New technology from Nationwide has allowed car owners to track their auto claims while the vehicle is being repaired, and the company believes the service may lessen the number of times the customer needs to visit the shop. According to the insurer, more than 22,000 automobile owners are monitoring their damaged vehicle repairs online through Nationwide AutoWatch, an Internet-based software tool offered by the carrier.
"Vehicle owners feel very strongly about their cars, and they want to know what's happening while their cars are in the shop," says Terry Fortner, Nationwide associate vice president of claims. "This Web-based service allows policyholders to log on at their leisure and monitor their vehicle at different points during the repair process."
A recent survey conducted for Nationwide by Taylor Nelson Sofres, a market research and information group, found more than 50 percent of respondents would be likely to visit a Web site to check on their vehicles' repair progress. Additionally, 72 percent of respondents said if visual updates of the repairs were available online, the shop would be more accountable.
"Actual customer experience backs up the research," Fortner says. "Customers who use the AutoWatch service are more likely to say they are better informed about the repair process and were more likely to have their repaired vehicle returned on time."
Nationwide's customer experience data shows customers who used AutoWatch during the past six months had a 12 percent higher rate of satisfaction in the way they were kept informed about their vehicle's progress in the repair shop than those who didn't use AutoWatch. Users also had a 23 percent higher rate of satisfaction when it came to the timely delivery of their repairs than those who didn't use AutoWatch.
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