Drivers, Repairers, and Insurers Agree – Vehicle Repair needs a shakeup. Here’s How to Fix It

The vehicle repair industry is filled with challenges. Parts are more expensive than ever. The cost of opening and running a bodyshop is well into the six figures, and already-expensive vehicle insurance is set to get even pricier. At the same time, trust is low, among all the players – drivers, repair shops and insurers. A recent poll by Consumer Affairs indicates that a whopping 78% of US drivers have doubts about whether or not they really need the repairs they are told they need. Half have little or no trust that their insurers will honestly assess and pay for repairs. And the trust level between repair shops and insurers is none too high, either – with both sides often disagreeing on repairs, parts, and standards.

It’s no wonder that more drivers than ever – some 40% – are going without repairs if they can get away with it. 

But modern technology can help set things right. One especially valuable tool is automated inspections, like those offered by Ravin’s platform, using computer vision, AI and machine learning to understand damage and recommend repairs. Using mobile phones and associated apps, customers can even carry out these inspections themselves on their vehicles, using their phones’ cameras to scan the cars. The app can inform insurers, car repair shops and customers of the extent and details of the damage and estimated costs of repairs. This easy and transparent process makes things more efficient for all parties and helps build trust, including between  mechanic and customer. And when customers trust their shop, they’re likely to return – and recommend its services to others.

Building Trust in the Repair Shop Industry

With over 100,000 car body repair shops in the US – and stiff competition between them there is good reason for garages to cultivate good customer relations and enhance trust, if only to ensure that they can remain in business. And with social media feedback – both positive and negative – reaching more people than ever, repair shops have a strong interest in that cultivation and enhancement. 

AI inspection apps can help garages build trust with drivers – and enhance customer service, ensuring that they will provide positive feedback and recommendations. After scanning their cars with an app like Ravin’s, customers can then quickly see, thanks to the background work of  machine learning, what needs to be repaired, why, and how much it is supposed to cost. Armed with that data, drivers can confidently bring their vehicles to repair shops – who themselves can use Ravin to ensure that their estimates are within the correct range. 

Making Repairs and Insurance Claims Faster and Easier for Everyone

Drivers know what to expect when they bring their vehicles in for repair – and garages prove that they are providing accurate repair information and prices, based on their expertise, confirmed by advanced AI. Such apps can also help the insurance claim process. When drivers know what to expect – with an honest, objective AI-based analysis – they can decide if it’s worth filing a claim, taking into account the deductible and the likely rise in their insurance rates as a result. 

For insurers, who must evaluate damage and its costs, the automated inspection process can save time, money and other resources, and is often more accurate than manual, visual inspections by human adjusters. In addition, the AI-based analysis can help insurers differentiate between claims for a specific current incident and fraudulent attempts to include past damage. This allows insurers to more easily detect and protect themselves from fraud.  

As these inspection apps become more widespread, everybody wins. Drivers are empowered with information on how much they can expect to pay – and perhaps shop around or negotiate with the garage. Repair shops get a boost in reputation, building good – and lasting – relationships with customers, who will sing their praises to others. And insurance companies get data on repairs, ensuring that they, too, will pay fair prices for repairs– and avoid paying for repairs that are not due to the current claim. 

AI is changing the world, but AI for vehicle body repair could foster one of the biggest changes of all – a change in the long-held distrust between drivers, garages, and insurance companies. That would indeed be a major feat – and the Ravin system can help make it happen.

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