Nationwide and Groupama aim to speed up repair process

Nationwide and Groupama are working in partnership to develop numerous initiatives to help speed up the entire repair process, ultimately improving the overall customer experience.

Having acknowledged the historical differences in a traditional relationship between insurer and automotive bodyshop, and that a decline in claims and shrinking market can put this relationship under additional strain, Nationwide and Groupama have resolved to work together to create a more productive and collaborative working relationship.

Traditionally the insurer-repairer relationships tended to involve the insurer telling the repairer what to do, however Groupama and Nationwide work together to share best practice and strategy from their respective areas of expertise.

Both teams have benefited from their greater understanding of the other company’s systems, processes and priorities.

The primary focus of the new approach is on speeding up the repair time by reducing key-to-key time (the time Nationwide take possession of the keys to the vehicle, to the time the keys and car are returned to the vehicle’s owner).

Nationwide and Groupama have created a reward mechanism designed to provide a commercial incentive on improved performance in key-to-key time and the incentive is triggered at two levels.

Since the incentive started in January 2012, 58% of Nationwide’s network of repair centres have achieved a key-to-key time inside 10 days, one third of which are inside six days.

Managing director of Nationwide Network Services Steve Thompson said: “The impact this programme has made in such a short time is both encouraging and satisfying, after such a frank investigation with Groupama into the problems faced and the changes both companies would need to make.

“The importance to Nationwide now is to learn from the process and further develop our open and honest relationship with Groupama. Nationwide Repair Centres have always tried to repair cars as quickly and efficiently as possible, but with any process where there is more than one influencing party, delays can occur that are beyond our control.

“By actively working with another party to minimise those occasions we have consistently delivered strong results.”