The number of mobile devices sold in North America over this past year has skyrocketed, leading to an increased use of smart phone technology--so much so that people in the collision repair industry have started to take notice.
Last December, Summit Software Solutions released "Help I Crashed My Car!," a free smart-phone app that provides motorists with the tools they need if they're ever in a car accident. The app includes one-click automated emergency communication with up to three family or friends, insurance companies, agents, and the consumer's preferred bodyshop; its patent-pending GPS location technology also provides bodyshops with a direct First Notice of Loss from the scene of the accident as well as a map and directions that allow bodyshops to locate the consumer and the accident almost immediately. "Help I Crashed My Car!" also includes the ability to take photos, as well as write and send accident reports onsite. Now available in Canada, the app also allows for status updates as the consumer's vehicle is being repaired.
"Our customer is the bodyshop, and it was built to help bodyshops retain their customers and to offer them a new, cool, and powerful customer service," says Frank Terlep, president of Summit Software Solutions. "We give the bodyshop a license to give out an unlimited number of free apps to their clients."
Mitchell International's RepairCenter has a module specifically designed for both the Apple iPhone and Blackberry, allowing collision repairers the ability to check the status of their repair jobs with only a few simple clicks. The app, specifically designed for the collision repair industry, also allows technicians to take photos, record voice notes, and assign tasks.