Customer Experience Tools FAQs

Mitchell-AutocheX interviews customers by telephone. Phone surveys have the highest response rate among all methods of data collection and yield immediate results. We conduct most interviews Monday through Friday between 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm local time, and Saturdays from noon to 6:00 pm. Some programs include calls on Sundays.

How long after the interview will I get the survey results?

Alerts are sent to you the morning after the interview. The survey data is loaded into RepairCenter that evening and available to you the next day. For example: if an interview is completed on Monday night, you will receive an Alert Tuesday morning. Tuesday evening the database is updated and the survey is available to you Wednesday morning.

How long is the interview?

The survey questions vary by program, but generally the interviews take three to five minutes to complete.

How soon after the repair will Mitchell talk to my customers?

This varies by program. We conduct as many interviews as possible within the first few weeks after the repair is completed. Sometimes, in order to reach the maximum number of customers, we must call people back multiple times over the course of several weeks.

What if my customer doesn't respond to the email?

Customers receive a follow-up email if they do not complete the CSI survey within five days.

What if you can't reach my customer?

We will make several attempts to reach each of your customers. If we reach an answering machine or busy signal, we will try again later. If we reach someone who is not available to talk to us at the time we call, we will schedule a time to call them back. If we speak to someone and they tell us they don't want to take the survey, or if there is a language barrier that prevents us from collecting accurate data, we will not call them back.

On average, we will be able to complete surveys with 40% to 50% of your usable sample records. This may vary slightly from month to month, but over a period of three or four months you should expect 40% or better, depending on the volume of sample we receive.

What questions will you ask my customers?

Our telephone agents ask questions that have been developed over time and are proven to reveal a vehicle owner's true satisfaction level with all key areas of your processes. Mitchell-AutocheX has 20 years expertise developing effective survey questions, based on in-depth analysis of millions of surveys conducted with collision repair customers.

Why do you use the 1-10 scale instead of the yes/no format?

Yes/No questions are generally used to gather information where no detail is needed. Scaled questions, on the other hand, yield very detailed and precise information that can be used to measure the intensity of opinions, feelings, and attitudes. Mitchell-AutocheX typically uses both types of questions in our surveys, depending on the type of information being gathered.

AutocheX makes every effort to confirm that customers understand the questions and how their responses will be measured. For instance, our telephone interview agents clearly explain the rating scale used by AutocheX: “On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is completely dissatisfied and 10 is completely satisfied,....”

Note, too, that the same scale is used to evaluate all repair facilities within your program, so all shops are measured equally.

How can I be sure that the customer’s responses are accurate and that you interview the person who actually had contact with my shop?

Our call center interviewers are closely monitored to ensure that they collect data correctly and accurately. The information we provide to shops has been verified as accurate, and reflects what the customer told us during the interview.

We call the customer at the phone number provided in the customer information file (we refer to this information as “sample”). If that person is not available, we will ask the person who answers the phone if they were involved in the repair process. If they were, we will complete the interview with that person. We believe that a household member who is not comfortable answering questions will simply decline to take the survey. We don't pressure anyone. At the end of each survey, we will note the name of person with whom we spoke.

How will I know if a customer is unhappy?

If we complete an interview and the person responds negatively to specific key questions, we will e-mail you a Customer Alert that includes a copy of the survey. Typically for these key questions, a score of less than 8 on a 10-point scale, or a “No” response to a Yes/No question, is considered negative. Customer Alerts are usually sent the next business day after the interview is completed.

How will Mitchell-AutocheX receive my customer information?

There are a few different ways that Mitchell-AutocheX receives customer information (“sample”). If you participate in an insurance carrier-sponsored program, the insurance carrier will usually provide your sample records for you.

If you are measuring customer satisfaction independent of an insurance carrier, you will provide your own sample records directly to Mitchell-AutocheX. The Mitchell Communications Manager (MCM) tool automates the process of sending your customer records to AutocheX for surveying, virtually eliminating any ongoing effort on your part.

Unfortunately, this is not an option for carrier programs. In those cases, the carrier provides the sample directly to Mitchell.

How do you keep my customer information secure?

All data processed by Mitchell-AutocheX is protected under Mitchell International’s infrastructure and strict security procedures to ensure the safekeeping and confidentiality of all customer information. Data submitted to Mitchell-AutocheX may be used internally to generate industry benchmarking information, but we never share your personally identifiable information with other organizations. Specific information pertaining to the shop, insurance carrier, insured, or claimant is kept in strict confidence.

Mitchell supports a number of tools to guarantee the security of data being passed to and from our clients. Intrusion Detection System (IDS) monitoring is active 24/7 within Mitchell’s network, and Mitchell-AutocheX’s online systems have built-in authentication protocols to secure your data.

In addition, Mitchell-AutocheX and its call center partners each have systems and processes in place to secure all data and reduce the risk of any data loss and service disruption in the event of a disaster.

What quality assurance measures do you have in place?

Quality is the most important aspect of data collection. Mitchell-AutocheX partners with professional market research firms to complete the telephone interviews. They have the expertise, specialized equipment, and processes to handle a large volume of calls while maintaining quality and validity of survey responses.

Our Quality Assurance program begins with a thorough hiring and training process. Our call center partners hire only the most qualified applicants and provide in-depth training on an ongoing basis.

Mitchell-AutocheX uses anonymous live monitoring, data validation, and data-entry validation to help ensure our stringent quality standards are being met. During each monitoring session, phone agents are rated against several criteria and must meet minimum scoring goals to continue. Our data collection procedures ensure consistency while offering flexibility to meet our clients’ specific needs.

Do I have the option of removing surveys that I feel are inaccurate?

In some cases, shops believe a survey is inaccurate because the customer gave the shop different answers from what he/she gave during the interview. It’s possible the customer feels uncomfortable giving negative feedback directly to the shop. Through years of experience, we have found that customers feel more comfortable expressing their true opinion to an independent third party, especially if there was a problem of any kind. Our call center interviewers are closely monitored to ensure that they collect data correctly and accurately. The information we provide to shops has been verified as accurate and reflects what the customer told us during the interview.

Ultimately, however, the independent Shop Mitchell-AutocheX program is YOUR program, designed to meet your internal needs. Therefore, if you want to exclude a survey from your shop’s reports, we will remove that survey for you. (Note: this does not apply to carrier-sponsored programs.)

What new reporting features do the RepairCenter Customer Experience Tools offer?

Repair Center is introducing a suite of new and improved CSI reports that you can customize to meet your exact needs. These new reports allow you to sort and filter the results, to "drill down" from one report to another. Once you've created your own shops' custom reports, you can save them as "Favorites" for quick and easy future access.

How will I access my reports in RepairCenter?

With RepairCenter, you choose how your shop's reports are delivered. Not only can you select the electronic file format (such as PDF, Excel, etc.), you can also create custom reports and save them as "Favorites." You can customize the delivery schedule, too, so you will receive the exact reports you want, exactly when you need them.

Once you have created the report(s) you need, you can set that report to be automatically e-mailed to you weekly, monthly, or even daily.

How can I view my scores during the month to see how my shop is performing?

With Customer Experience Tools, reports are updated daily so you can see exactly how you are doing throughout the month. You can also set custom date ranges, so you can compare your performance over previous months, quarters, year-to-date, etc.

If I belong to multiple CSI programs, can I see all my results in one report?

Yes. One advantage of using Mitchell-AutocheX for all your customer satisfaction measurement needs is that Customer Experience Tools allow you to see all of your results in one place. Customer Experience Tools now includes reports that enable you to view your carrier program results, along with your independent survey results, all in one report.

I want to track service writer performance. Can RepairCenter do that for me?

Yes. The Customer Experience Tools reports are designed specifically to let your shop track service writer performance. With the Shop Customer Experience Tools program, you simply provide Mitchell the service writer name along with the customer information, and we will take care of the rest.

Unfortunately, in programs where a carrier provides the sample, we do not know who the service writer is for each repair, and therefore cannot report on the service writer for those surveys.

(For MSOs) Can RepairCenter help me see how my stores are doing, without having to log in to each store’s reports?

Yes. RepairCenter Customer Experience Tools reporting allows you to view results from your entire organization on one report. In addition, you can use the hierarchy navigation to view more detailed information for each of your shops. You can also expand or collapse reports to include a variety of detail within the reports.

What is the cost?

Because most Customer Experience Tools are customized for each client, pricing is based on the specifications of the program. More information about pricing is available by calling 800-238-9111.

How can I contact Mitchell-AutocheX?

If you have general questions regarding the RepairCenter Customer Experience Tools service, please contact the Mitchell-AutocheX customer service group by e-mail: acxcustsvc@mitchell.com, or telephone: 800-922-5129. Mitchell-AutocheX Customer Service is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time (PST).