The ‘Excellent Customer Experience’

Recently we had a message from one of the insurance companies we work with. The message promoted a restructuring of their operations and stated that the ‘customer experience’ was at the forefront of everything they do. It would have been good if they had also indicated that everything starts with the proper repair.

If an insurance company puts the ‘customer experience’ at the top of their list of they are blowing marketing smoke at their customers.

Most owners do not know a lot about their car. Not because they are not smart but because their car is a very complex thing, which they could not truly understand even if they had the time or motivation to try to. This means that it will be very easy to deliver a great customer experience while repairing the car incorrectly. The owner has no way of knowing if the frame rail was replaced to the correct factory splice point. The car will drive exactly the same with the incorrect repair and the owner’s ‘customer experience’ is enhanced because he got the car back a few days sooner than he would have if the repair shop had waited for the needed parts and done the repairs to factory spec. The car will drive the same with an incorrect repair, but it will not be as safe in the next accident.

At Tsawwassen Collision we try very hard to treat our customers with respect and provide an excellent customer experience, but we also treat the car with respect and our starting point is to deliver that excellent customer experience to the car. Of course, the car is inanimate and will not feel that great customer experience, but if we do the right work and then explain that work clearly to you as the vehicle owner the excellent customer experience stays with both you and your car for the long term.

Kirsten Felder, the very well regarded CEO of Collision Hub had a great take on the ‘excellent customer experience’ which I can paraphrase as ‘If I let my 10 year old son eat pizza every day and stay up until 10:30 playing video games he would give me a really high customer satisfaction score, because he had a ‘great experience’ It’s going to be harder for me to get that great score from him while giving him the things he really needs, but it can be done’  

A truly good repair facility can give you that great experience while also doing the right thing for your car, but it takes integrity and a commitment to the right repair.