DAMAGE iD Blog

How to sell CDW to hesitant customers

How to Sell CDW to Jack (the Risk Taker)
– Emphasize the “Standard Procedure”
– Jack may be thinking that if he damages the vehicle, he’ll get away before anyone notices. Jack is a BlackJack type of guy after all!
Jack is thinking that chances are in his favor can rush out before anyone notices, either by creating “cover” or feigning urgency. For this type of personality, you’ll want to let Jack know that a complete & thorough review is built into the process. Emphasize that reviewing the previous photos is an important and built-in step of the rental process, and cannot be skipped. Let Jack know he won’t be able to leave before the vehicle is completely checked over, and hold some collateral (such as a credit card number or license) to let him know he can’t run off.
If you are using DAMAGE iD, you can review the previous photos before taking new ones – right on the app. If the customer seems like they are in a big rush, visually inspect the vehicle, and use the photo review to compare with old photos. With DAMAGE iD, agents can always take photos after the customer leaves.
– Show Empathy Jack may be a risk-taker, but he has a big heart. Let them know that vehicle damage is expensive – especially for smaller rental agencies or those with lower rates. Tell a story about an difficult situation where a customer got away without paying for damage, and emphasize how that hurts employees and customers in the long-run (due to higher rental charges).
A story from VERC car rentals is Boston is a great example. A few years ago, a customer switched rims and tires on a rental car to hide damage that had occurred. They had replaced the rims and tires with a much less expensive version. Fortunately, VERC was using DAMAGE iD and had photographic proof of the fraudulent activity.
How to Sell CDW to Paula (the Conservative)
– Use Repetition Paula likes to play it safe. Emphasize the peace of mind Let Paula know that the best way to prevent unexpected expenses is to purchase CDW. But also let her know that the vehicle condition is carefully documented at time of checkout, and return. She won’t be charged for damage which isn’t hers, but any new damage will be charged to the customer unless CDW is purchased.
– Show You are Concerned about the Details Point out minor nicks with your finger. Spend a little time on each spot. Show you are concerned about the vehicle condition at every level.

With patience, they may BOTH be happy with purchasing the CDW!!!

To Buy or Not to Buy? … Collision Damage Waiver

CDW insurance is great for your bottom line and for their peace of mind, but it can be a difficult sell.

Envision this scenario:

Jack and Paula were attending the annual International Car Rental Show in Vegas during the Spring of 2018 when they needed to rent a car…

They chose U-Save because Jack wanted to save $$$ for the Casinos. However, since Paula isn’t the gambling, risk-taking type, she DEFINITELY want to avoid the worries of potential damage while renting the car, and purchase the Collision Damage Waiver offered by the rental agent. Jack, on the other hand, IS a risk-taker, and he did NOT want to pay more $$$ for the daily rental by ADDING on the CDW cost.

They had a problem…to buy or NOT to buy the Collision Damage Waiver. Paula reminded Jack that the Insurance following them on their CC does NOT include the $2,000.00 deductible. Also, she noticed that the Agent was using a digital system, DAMAGE iD, when doing the customary “Walk-around” to inspect the car for previous damage and create a condition report.

What would YOU choose? To buy or NOT to buy the CDW??

New Innovations Continue

DAMAGE iD Continues to Innovate in 2019!

Welcome 2019!

The DAMAGE iD development team has made new Upgrades and Innovations for the World’s Leading Vehicle Damage identification Solution.

Charlie Dalsass, software engineer for DAMAGE iD continues to make the changes required to follow the product road-map.

The long-term road-map for the product includes:

The ability to accommodate a wider variety of of vehicles and fleets. Whether it be for a Fleet Transportation System, a Motor Home or Camper rental, Rental Car Company, Amazon delivery Service, or any business or Municipality with a Shared Fleet.
The ability to manage the entire experience on the device or tablet. No need for the “backend” (desktop) system. For example, the latest Android Upgrade, version 2.2 will incorporate VIN Barcode Scanning to quickly and accurately identify the vehicle. Once the vehicle has been scanned, you can ADD the vehicle with a single click. There is no longer any need to visit the “back end” to add cars to your fleet!

Vehicle Transporters, for example, require the ability to scan and add a new vehicle because they do not typically have a fixed vehicle inventory. This opens up DAMAGE iD to a much wider category of customers.

Other recent Upgrades include the ability for the Agent to “Flag” or Mark Damage as pre-existing in order to alleviate Customer confusion as to when the Damage actually occurred. This strategy greatly improves customer satisfaction.

Another Customer Satisfaction improvement is viewing the Outgoing Images upon the Return of the Rental. Pictures don’t lie. And date and time-stamped images allow for NO questions when it comes to the condition of the vehicle at the time of the Rental Agreement.

This feature is now available on BOTH IOS and Android (versions 2.0+). DAMAGE iD is here to be THE Award-winning, Global Solution to solve your needs of identifying and documenting the previous and New Damage on your Vehicle. We are so excited about what the DAMAGE iD A-Team comes up with next!!

DAMAGE iD Continues to Innovate for 2019!!

Welcome 2019!

The DAMAGE iD development team has made new Upgrades and Innovations for the World’s Leading Vehicle Damage identification Solution.

Charlie Dalsass, software engineer for DAMAGE iD continues to make the changes required to follow the product road-map.

The long-term road-map for the product includes:

The ability to accommodate a wider variety of of vehicles and fleets. Whether it be for a Fleet Transportation System, a Motor Home or Camper rental, Rental Car Company, Amazon delivery Service, or any business or Municipality with a Shared Fleet.
The ability to manage the entire experience on the device or tablet. No need for the “backend” (desktop) system. For example, the latest Android Upgrade, version 2.2 will incorporate VIN Barcode Scanning to quickly and accurately identify the vehicle. Once the vehicle has been scanned, you can ADD the vehicle with a single click. There is no longer any need to visit the “back end” to add cars to your fleet!

How Auto Transporters can Protect Against False Damage Claims

DAMAGE iD, the software system which accurately documents the pre and post condition of your auto or other vehicle, is now ready for the Transporter. How is that? DAMAGE iD now has the ability to upload the vehicle’s vin number into the system for immediate retrieval and storage.

Any “Smart” device will do, Apple or Android.

Step One: Go to Google Playstore or Apple store and download DAMAGE iD.

Step Two: Contact DAMAGE iD to obtain a Username and Password

Step Three: Open the App, type in Last 6 digits of the Vin or the License plate, and START TAKING PICTURES!!

It’s THAT EASY.

Once arrived at the drop-off destination, “return” photos may be taken with the date and time-stamped directly on the image to prove the post-condition of the vehicle.

DAMAGE iD knows this simple and accurate system will alleviate any disputes with the car dealership or dispatcher in transportation. It has been proven to work every time. Insurance Companies appreciate these irrefutable images as well.

Give DAMAGE iD a look.

DAMAGE iD brings Integrity to the Car Rental/Sharing Space

DAMAGEid is a mobile App, both Android and IOS compatible that was created through Extension Engine, an innovation lab connected to Harvard and M.I.T. Universities. It was launched April 2014 at the International Car Rental Show in LasVegas receiving a lot of “buzz”.

Founder and visionary, Jack Vercollone, owner of independent car rental company, Verc Car Rental with 6 locations on the SouthShore of Massachusetts, Marshfield, Plymouth, Quincy, Middleboro, Rockland and Weymouth, experience the problem of losing money from uncollected damage on his rental fleet.

Revenue was lost in gas charges, CDW sales and small damage claims. Jack brought this problem to Extension Engine and together, they created DAMAGE ID a cloud-based technology solution to replace the inaccurate, subjective, paper and pencil walk-around inspection.

DAMAGE ID provides a condition reporting system for the car rental/sharing industry that is excellent in its simplicity. The property owner downloads DAMAGE ID in his/her device whether Apple or Android, signs in with their own username and password, and is offered 7 visual prompts, including a silhouette for easy following, to begin the documentation process. As well as these 7 prompts, DAMAGE ID offers as many as 5 additional photos of whatever the user needs.

DAMAGE ID targets the independent Car Rental Market, but could easily be integrated with other systems due to its API. Currently, the owners of DAMAGE ID have been in discussion with Avis/Budget, Advantage-Ezee Car and Dollar/Thrifty. DAMAGE ID could also be attached to the car sharing space with companies such as Zip Car ( owned by Avis) or Turo or any other car sharing platform.

In addition to car rental companies, DAMAGE ID could be used for ANY rental products such as boats, bicycles, skiis, motor homes, trucks. Individual users could benefit from DAMAGE ID, as well. Once the individual renter downloads DAMAGE ID he/she could photo their borrowed/shared property with the date and time stamped on the image. The high-definition image would be stored in the cloud for easy retrieval. When the rented or shared product was returned, the renter would take another series of images and upload them to the cloud for side by side comparison of the before and after transaction. No arguments on the condition of the car, motor home, boat, jet ski,etc.

DAMAGE ID brings integrity to the car rental/sharing space. Both the consumer and the owner are validated with these date and time-stamped images with no ability to “photo-shop” them. DAMAGE ID is the third party out-source to offer clear, undeniable documentation of one’s assets. “Cover your Ass”, Owner, Paula Vercollone likes to say. Using accurate, date and time-stamped, high-definition images, customer disputes disappear. “A picture’s worth a thousand words”.

Call owner Paula Vercollone today to set up a FREE one month trial of DAMAGE ID and join the DAMAGE ID family of happy, satisfied and over-joyed customers world-wide who currently enjoy this new technology which replaces their paper and pencil walk-arounds, saves a tree, doesn’t melt in the rain and can be retrieved anywhere.

DAMAGE iD Partners with iQtransit, Inc.

DAMAGE iD is excited to partner with Charlie Dalsass from IQtransit, Inc. of Lowell, MA.

Charlie brings a fresh perspective, energy, innovations and experience to DAMAGE ID.

Charlie has worked for 20 years in the technology space. Charlie has diverse experience, as Lead Developer at Banta Integrated media (now RR Donnelly), co-founder and CTO of a web development firm, Neptune Web, Inc.,

He developed T-on-Time, a well-known regional mobile app for the MBTA.

He also founded iQtransit, Inc., which provides IT solutions for transportation and logistics companies.

Jack Vercollone, the founder and visionary for DAMAGE iD envisions a renewal for our software that is long overdue. Jack formerly worked in the Car rental industry. He is now devoting his full energies to DAMAGE iD and will be working closely with Charlie.

Paula Vercollone has been keeping the “ship afloat” for the past several years, and is invigorated to be working with Charlie and to share experience anD knowledge.

DAMAGE iD’s software replaces the “paper and pencil walk-around” in the Car Rental Industry. DAMAGE iD takes photos of the vehicle before the rental agreement is complete, dates and time-stamps the image, and sends it off to the Cloud to be easily retrieved. NO photo-shopping allowed – DAMAGE iD makes the process of finding images simple because they are sorted by case. The software brings integrity to the car rental industry protecting BOTH the customer and the rental customer from incorrect accusations.

DAMAGE iD will soon release an updated version of the software to make theprocess of finding damage even more efficient!

DAMAGE iD Now has Existing Damage, Outgoing Images on Return

DAMAGE iD continues to develop Upgrades for IOS and Android

Welcome 2019 as DAMAGE iD continues to Pump Out recent Upgrades and innovations for the World’s Leading Damage identification Solution.

Charlie Dalsass, the DAMAGE iD software engineer continues to produce user-friendly means to document the condition of one’s vehicles.

Whether it be for a Fleet Transportation System, a Motor Home or Camper rental, Rental Car Company, Amazon delivery Service, or any business or Municipality with a Shared Fleet, DAMAGE iD is here to be THE Award-winning, Global Solution to solve your needs of identifying and documenting the previous and New Damage on your Vehicle.

The latest Android Upgrade will incorporate the Barcode Scanning system to quickly and accurately identify the vehicle and ADD this unit onto the Cases of the Fleet List.
Most recent Upgrades have allowed the Agent to “Flag” or Mark Damage as pre-existing in order to alleviate Customer confusion as to when the Damage actually occurred. This strategy greatly improves customer satisfaction.

Another Customer Satisfaction improvement is viewing the Outgoing Images upon the Return of the Rental. Pictures don’t lie, and date and time-stamped images allow for NO questions when it comes to the condition of the vehicle at the time of the Rental Agreement. This feature is now available on BOTH IOS and Android.

Charlie continues to develop and Upgrade DAMAGE iD. We look forward to what he does next!!

How Car Rental Owners can Reduce Losses on Auto Damage

Car Rental agency owners know how difficult it can be to collect for damages incurred by customers. The car may be in a certain condition before the car was driven off the lot, but often comes back with damages that were never there before. Many times it can be tough to prove that such nicks, scratches and dents weren’t there before, especially when relying on old-fashioned and ineffective walk-arounds.

Car rental agencies often don’t make as much money on collision coverage as desired. Typically, customers are only asked once during the initial contract signing if they would like to purchase collision coverage, and often the answer is “no”.

Profits can be significantly boosted using an innovative new vehicle damage tracking software for Your Android or Apple device from DAMAGE iD. This software effectively eliminates traditional pencil and paper condition reports. More coverage can be successfully sold, and damage and fuel reimbursement can be increased.

Car rental agents can use a digital device – such as a smartphone or tablet, and follow the steps to take photos of vehicles and gas levels during checkout. Clients have a chance to review the images and are prompted a second time to accept Collision Damage Waiver. DAMAGE iD gives agents another opportunity to sell their collision insurance, and effectively boost profits.

When the vehicle is returned at the end of the rental term, agents have an opportunity to take new photos and flag for any damage incurred. Management reviews any flagged cases that are brought forth and gas levels are compared. At this point, management has a solid case to bring forth to the customers so they are able to show the damage and gas levels, rather than have to fight to prove their case. And customers will also appreciate the fact that they won’t be held accountable for any damage that they were not responsible for.

DAMAGE iD can be highly beneficial for both car rental agencies and customers alike.

Who’s Responsible?

Jerry Smith thought he had done everything he could to avoid a astronomical damage claim on his rental BMW.

He took pictures of his vehicle before he picked it up and after he returned it. He noted every pre-existing scratch and dent in the paperwork.

But he thought wrong.

An car rental representative at Logan International Airport informed him that “his pictures were pointless” when he brought the BMW back and that his vehicle, which had a small scratch on the rear passenger door, was going to be processed by the company’s claims division.

Days later, Jerry started to receive a series of claim letters demanding a payment of over $1450. When Jerry questioned the amount, based on the amount of damage HE DOCUMENTED, he was told that the entire door had to be replaced. And there was ‘loss of use’ associated with that. He asked for proof of the repair, but was denied and told that was ‘company property’.”

Jerry’s story is NOT unique. With DAMAGEiD – the car rental company AND the customer are BOTH equally protected. DamageiD requires Car Rental companies take pictures of all vehicles checking out and returning and document any damage, mileage and fuel, All images are time and date stamped- thereby eliminating the scenario above and causing animosity between company and renter. Download DAMAGE iD today and start realizing there is life after pen and paper.

Password Auto-Fill makes DAMAGE iD Faster to Use than Ever

It is now faster to use DAMAGE iD.

We’ve added the ability to pre-fill your username and passwords, because we know how frustrating it is to perform a walk-around while trying to type those tricky passwords.

Password Auto-Fill was introduced in DAMAGE iD Android version 2.0 and iPhone version 1.0.8 in late summer 2018.

Here’s how it works for each of the different app platforms.

Android

Android is dead simple. Just enter your password the first time, and from that point on, it will be remembered for you.

The password is stored in an encrypted form, but please note that someone else using your phone could login as you and compromise your identity.

In order to remove the password, just uninstall and reinstall the app.

IPhone

IPhone uses the Apple Keychain technology to secure your passwords.

If you are using ICloud Keychain or Safari Autofill to store your passwords already, the easiest way
to use this feature is to log into the “backend” site at https://app.damageid.com with Safari and choose “Remember my Password”.

Next, login to the app. After tapping on the “Username” field, the QuickType Bar will appear at the top of the slide up keypad. Look for a little key icon (see below).

After clicking the key icon, the password which was saved on the website will appear.

If you aren’t using ICloud Keychain or Safari Autofill, you can still use Auto-Fill on DAMAGE iD by entering it manually the first time.

To enter it manually, go to your IPhone Settings and choose:
Accounts and Passwords -> App & WebSite Passwords and choose “Add Password”. Add “app.damageid.com” for the website, and your standard username and password.

From that point on, you should see the key icon and the QuickType Bar
when logging into the app.

DAMAGE iD is as simple as 1,2,3.

Step One: Go to Google Playstore or Apple store and download DAMAGE iD.

Step Two: Contact DAMAGE iD to obtain a Username and Password

Step Three: Open the App, type in Last 6 digits of the Vin or the License plate, and START TAKING PICTURES!!

It’s THAT EASY.

Once arrived at the drop-off destination, “return” photos may be taken with the date and time-stamped directly on the image to prove the post-condition of the vehicle.

How Car Rental Owners can Reduce Losses on Auto Damage

Profits can be significantly boosted using an innovative new vehicle damage tracking software for Your Android or Apple device from DamageiD. This software effectively elminates traditional pencil and paper condition reports. More coverage can be successfully sold, and damage and fuel reimbursement can be increased.

Car rental agents can use a digital device – such as a smartphone or tablet, and follow the steps to take photos of vehicles and gas levels during checkout. Clients have a chance to review the images and are prompted a second time to accept Collision Damage Waiver. DamageiD gives agents another opportunity to sell their collision insurance, and effectively boost profits.

DamageiD can be highly beneficial for both car rental agencies and customers alike.

DAMAGE iD a Perfect Fit for Fleet Sharing Inspection Reporting

Most recently, Amazon and other large companies who share delivery trucks contacted DAMAGE iD to find a solution to document the condition of the Fleet before it gets dispatched for the day. Then, upon return, the photo documentation is repeated. This process protects the driver who will not be held responsible for previous damage. It also holds the driver accountable for any new damage which occurs during his shift.
Amazon and other delivery companies like UPS and FedEx lose a lot of money on “mystery damage” in their fleet. DAMAGE iD can help solve this dilemma and keep the costs of repairing damage to a minimum by charging the insurance companies for the incurred damage.

DAMAGE iD also has an API which can help transportation and delivery services who currently utilize a software, to integrate and add this DAMAGE documentation feature seamlessly.

Next time your Company is considering how to design an inspection report, think of DAMAGE iD.

DAMAGE iD Now Using KeyStore and Saved Passwords

In a few short weeks, DAMAGE ID has launched 2 new releases, thanks to our developer/engineer, Charlie Dalsass. Here’s what he has to say, “The newest release automatically stores the username and password on the users’ device which saves the agent TIME, and ultimately $$$$, during the walk-around process. This release will really save time for users.” – Charlie Dalsass, DamageID Software Engineer.

Be on the LOOKOUT for our BIGGEST UPDATE which will further simplify and provide quick access to the documentation process. While DAMAGE ID was originally launched at the International Car Rental Show in April, 2014, by Jack Vercollone and his crew, it has been put on the “back burner”, so to speak, while Mr. Vercollone was operating his independent Verc Car Rentals and setting up a Sixt Franchise. Currently, the franchise failed and Jack has retired from Verc, allowing him time to be FULLY invested in DAMAGE ID.

With the partnership of Charlie Dalsass, we look forward to a vibrant re-launch into the Car Rental Market.

DAMAGE iD Received Fabulous Feedback at ICRS Vegas

Current customers and fresh interest visited our DAMAGE iD booth during the International Car Rental Show in Vegas March 27-29. Perhaps this high interest was due to the panel on which DAMAGE ID was featured regarding “Damage assessment techniques”. Along with Ian K. from Empire Rent a Car in Brooklyn, Paula Vercollone, Verc Car Rental in SouthShore of Mass., presented the financial benefits of using common technology to report the condition of the rental both before and after the transaction with a side by side comparison, date and time-stamped.

Car Rental customers are learning the customer service benefit of protecting the customer from unwarranted charges for previous damage. It’s a win/win situation. Customers and rental agents feel confident when reporting the amount of gas in the vehicle on the return. If a customer “forgets”, the photos don’t lie.

How to sell CDW to hesitant customers

Get on the mailing list!

To Buy or Not to Buy? … Collision Damage Waiver

CDW insurance is great for your bottom line and for their peace of mind, but it can be a difficult sell.

Envision this scenario:

Get on the mailing list!

DAMAGE iD Continues to Innovate for 2019!!

Get on the mailing list!

How Auto Transporters can Protect Against False Damage Claims

Get on the mailing list!

DAMAGE iD Partners with iQtransit, Inc.

Get on the mailing list!

DAMAGE iD Now has Existing Damage, Outgoing Images on Return

Get on the mailing list!

How Car Rental Owners can Reduce Losses on Auto Damage

Get on the mailing list!

Who’s Responsible?

Get on the mailing list!

DAMAGE iD is as simple as 1,2,3.

How Car Rental Owners can Reduce Losses on Auto Damage

Get on the mailing list!

DAMAGE iD a Perfect Fit for Fleet Sharing Inspection Reporting

Get on the mailing list!

DAMAGE iD Now Using KeyStore and Saved Passwords

Get on the mailing list!

DAMAGE iD Received Fabulous Feedback at ICRS Vegas

Get on the mailing list!