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Custom “Photo Positions” – How to Catch Damage on Vehicle Car Jacks, Roofs and Wheels

Today we released version 3.2 on Android. This version combines changes to the “Review Portal” to enable photo positions to be labeled you, our customer.

Background

In DAMAGE iD, each of the photo and video “positions” is labeled. “Passenger Front”, “Rear” etc. These are the “standard positions” (7 or 5 pictures, depending on your settings). Besides the “standard positions”, we also have “additional photos”, labeled “Other 1”, “Other 2”, etc.

Suppose you’d like to have your agents take a photo of the tire jack, the roof and the wheels, without having them remember the photo numbers of each.

…. Or if you are a UK or Ireland driver, perhaps you would to reverse then names of “Driver” and “Passenger” sides of the vehicle.

Use Custom Photo Positions

To use Custom Photo Positions, login to the Review Portal. Next, visit “Settings” in the top Navigation.

Now log into the app (currently this only works on Android. Be sure to upgrade to version 3.2). Your labels will appear in the app.

You will see the Custom Labels during photo and video taking.

(Note that DAMAGE iD only allows a few words in the labels, because it breaks the layout of this page if the text gets too long).


Finally, in the Review Portal, you will see the new Custom Positions when you review your cases.

Recommendations

We strongly recommend that customers don’t change the actual meaning of the photo position. For example, we don’t recommend changing “Passenger Front” position to “Left Wheel” – use the “Other” positions for that. (Our upcoming Artificial Intelligence features will make use of the photo positions, so we recommend you do not completely change what the positions means.).

Summary

Best of luck with the new feature. Contact us at support@damageid.com if you have suggestions, comments or need support!

p.s. We hope to have IOS/iPhone version ready soon.

Thanks to a suggestion from our wonderful friends (and customers) at Renta Autos Guatemala (Guatemala Auto Rental) and Ivan for encouraging us to develop this feature!

Thanks to our wonderful customers in Guatemala!
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Android 3.1r38 Launch – Immediate Sync, Direct Portal Link and more!

We are happy to announce a new version – 3.1 r38 is now available on the Google Play Store.

  • Immediate upload notification and sync.
  • Enhanced notification tray messages about uploads.
  • Enhanced debugging tools allowing user to retry uploads in case of a bad connection.
  • Direct link to the web portal from the app.

In the past, “Syncing” or uploading of movies and photos happened in the background – and could take up to 5 minutes.

The upload is now immediate.

As you may know, some customers have had problems with photos not uploading. This is especially noticeable where Wifi or mobile-data connections are not strong.

This release addresses that problem. Uploads are more reliable, and when they do fail, it will be much clearer what went wrong. A new “Try Again” button will appear, prompting the user to synchronize again, when they have a better data connection.

A new screen shows the user the status of the upload. The REVIEW PORTAL button takes the user directly to the case that just uploaded. No login is required – the user is securely authenticated from the app to the web REVIEW PORTAL.
If an upload does fail, a new button will appear on the main screen.
For advanced troubleshooting, a new button has been added to the “Debug Tools” screen
A new screen shows all details of the case, and allows you to re-sync the case when your connection is stronger.


As always, please share your feedback with support@damageid.com. We look forward to hearing your feedback!


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Boston Globe Recommends all Auto Rental Customers take Digital Records

In the Boston Globe Article, A rental car debacle and a recommendation – shoot a video before leaving the lot May 5, 2019, Sean P. Murphy recommended that ALL people renting vehicles of ANY sort, be sure to digitally document the condition of the Property BEFORE using it.

If Your Customers are taking photos and Videos, shouldn’t YOU do the same??? All Rental companies for Cars, trucks, SUVs, Campers, golfcarts, snowmobiles, boats, airplanes, etc, should have a foolproof, digital documentation of their Fleet.

DAMAGE iD NOW offers a Video feature for Android users and Apple users will have the same feature very soon.

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Spring is Here!

Spring has arrived!!! Tis the season for Auto transporters to increase their services by delivering vehicles from one location to another whether it be for the SnowBirds or for the Auto Auctions gearing up for Spring Fleet sales.

DAMAGE iD has the solution for Smooth Logistics in documenting the condition of the vehicle both before and after its arrival to the final destination.  This Universal system, both on Android and iOS,  monitors the pre and post DAMAGE on the vehicle.  Once photos are stored on the Cloud, they are available for side-by-side date and time-stamped comparison ANYWHERE on one’s desktop.

This system is a great tool for Uniformity in organizing the DAMAGE Data of the transportation company’s logistics.  Even if a Company has an internal system in place, this Independent software can be used by ALL drivers to create a Uniform System of Organizing the pre and post condition of the vehicles.

Start using DAMAGE iD today!!   To request a demo or learn more, simply sign up right here:

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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!!!

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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!!

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Who’s Responsible?

Know Who's at fault with DAMAGEiD documentation of damage claims.

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.

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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.

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