Roy Briggs, IAG’s head of property and supply chain, talks about the recent RFP in Victoria.
Our new smash repair network in Victoria will be in operation at the end of February and with it brings a new era of service and customer experience for RACV members. If the feedback from our policyholders in NSW is anything to go by, our new offering will be well received. The many messages of thanks and compliments from our customers have been pleasing and encouraging.
Of course, not everyone is happy – we couldn’t offer meaningful, long-term business partnerships to every repairer in NSW and as a result good repairers were unsuccessful in the RFP process. This is one of the main reasons why we made a conscious decision to retain choice of repairer for our policyholders.
We haven’t enforced a two-quote system on repairers and we don’t own our smash repair shops and don’t intend to. Those were all options but we decided the best outcome for the industry was to support a sustainable smash repair industry of small to medium sized, independent businesses.
Fair process
While some repairers are naturally disappointed they are not in our network, I have not had one conversation where anyone has substantiated the process was unfair. In fact, I’ve had many emails and calls from repairers saying they have decided to change the way they do business and want to be considered for our network in the future.
In Victoria, like NSW, every repairer who submitted a proposal through the RFP received a site visit at their shop from our evaluation team to view first-hand the capabilities of their business, including equipment, customer waiting areas, parking and the general standard of their premises.
The reason for this approach was simple: the process was not about hand-selecting our favourite repairers and building a team of mates. The RFP was driven by wanting to provide a better service and repair outcomes for our policyholders. To improve and grow your business you must strive to be the best at what you do.
Like NRMA insurance customers in NSW, RACV members will soon experience the difference. The partner repairer model will improve the member experience around maintaining mobility at the time of a claim, being kept informed about progress of their repair and being without their cars for the shortest time possible. It will be a “one call solution” for our members.
This is being delivered through the development of new, simplified processes and systems which provide an end-to-end repair service built on quality, service, convenience and transport options during the repair, as well as to and from the repair shop. The repairs will be performed to the highest standard which is underpinned by our ‘Quality Framework’, the only smash repair quality program of its kind in the country.
It all adds up to great RACV member outcomes, and stronger, more meaningful and collaborative relationships between us and our partner repairers.
