Digital photos, video can improve customer service, repair processes

Jan. 1, 2020
Insurers, database providers and even customers are increasingly asking collision repair shops to provide photos and video before, during and after repairs take place. Shops should take care to make sure those digital images are high quality, and tha

Insurers, database providers and even customers are increasingly asking collision repair shops to provide photos and video before, during and after repairs take place. Shops should take care to make sure those digital images are high quality, and that they show all of the damage to the vehicle.

In their Sunday session at NACE, "Photo and Video Technology," Keith Manich and Chad Seelye of Sterling Autobody Centers, provided tips on how to facilitate the type of digital imaging programs being introduced by database providers and insurance companies.

Both CCC Information Services and Mitchell International, for example, are introducing services that allow customers to view images of vehicles as they go through the repair process. A company called AutoWatch also provides a service in which shops can provide images of a vehicle's progress online.

"Essentially, the day the vehicle goes under repair, you have a snapshot of the vehicle when it comes into production, and then during the production process each day you're supposed to take an image of the vehicle so that the customer can go through the Internet and basically watch their vehicle being repaired."

Insurance companies have also asked repairers to take pictures or video of vehicles to verify supplements, or to provide evidence of additional damage.

But how do you take a clear enough digital photo so that either customers or insurers can see the extent of the damage to the vehicle?

"A lot of it has to do with lighting and your position when you take the photograph," Manich says. During the session, Manich and Seelye provided "perspective sheets" that include lines or "Xs" that help reflect into the vehicle and highlight the damage.

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Lighting is also important. Flashes can cause a glare, particularly on a light colored vehicle, so Manich and Seelye demonstrated how to make a plastic attachment for a flashlight or flood lamp that can diffuse the light and make it less harsh.

In most cases, a digital picture should be a JPEG file. "You don’t' want to get too fancy with the camera, because if the image is too large you won't be able to upload it," Manich says. "You can use an inexpensive camera, but if you take the pictures properly you get really crisp images out it."

In other scenarios, video is a better option than a still image. "In a lot of situations, a picture isn't as good as your words combined with an image, so mpeg videos are a big help," Manich says. Manich and Seelye guided repairers through how to speak into the camera so that the image of the damage appears on screen during the correct part of the commentary.

"Those videos are more for insurance companies, in case there is a question about the damage assessment or estimate," Manich says.

Even if your shop isn't participating in a program through one of the database providers, it is still a good idea to have images on file to show customers exactly how you repaired their vehicle. "That way you have some visual materials in case they ever question what you did," Manich says.

About the Author

Brian Albright

Brian Albright is a freelance journalist based in Columbus, Ohio, who has been writing about manufacturing, technology and automotive issues since 1997. As an editor with Frontline Solutions magazine, he covered the supply chain automation industry for nearly eight years, and he has been a regular contributor to both Automotive Body Repair News and Aftermarket Business World.

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