View this article online: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/midwest/2006/12/07/74809.htm
Progressive Group of Insurance Companies announced the opening of its 50th Service Center. According to the written release issued by the company, by the end of the year, Progressive will have at least one Service Center within 60 miles of agents who write nearly half of all Drive premium.
The concierge concept for repairable cars began by offering end-to-end claims service from a small construction trailer on a suburban Cleveland car lot six years ago. Earlier this month, Progressive announced the opening of its 50th Service Center in Akron. From this facility, and all others like it throughout the U.S., Progressive oversees the details of the vehicle claims/repair process for customers whose cars need to be repaired after accidents.
The Service Center, which reduces the time each driver has to spend on the claims/repair process from about four days to about 15 minutes, can be used at no cost by any Progressive Direct or Drive Insurance from Progressive customer or anyone involved in a claim with these customers.
According to the release, drivers who choose to use a Service Center can drop off the damaged vehicle and, in about 15 minutes, can leave in a rental car assured that a claims representative will handle the process from beginning to end. In addition, the repairs will be guaranteed by both Progressive and the body shop that does the repairs. Without this level of claims service, drivers generally report spending four days doing everything themselves – arranging for alternate transportation, getting repair estimates, finding a shop, checking in on the repairs, etc.
“No other company takes care of independent agents’ customers needs after an accident like Drive does,” said John Barbagallo, Drive Insurance from Progressive group president. “I’d like agents to think of our Service Centers as a competitive advantage – something they can offer their customers that no one else can, that sets them apart from the competition and helps them grow.”
Barbagallo said Service Centers score high on internal customer satisfaction surveys, “We know that satisfied customers are more likely to stay with Drive and many will refer their friends and family to their agents and Drive. That’s why we’re so pleased to be able to make Service Centers available to even more Drive agents and customers countrywide.”
How the Service Center Works
• The customer calls Progressive to report the claim any time of the day or night and then schedules an appointment to bring the vehicle to the specially designed Service Center.
• In about 15 minutes, the customer can be on his or her way in a rental car with assurance that Progressive will keep him or her informed of the status of the claim throughout the repair process.
• A Progressive claims representative prepares a repair estimate and contacts an auto body shop based on its track record of providing superior service, high quality repairs and its ability to begin and complete work promptly. Both Progressive and the shop reach agreement on the cost of the repairs; the shop then transports the vehicle from the Service Center to its facility and the repair work begins.
• When the work is finished, the vehicle is returned to the Service Center where representatives from both Progressive and the body shop inspect the quality of repairs.
• Once satisfied with the repair quality, Progressive calls the customer and asks him or her to return to the Service Center where, together with the claims representative, the customer inspects the repairs.
• The customer then leaves with a written guarantee on the repairs that both Progressive and the body shop stand behind as long as the customer owns or leases the vehicle.
While Service Centers are available for repairable cars, Total Loss Concierge, the concierge level of claims service for cars that can’t be repaired, helps people whose cars are declared total losses find replacement cars. Cars are declared total losses after accidents when the damaged cars would cost more to fix than they’re worth. Progressive expects that by year-end, Total Loss Concierge will be available in 28 states and the District of Columbia.
Drive Group of Progressive Insurance Companies products are marketed to consumers under the Drive Insurance from Progressive brand through more than 30,000 independent insurance agencies in the U.S.
Source: Drive Group of Progressive Insurance Companies