Living a Lever Touch hail operation from the inside. Interview with Sarra
Hello Sarra, what is your position at Lever Touch?
Hello, I am in charge of business development in France.
What has been your experience before you joined the company?
I have been working in the hail business for 4 years, and before that I was in the commercial area of the automotive industry, this has given me the chance to work in an environment that fascinates me.
“We know what you did last summer”, but can you tell us a bit more?
This summer I have worked on several different projects, each one as rewarding as the next. We have had three different scenarios: in the first one, we have dealt with the vehicles of an auto dealer; in the second one, we worked on the fleet of a automotive group and the private vehicles of their customers, and in the third case we opened a repair service platform for private insurance companies.
In how many repair operations have you participated and where were they?
I have participated in 3 different repair operations, the first one was located in Toulouse, the second one was in Epinal, in the Northeast of France, and the third one was in Limoux, 30 km from Carcassonne, in the Southeast.
How long did it take for you to intervene after the claims were reported to you?
We intervened within 24 hours after becoming aware of the hailstorms.
What do you look for when you arrive at the scene of the incident?
We analyze the hail typology and confirm the damage caused by the climate event.
What was your role exactly?
In the first place, my job was to reassure my client, as in most cases they are not prepared for events of this kind. I had to analyze the number of damaged vehicles and make a complete analysis of the place where we were going to work. In every case we need to adapt our logistics and staff according to the location of the project.
How many people were on the team?
In the two working sites in Toulouse, we set up 14 PDR technicians, 4 R&I technicians, one technical director, and one coordination manager. In Limoux, we installed a platform for insurance companies with 5 people.
What kind of repairs were made, and how many vehicles were fixed?
In Toulouse, we fixed 788 cars in 13 days, a 100% PDR operation. Currently, I am working in Limoux, were the insurance companies have relied on Lever Touch for the management of all the claims and we have fixed more than 300 private cars so far. In Limoux, the hailstorms have damaged the vehicles quite heavily, so we have installed a work platform including a mobile paint booth… a true mobile repair bodyshop; we have the vehicles appraised by experts from the insurance companies, we carry out the PDR repairs, we change spare parts, doors, hoods, windshields… and then we do the painting.
How long did the whole process take from the start until the delivery of the last vehicle?
The process depends on the incident. Fixing private vehicles takes a little longer compared to fixing the cars of a dealership, as in the later case the vehicles are already at the site. In the case of private cars, we must contact the owners to arrange one appointment to appraise the damage on the vehicle, and then arrange another appointment to fix it. During the process, we provide the customer with a courtesy vehicle. The repair process can take from 1 to 5 days if the vehicle needs also bodywork repairs.
What was the reaction of the customers who saw you working?
They were impressed by our responsiveness, organization, logistics and adaptability. For us, each customer is different, each hailstorm is different, and that is why our services are personalized and adapted to each particular need.
If you had to define the Lever Touch service in 3 words, what will they be?
Quality, innovation, ambition,
Are you ready for next season? What are your expectations for 2019?
We are always ready to take on new challenges. For 2019, I would like our company to be No. 1 worldwide in our industry, and a reference in the field of catastrophe damage management. Our achievements don’t make us complacent, instead we keep striving to learn, develop and innovate.