April 16, 2020—In response to the ongoing COVID-19 virus pandemic, Service King has made it a priority to have the right protocols and steps in place to ensure the well-being and health of its teammates and customers, company officials said. Such protocols include practices outlined by the CDC, proper hygiene and maintaining social distancing, with additional measures specific to the company.
Service King locations are now utilizing touchless thermometers to test the temperature of shop staff and are monitoring teammates daily for signs of the virus, in accordance with guidelines of the CDC, Service King executives said.
In order to also stay financially stable, the MSO has taken steps to temporarily consolidate its footprint. Service King has 305 locations currently open to serve its customers and carrier partners.
“We’ve taken into consideration drive times and market penetration as we temporarily consolidate our footprint.” said Jeff McFadden, president of Service King. “We are proud to continue serving customers in every Service King market with 305 of our locations open.”
And, the company has implemented furloughs to its workforce that started April 10 and will continue until May 30. Service King continues to provide benefits to those teammates during this time and will reassess the furloughs on May 30 and extend them if needed.
David Cush, Service King CEO, is foregoing his entire salary during this period, as well. Senior management is taking pay reductions.
Service King teammates continue to serve customers and the company has implemented pay minimums for technicians and premium bonuses for customer-facing teammates.
The shops' customers can now utilize a self-service photo estimate feature that allows the organization’s Centralized Estimating Team to review vehicle damage photos submitted via text message by the customer, returning the estimate electronically. Today, this feature is available to customers at first notice of loss through Service King’s Customer Care Center. The feature will officially be offered on Service King’s website the week of April 20.
In an effort to protect customers and teammates, customers now have the ability to experience touchless curbside service. When scheduling an appointment, Service King’s Customer Care Center provides directions that, upon arrival, customers are prompted via location signage to turn hazard lights on, call the location phone number posted and remain in vehicle until a Service King representative arrives curbside for service. This allows the customer to pull up to a facility without getting out of their car, and customers can also sign documents digitally to authorize the start of vehicle repair.
In select markets, Service King is offering a free towing service for customers that may not want to drop off their vehicle at a repair center or do not feel comfortable coming out or leaving home. The company will send a tow truck to pick the car up and transport it to a production center at no cost to the customer.
“Our goal remains to protect the long-term health of the company and we’ll continue to make decisions that accomplish that objective for the benefit of our teammates, customers and communities we serve,” McFadden says.
