One of the easiest ways to make a significant impact on your collision center’s success is to join an insurance company’s direct repair shop list. A direct repair program is a network of insurer approved auto repair and collision repair shops. Insurers usually put these programs in place to give their customers good collision repair at a competitive price. An insurance company must vet a repair shop to add them to their direct repair list. We are one of the top auto body suppliers in the United States and we will go over how to join a direct repair program as a collision repair shop.

Make a list of insurance companies you have worked with.

If you have done collision repair at your facility before, make a list of all the insurance companies you have had positive experiences with. They will be the best companies to ask to get on their direct repair list. After you have made your list of insurance companies, reach out to them individually. If you are on their list of direct repair shops, the insurance companies will save money by not having to send adjusters to your facility every day.

Find out the needs if the insurance companies.

Once you develop a relationship with the insurance companies, you should have a discussion with the insurance adjusters want in a direct repair shop. Each insurance company may have different needs so try to find an insurance that you can easily satisfy their wants and needs. An easy way to decide this is to create another list. Add bullet points for each insurance company and check off the needs that your collision repair can facilitate.

Create an application for the insurance company

Your business should create a document that explains why you’re qualified to be a direct repair shop. Include any certifications, equipment lists, or photographs that tell your shop’s story. You should also include the list of the wants and needs of the insurance company. With that list you can explain how your auto body repair shop can facilitate those needs.

Make sure your collision repair shop is ready for inspection.

After you’ve completed your direct repair shop application, you’ll want to make sure your shop is prepared for inspection. When the insurance company arrives, show them around your facility and demonstrate the areas that would be a of value to insurance company and their policy holders. It also always helps to make sure your facility is cleaned and organized. To further impress the insurance company, you should have a log ready of how many times the adjusters have come to your shop. This log can tell the company how much time and money they could save by adding you to their direct repair shop list.