Repair Shop Has Eyes in the Sky
Thursday October 30, 2008
Big Brother is watching, only at this Florida shop you get to be Big Brother! Nissen's Carstar Autobody in Palm Bay, Florida has a new schtick. Via the internet, you can watch your car being repaired minute by minute. Most people probably check the progress of their car's repair only occassionally, if at all. But if you were so inclined, you could watch the whole thing go down. The shop is equipped with a bunch of cameras focused on each repair area. Customers are given a web address that allows them live access to the cameras. Owner Barbara Morgan wanted her shop to stand out in the usual crowd of body shops. I guess there were already enough cars mounted on repair shop roofs, so Barbara had to come up with a new attention-getter. The idea of checking on your car's repair progress seemed to fit the bill. It was certainly novel. So she installed cameras, set up the network, built the site, and now you can see wrenches fly (hopefully not literally, although it has happened in my shop on more than one occassion!) The cameras aren't just a curiosity. By checking on your car you'll see that it's in the shop getting the attention it needs. Barbara has a degree in marketing, and it shows. We love it!
For more information, check out Florida Today.
Comments
Very interesting idea, wonder if people would really have time or the desire to view the repairs. Crash Chat is disscusion for the auto bidy repair industry. www.CrashChat.com
It’s a novelty. I would have a problem with a customer who would start telling me how to perform my job. Or the customer having another shop watch my work.
I don’t have a problem recording my work for review with my boss and other workmates, but that is leaving it ‘in house’ where it belongs and if any questions later, then it can be used as proof that work was completed as charged.
But to watch in such a way. NO!
yes it a good idea , hope motor repair good be done too
A degree in Marketing is another word for “LIZARD!”
Bruce
Great (not-for-profit) website www.motortipster.com where NY metro area folks can sound off about their mechanic (read the good the bad and the ugly)
I’m proud of my work. I am very confident in what I do. I like it when customers watch me at work, and I especially like it when they realize that I have specialized skills that they can appreciate and are happy to pay for. One customer, a doctor who is a hand surgeon nearly brought tears to my eyes while watching me mount and balance tires for his Porsche. He said “God forbid, if an accident should ever injure your hands I want to be the one to perform surgery on you!”. Later, he brought in an excellent bottle of wine which my wife and I enjoyed. If nobody is watching, how can anyone know that you do good work? I hope this idea catches on.
I have no problem if “big brother” watches me!
Great idea. All non-mechanics worry about getting ripped off. This will put them at peace.
Great post