National Windscreens launches online glass damage reporting system

National Windscreens has launched a new online system for reporting the exact glass damage on a vehicle.

It uses the vehicle registration mark (VRM) to display a detailed image of the vehicle, including all pieces of glass applicable to that model. One touch or click allows the user to view the vehicle from above or the sides, and they can then select any piece or pieces of glass that are damaged.

The company says it provides a “highly intuitive and greatly enhanced” customer experience compared to other systems. It also identifies the damaged glass position with greatly improved accuracy.

David Pugh, IT director at National Windscreens, said: “As an example, some vehicles may only have one piece of glass in the rear side panel of the vehicle. However, many have two or three pieces, so it can soon get complicated trying to identify if it is the back rear quarterlight, middle rear quarterlight, or front rear quarterlight that is damaged.

"And then we must discover if it is nearside or offside, of left or right looking from the front of the vehicle. Without a simple, easy to use selector, it is easy to see how the information collected might not be accurate in each case.

“It has been a significant investment to produce what we believe is a unique database of vehicle diagrams combined with a myriad of glass patterns.

"We will now continue to invest in adding new models as they get introduced to the UK, ensuing our customers have the best possible experience and we are able to deliver right first time.”

This new development follows the recent introduction of another digital innovation by National Windscreens, a drag and drop damage selector that dramatically cuts the amount of time required for a driver to indicate the size and position of damage on a windscreen.

The next enhancement is an artificial intelligence system, due for launch by the end of 2021, that will analyse photographs of damaged glass uploaded by customers and give an immediate decision if repair is possible.