In a big city, it is nigh impossible to have a ding-free car or motorcycle. Taking it to the authorised service centre to fix these issues seems like a plausible solution. However, we all are aware that the costs at service centres to fix dings is more than what a roadside garage might take. The quality of the latter though may be questionable as will the workmanship. But, what if you happen to get a lower bill for repairing your car and also the same quality as the authorised workshop. How about also getting to see the work being done on the vehicle from the comfort of your home? That’s a deal we say and so does Gurugram-based Fixcraft. Claiming to be the country’s only exclusive chain of auto collision repair shops, Fixcraft is headed by Vivek Sharma while the angel investors include Rishab Malik. The last round of seed fund was raised on AngelList.
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Express Drives recently had an interaction to understand what is the business model of the company as well as its USPs. Why exactly should you go to Fixcraft and is it reliable? Vivek Sharma helps us understand these aspects.
Vivek tells us that there is literally no other organised company in India that does the denting-painting as well as beautification of a vehicle, apart from authorised workshops from manufacturers like Honda, Hyundai, Maruti and so on. Like few companies in the US wherein customers have a choice to either get into a contract with a beautification shop or approach their authorised vehicle workshop, India too should have such options. This is where Fixcraft comes into the picture. The best part is when Fixcraft also takes care of the insurance aspect of a vehicle. Did someone crash into your car from behind? No worries, call Fixcraft and they will have a word with your insurance provider and get the repair sorted. It is going to be mostly cashless for you as a customer as the insurance company will directly pay Fixcraft. The latter’s tie-up with a majority of the insurance providers helps in this matter and calls for a smooth experience.
All a customer has to do is ensure that they drop an enquiry at the Fixcraft website, upload images of the damaged vehicle and then allow the company to help you with a turnaround time as well as the estimate. The website clearly says that you don’t have to pay a rupee over the estimate. If there is a delay with respect to the time the car will be delivered to you, then Vivek says that his team will inform the customer through email, call or even Whatsapp.
When Fixcraft says delivered, they literally pick and drop your car via their own driver concierge. The drivers are highly trained and the last 2-3 years that the company has been in existence, these employees have been with the organisation. These driving trips are also insured and in the case of any untoward incident, while driving the car to and from the customer’s place, Fixcraft will mostly handle it on their own. Such is the transparency that Fixcraft even sometimes reimburses the fuel cost to the customers. Fixcraft also checks that the customer has at least third party insurance on his/her vehicle before taking it in for repairs.
The paint as well as other parts used in the cars are 100 per cent genuine and stocked from the same suppliers for the OEMs. “We work on pre-fixed rates with the insurance companies so that there is no approval back and forth that I am going to pay you this much or that much. There is typically a sheet, so the things are more in that way.”, says Vivek. He also says that “There are very tight controls in terms of what we have been doing in workshops and the products.” Through the Fixcraft app, customers can also book an appointment and at every stage, they will see who the driver is, when he will reach their place, where is the car after he picked it up, has it reached the workshop and so on. The service manager even sends periodic images of the vehicle getting fixed. Once the customer is satisfied with the work he has asked from Fixcraft, the vehicle is delivered.
Fixcraft also deals in add-on services like cleaning your car, sprucing the interior, fumigating and the work. The cost of these is listed on the website. On being asked if Fixcraft also works on maintenance of vehicles, Vivek says that they will adopt it at a later stage. Currently, they want to focus on getting the denting and painting job. The company will start with regular stuff like oil change, and then later on move to electrical and engine repairs. In short, a one-stop solution for all your car needs, just like an authorised service centre.
At present, there are two service centres each in Noida and Gurugram. There are plans of adding up to 10 more by the end of this year. Delhi-NCR will be covered first followed by Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai. A majority of the requests are taken online, however if a customer were to walk in currently and ask for a repair, Fixcraft will not refuse them. There though is no proper customer lounge. This is where the company saves on overhead costs when compared to an authorised workshop.
Vivek says that during the pandemic, these cost-cutting measures that were implemented right from the start have helped them in a huge fashion. Vivek says that sometimes, he himself will want to supervise a repair job. The question he asks his technicians is, “Are you satisfied with the work done on the vehicle and will you be ready to take this car home if it were your own?” Such kind of assuring words do help, especially if you are an enthusiast and want nothing but the best for your car.
