Progressive Patents Concierge Claims Service Method

Mayfield Village, Ohio  — Progressive appears to take its name seriously. Adding yet another patent to its business innovation cache, the Ohio auto insurance company is using a unique claims processing method to take responsibility for its policyholders entire vehicle claims/repair process following a crash.

Conceived in 2000 and rolled out beginning in 2003, concierge level of claims service is designed to save drivers time. The auto insurance claims process typically delivers a check to the customer for the amount of the repairs, leaving the customer to find a repair shop, get a rental car, etc.

According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Insurance Claims Study, Progressive’s claim service delivers repaired vehicles back to customers faster. That study reports that Progressive's concierge service cut the average time from first notice of the claim to completion of vehicle repairs by an average of 4.8 days relative to the industry average.

"We continuously evaluate all of the services we offer to make sure they're as customer-friendly as possible," says Progressive CEO Glenn Renwick. "Our customers tell us that our claims service, including our concierge service, is the most valued experience we offer. Being able to deliver our customers' cars back to them with guaranteed repairs more than four days faster than the rest of the industry is something we're very proud of. It's also gratifying that the U.S. Patent Office recognizes the uniqueness of the method and, as a result, has granted a patent to protect the methodology."
 
Progressive’s concierge level of claims service is now available through 54 specially designed centers in metropolitan markets. In most states, the driver needs only to report the claim, drop off the car and drive away in a rental car. Progressive then writes an estimate for the damage and contacts a repair facility to pick up the car and fix the damages. Once the car is repaired, it is returned to the center, the repairs are inspected and the customer is notified. When the customer returns, he or she picks up the car and drives away knowing that the repairs are guaranteed by Progressive and the shop.

Since the company’s inception in 1937, the company has acquired several patents. Today, the company’s 10 million policyholders can take advantage of its other patented innovations, including three for its usage-based insurance programs and one for its online policy servicing capabilities.

Source: The Progressive Group of Insurance Cos.