The World’s Largest Vehicle Claims Company Launches Innovation Lab: Safelite Works
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Safelite® Group, which operates Safelite AutoGlass®, the largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services in the U.S., and Safelite® Solutions, a leading claims management partner to top insurance and fleet companies, has opened a new innovation hub called Safelite Works.
The lab consists of 6 to 8 technologists reporting to Vice President of Digital and Customer Innovation Bruce Millard tasked with developing innovative customer-facing solutions for both auto glass needs and insurance claims processing as well as employee experience. Kathy Domer, an experienced I.T. professional with more than 30 years of experience, will serve as the Senior Manager.
Safelite Works is located within Rev1 Ventures Labs, which houses some of the Columbus region’s fastest-growing start-ups. Rev1 is a seed- and early-stage investment fund that combines services and capital to help entrepreneurs increase their probability of success. This is the third year Safelite has been a sponsor of Rev1, and it is the first corporate sponsor to open an innovation space in Rev1 Labs.
“Safelite is a People Powered, Customer Driven organization, meaning we engage and empower our employees to deliver a memorable customer experience,” said Safelite President & CEO Tom Feeney. “As the world becomes increasingly digital, it’s crucial we evolve our internal and external processes to reach our vision of being a trusted and admired service brand. By interacting daily with other technologists within the Rev1 facility, we’ll be able to catapult our business into the future by engaging with like-minded entrepreneurs.”
While not many connect an auto glass company with technology, Safelite is actually a leader in innovating the customer experience through technology. The company has led the service industry with accomplishments such as:
- Introducing the Technician Profile Email long before others in the at-home service industry
- Creating a new “On My Way” automated text alert
- Overhauling Safelite.com, reducing steps to get a quote from 16 to 3 and reducing call backs by 99%
- Building an online customer portal for appointment tracking
- Partnering with insurance clients to create seamless digital claims reporting solutions
This year alone, Safelite invested $41 million into technology, a 10 percent increase over last year. Safelite Works will be an incremental $1 million investment.
“We’re building a culture conducive to innovation,” Feeney added. “We’re doing amazing work in our home office and the new innovation lab intended to shape the future of our employee, customer, and client experiences.”
About Safelite® Group
Safelite® Group, a subsidiary of Belron®, is a multi-faceted vehicle glass and claims management service organization based in Columbus, Ohio. The company, which has been in business since 1947, is comprised of three major business operations that includes Safelite AutoGlass®, the largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services in the world; Safelite® Solutions, which offers fleet and insurance claims management services; and Service AutoGlass®, a vehicle glass wholesale and distribution operation. The company employs more than 13,000 people throughout the United States. For more information, visit Safelite.com, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.