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For a dedicated parts support service set up to prevent write-offs, it’s fitting that TPS National never accepted 2020 as one.
As a result, TPS National will look to do in 2021 what it’s been doing since it began in 2018, delivering cost-effective solutions to get vehicles repaired that would otherwise result in insurance write-offs.
TPS National provide a dedicated team for handling bodyshop enquiries, offering specialist Total Loss Avoidance (TLA) and TPS Genuine Pricing (formerly known as Aged Parts Pricing) services to bodyshops across the country.
Available for C and D crash categories, the TLA programme offers access to additional parts discounts on Volkswagen Group Genuine Parts. In order to ensure a quick and hassle-free process, discounts are offered at the invoice stage and supported by the TPS National team every step of the way.
The TLA scheme is a win-win situation for all involved. The vehicle owner keeps their vehicle with the assurance that it’s been repaired back to factory standard using Volkswagen Genuine Parts, the bodyshop benefits from the labour hours, paint and parts margin and the insurance company keeps a policy holder.
Lee Harrison, TPS National Account Manager, said: “During 2020, with the support of the Performance Managers, we now have almost 100 Approved Paint and Bodyshops with us up and down the country.
“We have hosted numerous online meetings with the bodyshops to educate them on the simplicity of the TLA scheme and answer any questions they may have. The message is really getting through and they see how TLA can work for them and their customers.
“We have worked in a similar way with the insurance companies. One of our biggest challenges with the TLA scheme is the stipulations insurance companies put on the repairs. A lot of our customers tell us that the insurance company have told them they have to use non-genuine parts, but with the TLA scheme we can be a lot more competitive with our prices.
“In 2021, we are planning to work with more insurance companies who see the benefit of the TLA scheme.”
Similarly, Lee and his team are making leaps forward with the TPS Genuine Pricing programme.
Lee adds: “As with TLA, the bodyshops are increasingly seeing the benefits of TPS Genuine Pricing, which includes offering discounts on parts that we know customers can purchase on the aftermarket. As a result, we have over 500 bodyshops live with us.
“In 2021, to further increase our competitiveness, we aim to increase the models of vehicles that sit within our TPS Genuine Pricing criteria, which means the opportunity to quote for work will go up from 4,000 per month to 10,000 per month.”
In 2020, TPS National received 33,224 quotes from its customers on vehicles they were able to offer support for – an average of 3,750 quotes per month.
We chat with Brian Singer, General Manager at Poole Accident Repair, a Volkswagen Group approved bodyshop and repair centre based on the South Coast.
The award-winning Poole repair centre is part of the wider Ocean Automotive Group, one of the UK’s leading automotive groups operating across multiple sites in both Dorset and Somerset.
Poole Accident Repair has been a customer of TPS for over a decade. They appreciate the quality parts and services offered. TPS meets their company values, benefits Volkswagen Group Drivers, and assists in ensuring the vehicles they repair are returned meeting the high standards that the Volkswagen Group intended. This also included a recent Audi R8 repair that provided the workshop with one of its most challenging and yet rewarding projects to date.
Brian said: “As an approved body repair centre, we have manufacturer approvals for a wide range of brands that includes Bentley, Porsche, Volvo, Tesla and Volkswagen Group UK.
“As with all our manufacturer approvals, we are committed to using only genuine manufacturer parts on any vehicle we repair. Our ambition is always to keep our customer’s vehicle on the road and the excellent support provided by TPS National gives us every opportunity to do exactly that on Volkswagen Group vehicles.
“In 2020, we carried out quite a few large repairs requiring a considerable amount of parts support from TPS National and commend their efficiency in helping get
those repairs completed.
“The assistance provided by TPS National during the lockdown months has been particularly welcomed. During the first lockdown, TPS kept running and that helped us continue to work our way through it.
The parts supply and the efficiency of the systems was so good, that at times it did not feel like we were in the midst of a pandemic.
“From beginning to end, with TPS National it’s a straightforward process and that’s one of the great benefits of working with them. We can get an estimate quickly on the parts support we need for a particular job, and that allows us to communicate swiftly with the insurance company and our customer.
“With the Audi R8 repair that we worked on, the support from TPS National has helped us considerably in our negotiations with the insurance company, and gave our customer peace of mind that the car would be restored to its original specification with Volkswagen Group Genuine Parts.
“The R8 is a very complex and challenging repair, but it’s been made easier through the availability of Genuine Parts. There are a lot of specific parts required, but with TPS keeping us constantly up-to-date on availability, we’re able to update our customer and progress the repair in the most efficient way possible.
“The main benefits of working with TPS is the simplicity of the process. The channels of communication for the Volkswagen Group marques are always open and you are always kept up-to-date on parts supply, which is essential when working to tight repair schedules.
“We worked a great deal with TPS last year, despite all the challenges that were going on with the pandemic, and it will be the same again this year. Both TPS and ourselves are in the business of keeping quality vehicles on the road – and long may we continue doing that.”
