Dent Zone

Please give me a little bit of your company history, and how you became involved in the Dent & Ding product category.

Dent Zone Companies Inc. is the auto industry’s original and largest provider of dent and door ding protection for new and pre-owned vehicle leases and purchases. The company is a privately owned corporation with its headquarters in the Las Colinas business district in Irving, Texas. Dent Zone offers Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) and all auto reconditioning services throughout the United States and Canada.

Dent Zone founder Troy Good began his career in 1986 in the automotive aftermarket industries. It became clear to him that there was an unmet demand for a dealer based aftermarket PDR program. In response to this demand, Dent Zone was established in 1991. Throughout the 90’s, the company continued to build relationships in the PDR industry and began creating our current network of technicians. With an established network in place, Dent Zone created a catastrophic division repairing hail damage for the top insurance companies.

In 1999, Dent Zone was the first to create and market a PDR service contract. Since its inception, Dent Zone has helped standardize the PDR industry and continues to be an effective and positive agent of change in the PDR arena. The company has played an important role in heightening customer awareness of PDR and driving the industry toward nationwide compliance with this product.

With an established network of technicians and the creation of a PDR service contract, Dent Zone then set out to become a licensed contract administrator in all 50 states as well as Canada. Today, Dent Zone continues to expand internationally and is currently developing a footprint in Australia, UK and Brazil.

How do you differentiate your product from those of your competitors? What makes you different?

Dent Zone first and foremost differentiates itself because it was first established as a true PDR and reconditioning company. With established national relationships in the reconditioning business and training we created our expansive technician network. Dent Zone is unique in that it has the largest network of technicians throughout the United States and Canada. Our network of over 5,000 certified technicians nationally provides the largest footprint in the country. This network allows us to provide convenient claims processing to customers by having technicians in their area.

Dent Zone also sets itself apart by the superior level of claims customer service, which is represented in a 97% CSI (customer satisfaction index) score from customers. We provide a “no hassle” claims process with unlimited repairs. We take all of the questions and concerns away from the dealership making this a “no heat” product for F&I because of our claims process. We also have a dedicated inside and outside sales support team. Our outside sales team is comprised of industry professionals with vast experience in automotive finance.

PDR Linx Technician Training Program provides an instruction opportunity for someone to learn the basics of the paintless dent repair craftsmanship. Our mentorship program provides trainees with the tools and skills needed to work on their own, with confidence, when completed.

What is your primary sales channel? How do you market to that channel?

Dent Zone has been selected as a preferred channel partner for OEM PDR programs and has established strategic market alliances with OEMs, large dealer groups including many of the top 10 dealer groups, and ancillary product providers. We also private label PDR programs for service contract administrators. Our current executive management team is leveraged with highly qualified individuals with extensive industry experience and is committed to ensuring the long term success of the company through innovative F&I product marketing, exceptional customer service, and unique business partnerships.

Have technological advances impacted your product in the last few years? If so, how? If not, do you see technology playing a factor in your product offerings in the future?

From a contracting perspective, we are always on the cutting edge of technology in improving how we do business and meeting the demands of the industry. Our proprietary administrative system, LinxManager, offers state of the arts claims management and e-contracting capabilities which integrates seamlessly with dealers’ data management companies. DMS integration enables dealers to see how PDR complements their product offerings and has the flexibility to assimilate with lender reserve guidelines. Dent Zone also partners with nationally recognized e-business software providers to assist dealers with contract remittance.

The auto industry is constantly evolving with new design models and the manufacturing of metals used in automotive panels. The PDR industry also evolves with the changes in automotive design and manufacturing improvements. New specialized tools have been created allowing access to more panels. These new specialized tools and advances in PDR techniques enable technicians to do repairs on every sheet metal panel.

Where do you see the most growth potential for Dent & Ding products?

A variety of automotive products have surfaced over the past ten years, however few with the relativity and consumer appeal as the Paintless Dent Repair product. PDR is one of the more practical and consumer friendly products in the automotive industry today. Unlike many products in the marketplace, PDR offers value for all demographics, not one segment of buyers. PDR continues to maintain a high perceived value for consumers, high overall satisfaction rate, as well as a money saving alternative to traditional repair methods. PDR has proven to be the appearance protection product most requested by consumers. The diversity of PDR products and programs are endless because the PDR product adapts well to the changing needs of the F&I industry. The most growth potential comes with the exploding dealer demand for “bundled” products. PDR is an integral component of a complete auto protection bundled product.