Toronto, Ontario — May 3, 2019 –Following the announcement that Ford will begin using mobile technology to refer drivers to bodyshops as soon as an accident is detected, Collision Repair issued a survey to gauge the community’s reaction. With a record-setting number of responses, the results show that eight-in-10 collision repairers across Canada expect to benefit from automatic referrals being sent by OEMs to drivers’ phones following collisions.
Below are some of the written responses we received. Please note, these viewpoints represent those of the creators and not of Collision Repair magazine, nor its employees. They are published here anonomously so we as a publishing company can convey information without putting at risk the business reputations of those with what could be considered polarizing viewpoints.
“I can’t WAIT!” one respondent wrote, in a post that summed of the tune of the majority of responses.
“It is about time,” said another. “This industry needs a major overhaul.”
“With all the technology on vehicles now, it is imperative that vehicles are fixed as per OEM standards, certified facilities are the best option,” the respondent wrote.
“OEM’s are interested in putting the vehicle back into pre-accident condition. Shops need to deliver that product to their customers and insurers need to accept the cost of doing business and that includes following the OEM guidelines set out in their position statements,” wrote another.
“Just because a dealership has a bodyshop doesn’t mean it’s a good one,” said one manager.
“If Ford chooses the bodyshop, then Ford should be paying the repair bill,” wrote another.
“This is a problem. In our community, multiple dealerships are owned by one group and have the financial means to equip to meet OEM requirements. Looks good from the outside, the problem is they don’t have the people capable of proper repairs. They have the courses, sure, but they regularly produce substandard repairs. Our industry should be worried.”
