How Autohopper digitally reshaped its car damage repair handling with Fixico
Autohopper is the largest car rental company in the Netherlands in terms of locations and has a mission to make mobility easy and accessible. With more than 120 locations across the country, no postcode is more than 20 kilometres away from a rental car. Its no-nonsense rentals set clear conditions, offer competitive rates and leverage local entrepreneurs’ expertise to run their branches. With no small print and hidden fees, prices are straightforward, and customers can rent a vehicle knowing exactly what they have signed up for.
The company offers a wide variety of vehicles from passenger cars to vans, giving customers the freedom to choose the most suitable vehicle for their needs. However, such a diverse fleet comes with its challenges, one of them being damage repair. For instance, vans require entirely different expertise, equipment, and certifications to repair than passenger cars. This complicates the damage allocation process, as not every repair shop is qualified to handle any given repair. As a result, repairs are more expensive and vehicles are off the road for longer, losing out on potentially productive rental time for Autohopper.
Before the partnership with Fixico, every damage repair had to be arranged manually, leading to a time-consuming process for employees. Additionally, Autohopper was limited in the criteria they could use to determine the best repair solution. This process also offered no real-time insights into the repair process, making it difficult for Autohopper’s fleet managers to monitor repairs and intervene when something needed their attention.
Autohopper x Fixico
Autohopper partnered with Fixico to digitalise their car damage handling process and leverage Fixico’s intelligent matchmaking to simplify damage intake, optimise damage allocation and gain control over the repair process.
Intelligent repair allocation
For each damage, Fixico’s advanced systems identify clear repair requirements that the vehicle at hand has. Then, these requirements are matched to the capabilities of individual body repair shops in the network. By taking into account leading criteria like the duration of the repair, distance to the body repair shop, earliest availability, rating and costs, Autohopper can now easily select the most suitable repairer for each vehicle and damage.
Customisable repair network
Since Autohopper’s fleet of diverse vehicles requires specific qualifications and relevant knowledge from repairers, it is crucial to have a vast network of body repair shops that can fit the criteria. By implementing Fixico’s solution, Autohopper gained access to a large network of certified body repair shops across the Netherlands. In addition to leveraging Fixico’s repair network, Autohopper was also able to integrate its existing network. This way, the company was able to grow its network and now has a wider range of body repair shops that are ready to take on the repair as soon as possible, ensuring that the vehicle is back on the road in no time.
Centralised repair management
Using Fixico’s dashboard, Autohopper’s fleet managers gain a complete overview of all damage at the various locations. They can handle every repair individually by approving reports, comparing quotes, allocating repairs and monitoring their status in real-time. Because information is centralised, fleet managers can easily keep track of relevant KPIs at every step of the repair and have total control over the process.
The results
“With Fixico’s intelligent matchmaking solution, we’ve reduced our repair costs and cut down cycle times considerably. We now have full control throughout the repair process, and are able to select a repairer that meets our criteria for every damage.”
Roel Steunenberg, Sales and Operations Director, Autohopper
With Fixico, Autohopper was able to reduce repair costs and cut down cycle times, all while safeguarding the repair quality of their fleet.
Lowering repair costs
By considering repair requirements of the specific car or van, and keeping in mind the leading criteria required for the repair, Autohopper was able to ensure that each repair is carried out by the most suitable repairer for the optimal price. Since integrating Fixico’s solution, Autohopper has reduced direct repair costs by 31%.
Reducing cycle times
By growing the network, digitalising the allocation process, and taking into account repairers’ availability and the total repair duration, Autohopper was able to reduce its repair cycle times by 43%. As a result, cars are back on the road and ready to be rented out at the earliest possible moment.
Safeguarding quality
Fixico’s digital solution helps safeguard Autohopper’s quality standards by ensuring that repairs are only allocated to repair shops that are capable of handling the given damage. Autohopper’s managers now have an overview of the repair process, total control over it, and are constantly updated on the status of the repair. They are able to make adjustments and intervene when needed to ensure consistent repair quality.
Get started today
Fixico offers possibilities for companies of any shape and size and can adapt to the needs and requirements of your business. Request a free demo and unlock the potential of digital repair management.