Google and CCC Partner to Speed Online Car Repair Appointments

Google and insurance industry cloud platform CCC teamed up to streamline online car repair appointments.

The partnership is open to repair shops that use CCC’s Engage tool and adds a “Book Online” button to Google Business profiles, search results and maps to help participating auto mechanics stand out, according to a Thursday (Sept. 28) press release.

“Today’s customers expect convenience and simplicity when booking appointments online, and Google often plays a key role in facilitating that journey,” Mark Fincher, vice president of product management and automotive services at CCC Intelligent Solutions, said in the release. “Through our collaboration, we’re helping to raise the profile of our CCC Engage shops among consumers searching for collision repair services. Our focus is on providing a practical solution that allows repair facilities to enhance their consumer experience, making appointment scheduling easier for both the consumer and the repair facility.”

The new “Book Online” button is now live on the Google Business Profiles of repair shops that subscribe to CCC Engage, a company tool designed to drive digital traffic to repair shops, according to the release. The button directs consumers to schedule appointments using Carwise, CCC’s platform that helps drivers find collision repair shops.

Kelli Svymbersky, CCC vice president of sales and business development for payments at CCC, discussed with PYMNTS in May the need to overhaul the auto claims payment process.

“There are inefficiencies and manual processes, and the processes are not yet fully connected,” Svymbersky said. “There’s a tremendous opportunity to bring digital intelligence across the entire auto claims experience.”

To illustrate the pain points facing the industry, she noted that — across the insurance space — there are more than 1 billion days of lag time between when an auto claim is first generated and when it closes. On average, that means each claim takes 50 or more days to be handled.

“It’s important to remember that behind every claim, every repair, there’s a customer left without their vehicle,” Svymbersky told PYMNTS. “Speed is important. Policyholders may have access to a rental, but not indefinitely.”

CCC has digitized the claims process, she added, allowing one party to endorse payments to other parties in a secure and streamlined fashion.

“We’re taking cues from other industries, like the legal industry, where you don’t have to be there ‘in person’ to sign documents,” she said.