Third-party verification ensures proper repairs

Jan. 27, 2015
Use third-party verification to ensure your shop is doing the right repair the right way on every car.

Several months ago I wrote about the need for all of us to do the right repair the right way on every car. There’s too much riding on it to risk doing anything less than a 100 percent repair, 100 percent of the time.

I mentioned that one of a number of ways my company ensures that that happens is through third-party verification. There are several options shops have for a third-party verification system; we happen to use VeriFacts Automotive, but my point here is not to promote a particular provider but to understand why we find an outside verification service so valuable.

We’ve been working with VeriFacts for more than seven years. One of the first things they do is check to make sure you have the proper equipment, ability and quality control processes to repair a car correctly. That’s important because while the right facility, training and equipment don’t necessarily result in quality repairs, they increase the likelihood that cars will be fixed correctly. Lacking any of those certainly lowers the odds of quality repairs.

Whatever outside verification system you use, your employees should be educated on what to expect. VeriFacts representatives conduct in-shop seminars explaining the program to employees, emphasizing they would be there to coach, not to criticize.

Now the technician assessment providers come into each of our shops once a month, unannounced. They dig pretty deep into the vehicles being repaired. They’re not just looking for color match or tape lines or dirt in the paint. They’ll certainly point those things out, but they’re going beyond the cosmetic.

They’re checking to see if we had the proper documentation for the welding and sectioning procedures. They’re inspecting welds and looking for corrosion protection. Are we taking off too much e-coat when grinding? Are the quality control sheets filled out correctly and up-to date?

How do technicians feel about someone reviewing their work like this? In the beginning, our technicians were a little apprehensive about it, naturally. But after one or two visits, they were perfectly fine. They get to know the coaches, who in our case are very knowledgeable. Now the technicians view the coaching as helpful.

On several occasions, we’ve hosted in-shop clinics conducted by the VerifFacts coaches. We bring together our employees and some guests – we usually invite some insurers – for more in-depth training on a particular subject. As hybrid cars were becoming more popular in the market, for example, that was a subject of one of our first clinics, making sure all of us had the information needed about repairing those vehicles safely and correctly.

The main value in all this for me is the peace-of-mind. I know we have the ability to fix every car correctly. This helps ensure (and boost my confidence in the fact) that it is actually happening. It feels good to see we’re getting a good score month-in and month-out through a third-party verification. And if a new technician application or technique are not 100 percent, this helps ensure they understand (and can meet) our expectations for quality.

It also puts us a step ahead of the competition that isn’t doing this. It gives us credibility being able to show reports of this sort of activity. It’s not just us saying we do quality work; it’s evidence from a third-party that’s ensuring that we do. More than a dozen insurers have acknowledged that shops that meet one of VeriFacts’ quality verification programs, for example, meet those insurers’ direct repair program qualifications for training and certifications.

If you’ve ever taken a flashlight and mirror into your shop and taken a hard look at the cars your shops is repairing, you know there’s value in doing that regularly. Having a third-party do it ensures that such review is being done consistently, in a way that helps technicians, and gives you the assurance and evidence things are being done right every time.

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