Steering and Grass-Roots Initiatives: A How-To Guide
Rick Rosar of Rapid Glass and Bryan Yarborough of the Glass Doctor of Tampa joined together to offer a seminar officially called “Steering and Grass-Roots Initiatives,” but together they unofficially named it “how to secure a job while assisting your customers and getting a reimbursement that is fair and reasonable.”
Both pointed out that for the most part they are on very few network programs.
“I guess you’d consider us non-network shops,” said Rosar.
Though competing with network shops on price can be difficult, he pointed out that focusing on customer service should be first and foremost in a company’s goals.
“You want to provide the kind of service that will keep the customer from going anywhere else,” Rosar said. “Focus on informing your customer of the benefits of your shop, not the woes of the industry, and make sure your customer knows he has the right to choose.”
In response to any possible steering efforts, Rosar warned, “You want to assure the customer you can handle all the paperwork, [and] you want to make sure the customer knows you do work with all insurance companies.”
Yarborough suggested that, if you”re concerned about steering, you can warn the customer about what”s going to happen in a simple way.
“You”d be surprised when you tell [customers] what”s going to happen and then the third-party administrator says those things [that you predicted], it establishes trust,” he said.
In addition, he pointed out that, even if you”re not on a network, you can still market to insurance agents associated with a particular network. Yarborough”s company also often calls a customer”s agent prior to calling the network to verify coverage, and then recording proof of that exchange once coverage is verified.
“I”ve been very successful at collecting my bills with recorded calls and documentation and proof,” he said.
Rosar said his company often conducts three-way calls with its customers and the third-party administrators involved in a claim.
“We also inform [customers] that they”re not talking to their insurance companies,” he said.
Rosar said that while many TPAs might tell a customer that using a non-network shop could result in unintended charges, he has learned to combat this.
“Their most effective tool is telling them they”ll have to pay the difference,” Rosar said. “Your most effective tool is telling them they won”t have to pay the difference.”
Rosar also suggested having the customer provide an assignment of proceeds to ensure this. (CLICK HERE for related story.)