News of the 4 November launch of Alberante Autosprays Fast Track 48, a workshop that guarantees customers a turnaround time of two working days for minor vehicle accident repairs, has delighted the insurance industry, pleased both vehicle fleet and individual owners, and come as music to the ears of motor vehicle manufacturers.
Seldom does a single launch have such a major impact on so many different interest groups, but this one certainly has. Insurers stand to save millions of rands on lengthy car rentals, fleet owners get to keep more of their fleet on the road at any given time and customers wont be inconvenienced nearly as much, for nearly as long anymore. As for manufacturers, well they know better than anyone that the speedy turnaround of a repair job keeps customers happy with their vehicle in general, which impacts on their attitude to the brand and affects repeat business. Of course, a high-quality, quick turnaround also protects the manufacturers warranty, which can save not only reputation, but also money.
Says Manny Henriques, Chief Executive (CE) of Alberante Autospray: "The concept of a speed-shop to fast-track minor repairs is a globally successful one, and although its not new to South Africa, what is unique about Fast Track 48 is our commitment to a 48-hour turnaround time. And if, for whatever reason, we are unable to honour that promise, we commit to providing the customer with a courtesy vehicle from our fleet of 65 vehicles ranging from VW Chicos, to Toyota Corrollas, BMW 1 and 3 series vehicles and more."
Fast Track 48 works like this. When the vehicle damage is assessed, a list is generated of parts required for the job. On approval of the quotation, Fast Track 48 checks that the required parts are in stock and orders those it needs. Since most vehicles with minor damage are still drivable, the customer remains mobile while this process is underway. Once the parts are in hand, a date is set for the repair and the customer is asked to drop the vehicle off between 07:00 and 08:00 and collect it at 17:00 the following day.
Technically, that's only 18 working hours, and just 36 total hours from delivery to collection, but in ordinary language thats two days to the customer, hence the promise of 48 hours and the name Fast Track 48.
Of special importance is the fact that Fast Track 48 is not a revamp of Alberante Autosprays existing 2780m2 workshop and store, nor is it an add-on to it. The Fast Track 48 workshop is in fact a dedicated 1650m2 facility that was purpose-built and has been outfitted with the latest, most technologically advanced equipment from leading global and local suppliers of collision repair systems. The structure and layout of the workshop have of course been cleverly designed for maximum productivity and speed, in order to provide this fast-track service.
The Fast Track 48 workshop is capable of repairing around 325 vehicles per month, an average 15 per day, and because it is 100% dedicated to minor repairs, there are no 'big jobs' to slow things down and create bottle-necks. By the same token, this new facility frees up Alberante Autosprays original workshop to focus solely on major repair jobs, of which it will now be able to process an estimated 250 per month.
Alberante Autospray is no newcomer to the panelshop business, and has been trading for more than 14 years now. In addition, CE and co-owner Manny Henriques has been in the business for more than 20 years and brings the benefit of his vast experience and extensive expertise to bear on the company's operations.
The company carries the highest possible SAMBRA grading, that of Major Structural Repairer (MSR) and is one of just a few repair shops that conduct all repairs in-house, with the exception of upholstery. The company is also AA Quality Assured and has factory approvals from BMW South Africa, including Mini; GM South Africa; Volkswagen of South Africa; Audi SA; Citroen South Africa; Toyota South Africa; Hyundai Automotive SA; and most recently, Seat. It also has several approvals from individual dealers representing various other brands.
The faith that manufacturers place in Alberante Autospray is echoed by the regular stream of overseas visitors who come to view its premises and to learn how the company operates on such a large scale. Additional votes of confidence come from insurance firms who use its premises to train their staff, because of the wide variety of the latest, most up-to-date equipment in use.
Fast Track 48 is situated at Alberante Autospray, in Droste Crescent, Droste Park Ext. 7 in Johannesburg and can be contacted on 011 614-0500.
Henriques concludes: "We are immensely pleased to announce this launch and look forward to working closely with our many supplier friends to make Fast Track 48 a resounding success. We also look forward to working with locally represented vehicle manufacturers, to ensure that their customers spend as little time parted from their vehicles as possible, and that when they take delivery of their vehicles again, that reunion is a happy and lasting one."
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