The estimator will need to gather as much information about the accident as possible before actually inspecting the vehicle. One of the best resources to learn about the accident is the vehicle owner or the person driving the car when the accident occurred. It’s a good idea to get the customer involved and to have them explain what happened, what direction the vehicles were moving, and who was in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
This will give you an idea of what to look for during the first overall inspection. Some questions you may want to ask are shown below:
• How many people were in the vehicle at the time of the accident?
• Where were the passengers sitting?
• What were the road conditions (dry, wet, ice, etc.)
• Was the car moving or not moving at the time of the accident?
• What direction was the vehicle traveling at the time of the accident?
• Do you have any other information you can share with me?
Accidents Are Not Common For The Customer
Keep in mind that an accident is not common for the customer. This may be the first accident they were involved in, and they may be confused due to stress or not remember some of the facts about the accident. Or they may try to persuade you that the accident was not their fault. Regardless of what they say, be certain to use common sense when verifying what the customer tells you compared with the damage to the vehicle.
If you can sense that the customer is confused, upset, nervous, or angry, then try to help them stay calm and assure them that it is your job to help them through the process. A vehicle represents the second-largest investment for many people, and dealing with an accident is a situation no one wants to be in. So try to make the process as painless as possible for the customer.
Claim and Accident Report
Accidents usually involve an insurance claim and may have a claims report. This report may help while gathering information about the accident, but this information will need to be reviewed and verified for accuracy.
You may also ask if there was an accident report. This may help answer questions as well. If an accident report is available, it will also need to be reviewed and verified for accuracy.
Initial Walk Around Inspection
Once you have collected the information about the accident, perform the initial walk around inspection, which will give you the big picture of the overall accident.
It may be helpful to have the customer there when doing the walk around inspection if any questions should arise. However, if there is extensive damage, it may take some time and require removing parts to do a thorough inspection. If this is the case, you may want to explain the process to the customer so they can plan accordingly. Or you can assist them with getting a rental, getting them to their home or work, or whatever the case may be.
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