UVeye Inspection Technology Saves Dealers, Service Advisors & Technicians Time & Money
More than 6,700,000 accidents and 36,000 fatalities were recorded on U.S. roads and highways in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). For drivers, safety is assumedly one of the most important aspects of car ownership — both for personal safety and financial security. Preventing accidents and faults are at the top of service advisors’ minds when working on client vehicles, but, unfortunately, a visual inspection doesn’t always catch malfunctioning systems. In fact, visual inspections only identify less than 40% of vehicle safety issues, according to UVeye.
UVeye is an Israeli-based supplier of high-technology inspection systems motivated to eliminate human-error in vehicle inspections by utilizing automated technology. With over 30% of road accidents being caused by mechanical failure, as reported by DOT, consistent and reliable inspection systems are an important aspect of road safety … and UVeye hopes to contribute to the solution. On average, 20-30% of vehicles that come into dealerships for repairs display some type of tire issue: worn tread, sidewall cuts or bulges, foreign objects or expired tires over five years old, which could produce a safety hazard.
Drive-through, camera-based inspection systems are faster and can detect safety defects more accurately, according to Amir Hever, UVeye’s CEO. UVeye is an underbody and tire scanning inspection tool that is used by simply driving a car over the camera-based sensor technology that quickly monitors the vehicle’s exterior and mechanical condition. By implementing two components of vehicle inspection, UVeye captures both sidewall damage and tread depth. The technology uses artificial intelligence, proprietary algorithms, cloud architecture and machine-learning in their contact-free systems.
“Contact-free inspection systems are dramatically changing how auto dealers, major fleet operators and used-vehicle auctions inspect vehicles,” says Hever. “They also can play an important role in reducing traffic accidents and fatalities caused by vehicle equipment failures.”
“The great thing about the UVeye system is it lets us scan a car completely, in a matter of seconds,” says Corey Steinberg, used car manager of Mentor Kia in Mentor, OH. Mentor Kia is one of over 100 businesses that use UVeye’s Vehicle Inspection solutions. Bill Weaver, the general manager of Mentor Kia, chose to put a vote of confidence in automated inspection technology at his dealership by scanning all incoming service and car wash vehicles.
Among dealerships, the UVeye system has been helpful to manufacturing plants, rental car sites, logistical centers and sensitive security locations, such as government and financial institutions.
Explaining the positive features of the inspection software, Steinberg says, “[It measures] tread depth and checks under the car for any damages — things that would usually take us 10, 20 minutes takes us, maybe, 10 seconds to do.” For used car appraisals, UVeye is helpful in getting full pictures of a car’s underside.
While the inspection technology saves dealers, service advisors and technicians time (hence saving them money), it is appreciated by clients, as well. Customers can instantly know what issues need maintenance in their vehicles, eliminating the familiar fear that a technician is unnecessarily trying to upsell the repairs. With clearer visual communication, customers know exactly what it is that they are paying for. The system also promotes safety with tire replacements and alignments, producing additional opportunities for dealers and increased customer loyalty.
UVeye also assists service staff with having a physical, visual record of a car’s repairs. A service advisor at Mentor Kia, Nate Ferris describes a customer interaction that was mitigated thanks to the UVeye technology.
“A couple weeks ago, we had a client come in that had some damage to the right side of the inner fender well,” Ferris says. “We had before and after shots, because of the UVeye system, that documented and notated with visual evidence that that was already damaged prior to arriving at the dealership. This is another cost-saving tool for us, locally, at the dealership level, to be able to point out different defects or maybe different collisions that happened they are unaware of. We can go back and refer to these videos and photographs as needed.”
Using the automated data from a UVeye scan, a service advisor will report the data back to customers — and the raw data is indisputable. The trust developed between advisors and customers with the help of UVeye is invaluable to the service experience.
Vehicle inspection technology, and specifically UVeye, promotes profitability in both service and sales. The technology, in short, maximizes and capitalizes on every opportunity, whether that is pricing a used car correctly or finding more repairs the human eye might have missed, UVeye maximizes sales. Maximizing every work order is a necessity to keep customers’ vehicles running well, techs busy, pay checks flush and the bottom line in the black.
Through saving time, implementing consistent inspection standards, viewing the entirety of a vehicle’s potential problems, improved efficiency and customer satisfaction, UVeye provides a well-oiled service experience from all points of view. An automated, contactless vehicle inspection service is one that adds tangible value to your service center — and profits to your dealership.
