Report links loyalty and satisfaction in collision repair

Mitchell International has released a report examining owner/policy-holder’s experience with direct repair programs and the impact on satisfaction and loyalty.

According to researchers, in the collision repair industry customer satisfaction and customer loyalty are more closely linked than in other markets.

Because of the nature of automotive collisions, the most important transaction a repair shop has is when the customer brings in a vehicle for repair.

“This single encounter around a repair can determine whether or not a customer will be loyal-willing to give repeat business and references to a repair shop, and it can significantly impact loyalty to carriers, though the repair transaction is only one component of the policy-holder’s relationship with their insurer,” a Mitchell statement said.

Customer satisfaction was measured through survey questions relating to details about the experience with a specific transaction or process, Jason Bertellotti, general manager, special business unit at Mitchell, explains in the report.

Key factors included keeping customers informed, on-time delivery, shop service and shop quality.

Measuring loyalty, he continues, is more complex because it is based on the entire relationship, not a single transaction.

Scaled responses to questions like, “How likely is it that you would refer this company to a family or friend?” were used for this factor.

The report is available online at www.mitchell.com.