As a society we've become spoiled by the variety of options available to us when enjoying the entertainment and media we love. We’re constantly being pulled in every direction to stream this or download that, plug this in or cut this cord. However, when you step back to examine two key industries that have pivoted the most in the last decade – music and television – you can see that most major choices come in “threes.” Simply put, customer tastes will differ greatly but one thing is certain – we all prefer options.
In the music sector, many of us can still remember a time when the only real source for streaming music was the radio. We’d pop in a blank cassette tape and patiently wait for our favorite song to play so we could capture a near-complete recording and make our own “mix tape.” Now, we can tap our fingers and simply add a song to a playlist without a second thought. Today, we have many choices when it comes to consuming music. Some audiophiles still prefer tangible media such as vinyl records and compact discs, while others prefer purchasing in a digital format and downloading tunes to their computer or mobile device. Most popular seems to be some variation of a streaming platform with no ownership or possession of the music ever taking place. There are three major options – physical media, a download or a stream.
How about television? Sure, we’ve all become used to coaxial cable and it was the standard method of delivering TV for decades. But there’s also two other increasingly popular methods that give us our news and entertainment fix. One is the old school over the air antenna.
This resurgence can likely be tied to rising traditional cable prices and no increase in perceived value by the customer. This has led many to take a minimalist approach and “cut the cord,” which takes me to the third option – streaming television. What was once viewed as a fringe means of watching TV has now become a growing segment for those who want more control over their content paired with mobility and convenience. Again, three options – traditional cable, antenna and on- demand streaming.
So, you’re probably asking yourself... how does this relate to AutoClaims Direct? Surely there couldn’t be more dissimilar industries than entertainment and insurance. It’s actually quite simple – customer preference varies and providing options to meet the customer where they’re most comfortable is paramount. When it comes to an auto claim, there’s traditionally been one main method for obtaining a vehicle appraisal and that’s the in-person inspection. Arguably, it’s still the most important and detailed method of inspection with a trained pair of eyes catching small minutiae that can fall through the cracks in digital-only solutions. However, as we’ve seen this year with the COVID-19 crisis, options are absolutely necessary.
ACD was the first to offer what we call, the Touchless Triage™ which gives every client – you guessed it – three methods of inspection. The Touchless Triage™ includes a traditional in-person appraisal through our independent national network, photo estimating using Self(ie)™ which allows one to capture and send claim photos without having to download an app, and Collision Select™, a desk written estimate from photos provided by the customer’s shop of choice.
Our innovation niche brings people and a seamless process together for an exceptional customer experience. Getting carriers to put the right claims into the right hands for the right outcome, that’s the power of three. And in our book, that’s a win.
This advertorial was first published in the Sep/Oct 2020 issue of Claims Magazine: http://www.claimsmagdigital.com/claims/sep_oct_2020/?pg=14&pm=2&u1=friend