From the team that brought you Capital S.M.A.R.T comes CARe, the new kid on the block that’s looking to revolutionise the industry once again.
“Yes, it’s about the car but it’s really about the customer,” says Norman Moss, co-founder of CARe describing how the name came about for this new collision repair group that already has one site up and running in Clayton, Victoria with another to open next month in Thomastown.
Moss and operations director Trifon Vais who we chatted with, along with many of the CARe team, were part of the Capital S.M.A.R.T journey - a venture which it isn’t an exaggeration to say was revolutionary in the collision repair industry. So, when they say they wanted to do something different this time, you know they mean it.
“We’ve had experience of the express repair side of things and there are now outfits which do that well. What we wondered was could we be more efficient at the front end and come up with a customer-centric and Just-In-Time approach which benefitted everyone in the supply chain,” Moss said.
When they say front end they mean to be involved virtually from the moment the accident happens and fully utilising all that digital technology has to offer. By teaming up with Repair Partner Solutions (RPS) they have created a fully digital process to interact with the customer as soon as the insurer accepts liability for the claim, right through to customer feedback.
The customer receives an introduction to CARe, which describes itself as drivable-centric, from the insurer. They are generally booked in within the next 48 hours and it’s that 48-hour window where the CARe team feel their system gives everyone in the repair chain an advantage in terms of smoothness of transaction and a seamless process.
The team has created a digital triage capability that is predicated on an engagement with the customer who is guided to provide images and video of the accident damage. “They share that with us prior to arrival so that we know what we are dealing with. Yes there will be occasions with some hidden damage but at the moment we are seeing over 90% take up by customers on damage capture at the booking stage and subsequently we are able to triage the severity of work accordingly,” Moss says.
It also means that the parts are ordered with time to spare - the parts suppliers then have a minimum of 48 hours to source and deliver the parts which, according to Vais, they love. “If you can give them time it’s amazing what they can deliver. Previously when the car drove in it was the first time you saw it and the process started there - that’s too late. Now when the customer arrives the car will almost always go straight into the workshop and into production with the parts ready and waiting.”
Moss emphasises that the business is embryonic. It was certainly a quick birth with a six week build from getting the keys to the Clayton site with the help from a number of key partners including Lowbake. The first car rolled through the door on 17 February.
“The quality of the images coming through is incredible,” says Moss. “For the most part it allows us to identify severity of damage before the customer comes in and allows us to prioritise the vehicle accordingly.”
The team is working with Auto & General and so far they’ve been happy with what CARe has provided and has agreed to the second site.
Moss said: “If you asked me what the difference is between now and when Jimmy Vais and I started out in 2010 is the availability (or lack of) property and people.”
Capital S.M.A.R.T was famous for providing free lunches to employees - which was an industry first. CARe provides a free lunch on a Monday but also has a modern approach to work/life balance. “We offer flexible working hours; we’re offering a rostered day off for the management team and we’re looking at some innovative ways around internships. We’re trying to be different - this isn’t about being the cheapest or fastest, it’s about being competitive while being able to offer something more,” Moss said.
“From an overhead structure perspective, we’re incredibly light - we are mostly outsourced, most of our support functions are virtual.”
Vais points out that with the digital triage system the workshop is an incredibly organised environment which technicians enjoy working in. “It’s all about culture,” he said. “It’s about people coming to work happy and wanting to work. And our digital triage teams can work from anywhere.” And, on Fridays the Production Team can finish at 1pm.
“It is amazing knowing exactly what you will be dealing with the next day - the system essentially allows you to look into the future and I think we’ve barely touched upon what can be achieved.”
The Clayton site is around 3,000m2 with a simple layout. Moss says the sweet spot is around 80-90 cars per week. “But the beauty of this system is that it is scalable and of course it all depends on demand.
“What we have managed to achieve in partnership with RPS is a paradigm shift, I think we’ve changed the game. People are starting to see that it is making life easier for every stakeholder in the process.
“If you look at our current customer feedback and again, I acknowledge it’s early days, but it’s in excess of 90%.”
The outfit is privately funded so far: “We have aspirations to grow beyond Victoria,” says Moss. “But at the moment we have to get to grips with what we have created and achieve scalability”.
“At the end of the day it’s about having the courage to try something new. We did it back in 2010 with S.M.A.R.T and now we are changing the game again.”