As a PDR Technician, you don’t have the time to argue. If the face to face results in the same argument every time, then you will first want to call the appraiser’s manager, if you get no results from this then you will have to go the distance, as Joe did.

Another appraiser trick to watch out for is when the appraiser says that their company is just not able to pay for a certain procedure (s). This is simply not true and is a pathetic attempt of the appraiser to play the blame game. It’s not acceptable and these are the things you will have to fight against.

If you provide exceptional service for your customers, like cleaning their car, washing it, or just wiping down the inside is greatly appreciated and will bring that customer back to you time and time again. Go the distance with your customer’s, give them a reason to want to come back. Dents are a daily mishap and the chances that you could see that customer again depends on the service you provided the last time they were there.

Customers like to get behind a business and will remain loyal as long as they are treated professionally and kindly. Anything extra that you can provide will work to your benefit. Some ideas besides or including the cleaning out of the vehicle would be a free car freshener. Just one of those disks that can be placed under the driver’s seat are inexpensive and will go the distance for you. Pick a neutral scent, nothing too flowery or too masculine. A scent that both men and women like is vanilla. Surveys show that 82% of scents chosen by both male and female is Vanilla. 

Customers leave you feeling excited about their choice to work with you and will remember that for at least a month while that Vanilla wafts through the air reminding them of you but also fresh baked cookies. Both are warm and friendly thoughts.

PDR Technicians had to fully swing from one end of the pendulum to the other. However, in the case of the trespassing charges, the experience for Joe was extremely negative. The appraiser basically bullied him, daily. The appraiser came by, argued the same cheap point, and both Joe and the appraiser walk away from that round, neither winning the battle or the war. It was the same argument day after day and it didn’t look as though there was any hope for a solution. 

The experience became so hostile that Joe had to make a move to somehow end the misery. There are many in the industry that feel this was an extreme solution and don’t completely get behind Joe, but in the end, only Joe knows how aggressive the situation got and only he can make the decision based on the never changing stand-off.

Basically the letter say that “if you come back to this particular address again, you will be arrested by the local police department.” The appraiser will get served with a letter from the Attorney giving the location of the site or property and the harsh warning that whether you are appraising a vehicle for damage, repairs, or estimates, Do Not Step Onto Name Of Business Property!

The good news about going the distance with this appraiser is that all other appraisers hear about it and get the message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated. With all of the bravado the appraiser tries to push, the bottom line is that if they cannot come to your chosen place of work, they don’t make any money. It amazes me that they risk this possibility with every attempt at bullying. Do they simply not care? 

In your PDR career you may decide that you are at a spot where you are ready to work with insurance companies. The trick is to get them to work with you. There’s a process and plenty of agreement documents to have to sign. The main one is the DRP (Disaster Recovery Plan), once you have this plan signed and sealed with whichever insurance company you plan to work with, then you’re on the road to working with them. This can be a very good thing for some but for others it has been the kiss of death. 

In the case of our PDR technician Joe, this became an insane and frustrating part of his business. While working with the office to get set up was pleasant, the independent appraisers that they have assigned to your particular vehicle that you are working on may be an absolute idiot. Quickly, the encounter can become a grudge match with the two of you arguing about the process and cost of the repairs that need to be made.

The appraiser is much like dealing with someone from the IRS, they are dogmatic in their approach and are convinced that they can do it for less. The most frustrating part about the experience is that the appraiser is convinced that they know how to work on a vehicle and therefore feel that whatever price they choose is the final word and anything that you say to the contrary will spark a very hostile verbally abusive exchange. 

It does no good to call the insurance company and complain, this is exactly what they want in an appraiser because the results are a lower payout for them. At some point you will have to decide if this is something you are willing to deal with. Some shops work exclusively with insurance companies and others have gone as far as filing criminal trespass charges against their appraisers.