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Wayne is back … with a Brand New Feature – Contactless Customer Inspection

Imagine, if EVERY Car Rental Customer took his OWN digital inspection….Would we eliminate Customer Complaints Forever? How much time could we save? Employees don’t have to take photos and video.

DAMAGE iD has recently implemented a new feature that eliminates the uncertainty while accomplishing the rare win/win of better cost controls for the rental company and better customer service on the customer side. 

DAMAGE iD’s new feature called, “Contactless Customer Inspection” or CCI, allows the rental company to send a weblink to the customer.  This weblink allows the customer to do their own check out and check in via the web browser on their internet connected tablet or cell phone.  

DAMAGE iD allows the rental company to customize the number of photos/videos the customer must take to successfully check out and check in their vehicle.  Upon successful check out/check in by the customer, the time stamped photos/videos are uploaded to the rental company’s account.

“Contactless Customer Inspection” (CCI) is fun and super easy to use. See screenshots below.

This “Contactless Customer Inspection” does not require the customer to download the app on their phone and it has the potential to end almost all disputes over vehicle check in condition.  

To start, choose Customer → Send Inspection Request.

The customer will receive a link which will guide them through the inspection. Once they click the link the inspection will open in their mobile browser.

Meet Wayne! Wayne will walk the customer through the inspection process in a fun and friendly way.

“Contactless Customer Inspection” is available for all customers – now -without additional charge.

For more information contact DAMAGE iD at Damageid.com/free-trial.  DAMAGE iD free trial.

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Hot Summer Release for Apple Devices! Circle-Damages-In-App

We hope you are keeping cool We’ve just released version 3.8 on the Apple App Store!

This new version will help you specify the location of damage more accurately.

Tap to add new damage. Click “Existing Damages” to see already-added damage.

This version includes the ability to circle damage directly within the app.

After taking photos, a new screen will appear which allows you to review photos and add new damage.

You can add comments and identify the type of damage.

You can also click “Show Existing” to show previously added damage! (This helps you tell what damage is old vs new).

Once you upload and sync to the cloud, you can edit on the Review Portal.

Circled damages will also appear on exported PDFs (Share/Export features).

Damage will appear in the web-based Review Portal. It will be flagged with a red flag. Here it can also be further edited.

Apple and iPad (IOS) Users – Are you Running the Latest DAMAGE iD Version? Be sure to update to the latest version to get 3.8.

If you have any problems with the release let the A-Team Support Staff know. We’re excited to get your feedback!!

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DSPs, Do you have Bad Drivers? Try the “Driver Name” Feature

Having problems with bad drivers?

DSPs have often requested that DAMAGE iD create a “Driver Field” so the inspector can be a different person from the person who drove the vehicle.

The DAMAGE iD software team has listened!

Yesterday we launched “Driver’s Field” for those who prefer to have dispatch managers complete the inspections!

This feature works great for trucking fleets, leases and transportation providers.

To Try it. Go into Review Portal ⇾ Settings ⇾ App/Photo Settings. Check the box, “Allow Company Admin to select a driver during inspection”. See below.

Review Portal ⇾ Settings ⇾ App/Photo Settings
Within Review Portal ⇾ Settings ⇾ App/Photo Settings, check the box, “Allow Company Admin to select a driver during inspection”.

Now start the DAMAGE iD app*. You will see the new “Driver Name” field.

*Android app only. Apple/IOS will be coming soon!

Choose a new driver name (just type it in) or search and select an existing driver. Any names you enter will be remembered the next time.

In the Review Portal ⇾ Case List you can see the driver name. You can also search by the driver name.

In “Additional Filters” you will find a search-by-driver-name.

The username is replaced with the “Driver” name column in the Case List.

We hope this great new feature helps with your driver accountability.

Here are a few articles on how to improve bad drivers and habits.

Best of luck with the new Driver Name feature!

DAMAGE iD keeps a photographic record of your vehicle condition, so you know when new damages occur, and have the PROOF required to CHARGE.

Get started TODAY by Downloading DAMAGE iD!! www.damageid.com/free trial

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Increase Revenue by Charging with our FREE Damage Cost Calculator!

Many U.S. and International Companies are using a Template such as this:

Car Rental Companies are increasing their revenue by requiring Customers to be held responsible for the post-condition of the vehicle.

By referring to the Outgoing Photos Pre-Rental, the Agent can detect NEW DAMAGE and CHARGE accordingly.

Download your FREE copy in any format below:

MINOR DAMAGE PRICING AGREEMENT.pdf
MINOR DAMAGE PRICING AGREEMENT.docx
MINOR DAMAGE PRICING CALCULATOR.xlsx

But you can’t CHARGE for damage if you can not FIND and PROVE damage.

DAMAGE iD keeps a photographic record of your vehicle condition, so you know when new damages occur, and have the PROOF required to CHARGE.

Get started TODAY by Downloading DAMAGE iD!! www.damageid.com/free trial

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DAMAGE iD (Rocking) the 2022 International Car Rental Show in VEGAS (Day 2)

Main entrance to International Car Rental Show (ICRS) 2022
Exhibit Hall and DAMAGEiD booth at ICRS 2022 in Hotel Paris, Las Vegas
Kudos to DAMAGEiD team
Time-lapse of DAMAGEiD team interaction with customers
Have to take a break and relax under sun and over pool!!
Proud team of DAMAGEiD
The Chandelier : Crystal-ensconced bar at the Cosmopolitan offers distinctive bars spanning 3 floors & a modern vibe.
Fun time !!!
Fun and memorable business dinner at STK Steakhouse, The Cosmopolitan, Vegas
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DAMAGE iD at the 2022 International Car Rental Show in VEGAS (Day 1)

DAMAGE iD team is headed to the 2022 international car show in Las Vegas! Will be staying at the Paris hotel right on the strip.

We’re off! At Logan, Boston, we took Spirit Airlines. They are bare-bones but I really like them. Great price. I actually appreciate that they aren’t constantly trying to sell you “extras”. The fleet are small Airbus 319s.
Preparing for the demo at the trade show. Chandrahas making some last-minute changes to our new “contactless customer inspection”.
Arrived in Las Vegas!
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DAMAGE iD Completes Integration with Cars+/Thermeon

March 1, 2022
DAMAGE iD has just completed its first customer integration with CarsPlus/Thermeon software. Avasa, a Hertz licensee from Mexico, is the first customer to enable the integration.

DAMAGE iD announces a new customer integration with Cars+/Thermeon and Avasa/Hertz.


The DAMAGE iD software captures events about key events within the rental process. Vehicles are automatically created within the system, and associated with a Rental Agreement number (RA).


When the customer performs a damage inspection, the car is already associated with the RA number, so the employee has only to enter this number instead of license plate, unit number or vin. This approach is more reliable when identifying the vehicle for the inspection, since plates change, vin can be difficult to scan, unit numbers change etc.
Within the DAMAGE iD Review Portal, customers can search via RA number or vehicle number.


The integration also includes a feature to email the customer automatically upon inspection checkout and return. The customer will receive a PDF copy of the inspection via email.

DAMAGE iD is excited about this integration and the opportunities it will provide to the Thermeon/Cars+ Users.

See you in Vegas!!!

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DAMAGE iD Thanks all Canadian Truckers!

Thank you for standing up for our God-given, human rights. The right to life, association, free-speech … the right to informed consent, the right to truthful medical information and the right to bodily autonomy.

These rights are unalienable.

They never change. No-one on earth – no person or government – can take our rights from us.

DAMAGE iD thanks you for having the courage to risk it all for our rights.

You are true superheros!

Now on to victory!

“Superhero” by Anna (age 12)

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With New Templates, DAMAGE iD Can Help Sell your Vehicle!

Over the years, we’ve heard many customers say “since we take so many photos and videos with DAMAGE iD, could we use those photos when it’s time to sell vehicles in our fleet?”

So… today we launched “Photo/Video Templates”!!

“Photo templates” gives you nearly unlimited ways to capture photos of anything. No longer are you constrained to the “standard photos” in DAMAGE iD.

To start, go to the Review Portal. Then Settings ⇾ Photo/Templates.

To start, go to the Review Portal. Then Settings ⇾ Photo/Templates.

Fill out the labels you want for your template. You can choose up to 47 labels!

Remember, both video and photos can be used for each position you choose.

Save the template.

Now go to the DAMAGE iD app. Log out (Click “Gear” or Settings icon to logout). Then log back in. Your new photo template will appear beneath the license plate field.

Your new template will appear beneath the license plate field.

Click “Take Photos”. Viola!

Your new photo template appears.

This adds a lot of flexibility to how you can use DAMAGE iD! For example, you can take pictures that conform to a vehicle sales software or website. Or you could inspect some portion of fleet entirely different from our “legacy” photo set such as tires… or the appearance of your front office (keep it clean and tidy please)!

Photo Templates are available on DAMAGE iD version 4.2 r67 (and above).

Let us know how you are using Photo Templates!

Let’s have a wonderful 2022 together. Happy New Years!

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New Customized Options for PDF for Sharing, Share Log

When users share the PDF via “Export Photos” or “Share Case”, a PDF is generated (see sample) and downloaded or sent via email to your customer.

As of today, you can now also customize the email contents and logo the customer sees.

Use “Export Photos” or “Share Case” from the “Case” page of the Review Portal to download or generate an email for the customer or driver.

To add your custom settings to your email and PDF, go to Review Portal, then to Settings > Sharing.

The new settings page appears as below.

The information you enter here defines the email which will be sent to customers when you share the Case with them.

We’ve also added a new Report called the “Share Log” which shows who you’ve shared Cases with.

No more disputes about the condition of the vehicle or about which email was used sent. The log shows the entire history!

For accountability of vehicle condition – for rentals, DSPs, and all fleets, things are just getting better and better with DAMAGE iD!!

Please email the A-Team with any questions or improvement ideas!

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Thank Angel ? from Mexico for our Latest Feature – “Share Photos from App”!

While in Vegas at the ICRS (August 15-17), we met hundreds of Car Rental Companies from diverse countries around the world. It was an exhilarating experience. (Be sure to see our blog post from Day 1, Day 2, Day 3).

We heard so many of our existing and (soon to be) customers needs and wants.

Angel from Mexico requested to Share the photos from the App to the Customer. (Currently customers are downloading the PDF in the Review Portal, then emailing the customer – but we can do much better than that!!)

Thank you. You are truly an Angel!

So… we just launched the “Share Photos from App”. This update is for both IOS and Android. Look for Android 4.0r61 and IOS (Apple) version 3.7 in the app store, then upgrade to the latest version.

It works like this:

After you complete the case, click the new, “Share Case” button. 

This will bring you to the mobile optimized share page on the Review Portal site.

Enter the email address of the recipient of the PDF report and click “Send”.

(ps. you don’t have to wait for all photos to upload to use Share, but the email won’t go out until all photos and videos are uploaded).

 

Note that the customer will receive both emails when case is created and after case closed (vehicle is returned)*.
*Emails will be sent once all photos are uploaded.

In the Review Portal, you will also find the “Share Case” button.

You can see how the email notification looks in the photo below.

A sample PDF file can be found here.

We hope you enjoy using our new “Share Photos from App” feature!

As always, contact the A-TEAM with any questions or suggestions. We love hearing from all you “Angels” out there!

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DAMAGE iD stands AGAINST COVID Passports and Mandates

At DAMAGE iD, we believe passports and mandates are just plain wrong.

Mandates are discriminatory, divisive and mean.

Here’s why:

  1. What “Science says” is not settled. No-one can say that “science” gives us one single, approach, which can be forced on others. By now, it is obvious everyone (the CDC, the WHO, the US Government, citizens etc) has been learning as we go through this pandemic. Many mistakes and missteps have been made through these 2 years.
  2. Mandates should not be one-size-fits-all. Not everyone’s body is the same. Mandates don’t take into account previous, natural immunity, medical conditions, philosophic or religious objections.
  3. There is rarely guidance on who is liable when there are side-effects to the vaccine.
  4. Mandates divide our society into factions and discriminate against those with legitimate reasons to avoid vaccines.
  5. The idea that un-vaccinated people are somehow a harm to vaccinated people is absurd. If the vaccine works as advertised and you’ve had the shot, then you will be fine. Otherwise, at least admit that it doesn’t work. But don’t blame others for that. A vaccinated person is just as likely to spread it as an un-vaccinated person and they pose no harm to anyone (other than possibly themselves).
  6. There are no studies on long-term effects of the vaccines. It is still a massive experiment.
  7. The government and Big-Tech are actively suppressing legitimate medical information. That is wrong. They are sensoring the most modest voices – even those who suggest to do your research and not to get bullied into taking the vaccine. The censorship is just plain, creepy. When they act like this, how can we trust anything they say?

We aren’t asking for “likes”. But it’s time to stand up against these bullies and join against them. Join a protest, contact your newspaper … resist. Do whatever you can to make your voice heard.

Signed,

Charlie Dalsass, partner and CTO.

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Improved Checkout Speed, Auto-Login in Version 4.0r60.

This week, we’ve made some small, but IMPORTANT updates.

First, we realized that with all our new customers, the “Checkout” process has gotten a bit slow. (If you ever see something that should be faster, be sure to let the A-Team know. We love to optimize DAMAGE iD!).

(The “Checkout” is the part where you enter your unit number, license plate or scan the VIN number.)

The “Checkout” is when you enter the unit number, license plate or VIN number.

We’ve optimized that. Now Checkouts have gone from 6-8 seconds down to 1 second!

You should be able to notice this when using the app. It should feel much snappier.

(This change affects both Android and IOS/Apple apps).

The second change we made this week, affects Android. (Look for version 4.0r60 in the play store).

This change reduces the number of login screens you will get. When you start up the app it will automatically log you in, until you log out.

This should make the app just a little more pleasant to use.

In future releases, we will be announcing some major software integrations. We want to be compatible with as many software products as possible. Once we have these integrations complete, we will let you know more.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Major 4.0 Release – Now you can Circle Damage Directly on the App!

In our most recent Android release, 4.0, you can now add damage directly to the app!

Upgrade your Android version, to be sure you have the latest version of the app.

The new version adds a brief, additional step between each photo or movie that you take. If there is no new damage, click “Next”.

If you see damage, click “CIRCLE DAMAGE” or Double tap on damage location. A red circle will appear. Use your finger to move the red circle to where the damage appears.

If you are unsure if damage is new, click “Show Existing Damages” to show previous damages. They will appear in YELLOW. This allows you to tell the difference between old and new damage!

Here’s a short video (less than 1 minute).

Choose “damage type” and add comments directly to the damage.

Once photos are uploaded to the Review Portal, you will see the same damage flagged in the Case List.

Once photos are uploaded to the Review Portal, you will see the same damage flagged there in the case list.

Once inside the case, the red flag will identify the position where damage was found.

In addition, the circles, comments and damage type will be found in the Case.

The damage circle can be further edited, moved, deleted etc within the Review Portal.

The damage found either in app or in Review Portal is available in the Damage Report, giving you visibility across your entire fleet!

Download your entire list of damages to Excel within the Damage Report.

The new feature is available in Android 4.0. (This feature is not yet available for IOS/iPhone/iPad).

We hope this great new feature helps you keep your fleet damage-free.

We are thrilled to be launching version 4.0 – a great milestone for our product – and our customers!


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DAMAGE iD Automatic Damage Detection Demo

This demonstration was first presented at the 2021 International Car Rental Show in Las Vegas, August 16-17, 2021.

This demonstration shows the capabilities now available with the recent DAMAGE iD, ProofTec Partner(ship) on AI Damage Detection. These capabilities include automatic or AI-based damage detection.

Demo Format

ProofTec integration with DAMAGE iD.

We started the demo wiping the car with a cloth, removing any “damage” or “scratches”.

Next, we asked the audience to mark the damage on the model using a special chalk marker that gave the appearance of a scratch.

Audience member draws a scratch on the model vehicle.

Next, we performed a “walk-around” on the vehicle using the DAMAGE iD mobile application (Android version was used for the demo, but IOS/Apple is supported as well), taking pictures of each position.

To make it easy to take different shots of each position, we used an motorized, rotating “lazy susan” .

We did not manually mark the damage, but instead allowed the auto-detection (artificial intelligence module) to capture the damage automatically.

Within the app we can also circle the damage manually – to show both human and AI capabilities work, hand-in-hand.

The photos are then uploaded to the cloud.

Next, we log into the (web based) Review Portal and search by unit number to view the “Case”. The Case shows before and after photos in a pair.

Red flags show that damage has been found.

The flags appear in the Case List and also on the profile icon.

The following video shows the damage was successfully auto-detected.

Red circles appear, highlighting the damage and damage type.

Damage which is detected by AI is marked “AI Detected” next to the damage type.

Damages are automatically circled and labelled by the software. The “scratch” the customer created was also found, and labeled “AI-detected”.

The following video shows both the app (Android) and Review Portal software in action.

We had great fun in Vegas doing this demo and the feedback was really positive.

If you missed us at Vegas, please email us at demo@damageid.com for an in-person Zoom version of this demo.

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Day 2 (continued), 2021 International Car Rental Show, Las Vegas

These shops were at the bottom of our hotel elevator. This place is wild!
Up for the 7:30 AM breakfast. Food was delicious at the International Car Rental Show. Nice breakfast with coffee, bagels, fruit, yogurt parfait. Chandrahas manning the booth.
More demos with customers. A lot of interest in the new Proof Tec artificial intelligence feature.
More demos at the 12-2:00 session. This was the final session where the expo floor was open.
With some free time, and checked out of the hotel, we went to Old Las Vegas, a funky, quirky town with a massive overhead video screen and 1950’s style buildings.
This guy was amazing. He must have had some mechanical structure hidden in his pants to make it appear he was sitting like that for a long time. Lots of strange characters here, and tons of booze and pot smoke.
Oscars, “Beef, Booze, and Broads”. (I’m not kidding. View the sign close up to see).
The Rat Pack at the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino.
The overhead video covered the entire street. You could rent these acrobatic lines that would rappel you down the entire street.
After the old town we stopped in at Maggiano’s for a quiet drink and to catch up. Everwhere is so noisy, we really needed a break from all the music and sounds.
We met Fernando, I’ve never met him before, but a wonderful guy who I felt I’d known all my life. Friend of Paula and Jack’s from Sixt rental in South America.
Left at 7:30 from the restaurant, and right to airport for this beautiful skyline.
Watching the planes fuel before heading home on the red eye. Got home to Boston at 5:33 AM safe and sound!
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Day 1, 2021 International Car Rental Show, Las Vegas

Ready for Take Off at Logan Airport
Landing around 9:30 PM Las Vegas time.
On the way to the hotel. Las Vegas Raiders stadium.
Bellagio Fountain at night.
“Fountain of the Gods” near the hotel elevator.
Chandrahas and Charlie at the booth.
Paula had these embroidered hoodies made for us. No sleeves, hood and big DAMAGE iD at the back.
Entrance of Caesar’s Palace Hotel
Lobby
Lots of fancy stores. You don’t see a Lamborghini store in your average mall!
The pools are amazing here.
Entrance to the ICRS.
We were able to find a mass in the morning to attend. An beautiful “oasis” from the hedonism all around Las Vegas!
In the hotel room, preparing a rotating car for the AI demo.
Kids be like… “Does your hotel have a pool”.

View of the exposition room before opening

The booth – announcing the Proof Tech AI partnership
Love those hoodies!
Customers are coming non-stop to see the demo. Chandrahas doing demo after demo. Paula in the background.
This pool is AMAZING! Look at how many pools there are. And even though it reached 108 degrees, the water is quite cool and so nice to swim!
Got a few minutes to have a drink by the pool!
More demos and a piano player at the 4-5:30 session. The Car Rental Show offered drinks and delicious appetizers. Wonderful ambiance and great networking too!
Lovely dinner at the Capital Grille on Monday night. Walk back to the hotel. Soooo tired!