Dragon2000 is urging garages and workshops to provide transparency via video alongside Vehicle Health Checks (VHCs), to build customer trust following the recent MOT changes.
According to the updated MOT inspection manual, published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in May, three new categories have been introduced to grade car defects. Based on the urgency of the fault which requires rectification, the categories are minor, major and dangerous, which escalate in severity.
A detailed and transparent video of these defects and the level of their severity can help reassure customers and build trust. Failed MOT items can be clearly shown on a video, such as daytime, front fogs and reverse lights, together with brake discs, showing if they are ‘significantly’ or ‘obviously worn’.
Garages and workshops who offer their customers regular free VHCs including images and video of items can also help identify worn parts that need attention on an ongoing basis, which not only produces more revenue potential, but also means the cost to the customer of maintaining their vehicle is spread over time, so that they are less likely to be surprised with a large repair bill if preventable maintenance items fail the more stringent MOT test.
VHCs are widely performed by technicians and have proven their worth, providing workshops with the opportunity to upsell aftersales work and boost customer satisfaction and trust. VHCs are usually offered as a free service by many workshops when customers book their vehicle in for a service, MOT or repair. They typically feature a visual check of wheels, tyres, brakes, underside of car and under the bonnet, fluids, lights and electrics and produces a checklist type report showing a traffic light key of red, amber and green for each item’s condition, which is given to the customer.
Mark Kelland, Commercial Manager at Dragon2000 comments: “Our VHC app allows technicians to accurately record the condition of a vehicle using images with descriptions for each item and also record a video, to easily inform the customer of MOT repairs and maintenance items that need attention, but more importantly potentially serious defects. Being able to refer back to a report within the DragonDMS with stored images and video is essential, should there be any future query on the vehicle.
“The VHC report and video link can be emailed direct to the customer, highlighting the work to help the customer decide whether to have it carried out. From a customer’s point of view, seeing the actual technician who has been working on their car and getting first-hand information demonstrates transparency, which helps create trust and increases repeat business.
“Our VHC tool works on a traffic light system of red, amber and green and workshops can create their own checklist templates, so they can have different types of VHC and tailor them as required. As it fully integrates with DragonDMS, should the customer decide not to go ahead with certain VHC items during this visit, they can be marked as Advisories within the system. A follow up date can be set which generates CRM reminders – it streamlines the whole communication process between the technician, the customer and the workshop advisor and helps capture the additional work in future.”
The VHC tool allows workshops to create and perform their own vehicle health checks and seamlessly integrates into the DragonDMS. The technician inspecting the vehicle can attach images and record video, which can be sent directly to the customer, to help them decide on having the work carried our deferred to a later date. The APPraise app is free to DragonDMS users.
For further information, please call 01327 222 333 or visit www.dragon2000.co.uk
