Fifteen Southern California and Arizona Ford dealer collision repair centers are part of the pilot program for Ford Motor Company's Certified Collision Repair Network (CCRN). Launched by the company's Customer Service Division, CCRN is designed to certify a national network of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealer-owned collision repair centers, providing the highest level of customer satisfaction and quality collision repair. 

"In addition to providing customers with top-quality vehicle repairs, this new program is designed to meet the needs of both the insurance industry and dealers who want to enhance and improve their current operations," said Dan Townsend, Ford's CCRN program manager. "Under development and testing for the past year-and-a-half, the pilot program presently involves 15 dealers in Southern California and Arizona."

Program has tough criteria

Before a dealer can participate in the CCRN program, Ford experts inspect each collision repair shop to ensure that they meet tough acceptance criteria. During the rigorous certification process, which follows an intensive ten-week training and program implementation stage, an independent third party company inspects estimating procedures, repair quality, equipment availability, training levels, mandatory government licenses and customer satisfaction data. Ford's CCRN is also unique in that shops are required to have and use a computerized unibody and frame measuring system, providing both pre-repair and post-repair dimensioning reports tied to the overall process quality control program.

In an extra step to assure quality repairs, the independent experts, at the time of certification, perform a detailed formal inspection of three "in process" vehicles. Additionally, they rate the attractiveness of the customer waiting areas. Organization and lighting levels in shop areas are also evaluated. All of these checkpoints, among other criteria, must meet Ford's standards before shops are certified. Finally, to meet ongoing quality control standards, dealers must pass annual CCRN re-certification standards.

Ford's certification program focuses on providing both vehicle owners and their insurance companies with a combination of high-quality repairs and high customer satisfaction. One key to success in the pilot phase of the CCRN program is a unique quality control program that provides for an eight-point inspection and quality evaluation during the repair process. The quality process is put in place as part of extensive on-site training in which all dealers participate prior to certification.

CCRN also requires shops to implement a new process for tracking customer satisfaction data. Collision Repair Industry INSIGHT, a well-known industry consulting group, worked with key insurers and dealers to develop an expanded CSI program which meets specific Ford requirements. The monthly reports track information by insurer and key quality trends and targets then compares this information with industry benchmarks. This system also immediately "red flags" any concerns or issues.