this industry. For example, I’ve seen some shops essentially say, ‘Your insurance company is going to rip you off, and this is how we’re going to help you.’ Reading that would make me want to go to another shop; it would make me feel like I’d be gearing up for a fight when all I want to do is get my vehicle repaired. The shop’s heart may be in the right place, but stuff like that could end up doing more harm than good to their image.

MA: I don’t think it’s smart to badmouth an insurance company. We get upset when they do that to us, right? Instead, we need to use factual documentation to educate consumers. For example, if you come in with your Toyota, I can show that you need to get your seatbelts inspected, and then I’ll explain that we have the