Direct Repair Program Limitations Spur Insurers to Seek Alternatives, Scene Genesis's Cunningham Writes in Claims Advisor

PITTSFORD, NY--(Marketwire - February 4, 2009) - Auto insurers need alternatives to direct repair programs because of their limitations and the threat of anti-DRP laws, and a Web-based repair service is an intriguing alternative, Ian Cunningham, CEO of Scene Genesis, writes in the current issue of Claims Advisor magazine.

"Faced with growing governmental pressure, consumer pushback, and mixed press, insurers are reexamining DRP programs," he writes.

While DRPs can offer cost and service advantages, they're not the best solution for every insurer in every region, he writes.

"Shops need enough volume from the insurer to make it worth their while to comply with DRP rules," Cunningham writes. "If only a few jobs every month are being sent, there is little incentive to 'play by your rules.'"

With a Web-based service, when an insured has a claim, the claims representative can inform the customer about the option to choose a repair shop online.

At the secure portal, customers can find additional information about the shops, ranging from rental-car policies to accreditations. They can also read reviews of individual shops from previous users and allows for an apple-to-apples comparison.

The collective effort provides insurers with leverage.

"Because many different insurers use the system overall, the system itself will have clout with the participating shops. This way, if there is a claim in an area where volume is low, there is a direct benefit from the collective power of everyone's claims," Cunningham writes.

"As consumer expectations for technology utilization increase, meeting and surpassing those expectations becomes a strong differentiator -- as well as a competitive advantage -- in the marketplace," he concludes.

The full article can be read at http://www.claimsadvisor.com/Articles/?i=71.

Scene Genesis offers SceneExchange, a unique Web portal that lets insureds choose an autobody shop for convenient, high-quality repair of their damaged vehicle.

Based in Pittsford, near Rochester, N.Y., Scene Genesis has served the insurance and auto-collision-repair industries since 1998. For more information, visit www.scenegenesis.com and www.sceneexchange.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Beth Bailey Scene Genesis 585-387-9883 bbailey@scenegenesis.com Henry Stimpson Stimpson Communications 508-647-0705 Henry@StimpsonCommunications.com