Your safety guide to breakdown and repairs during COVID-19
Protecting customers, suppliers and employees during COVID-19 is our number one priority.
Here's how we're working to keep you safe if you breakdown or need your vehicle repaired during coronavirus.
Our suppliers and customers
What we're asking from our suppliers and customers
We've asked our suppliers to...
- Wash their hands regularly
- Follow social distancing guidelines at all times
- Never enter your home or workplace
- Wear appropriate levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Stay home if they (or anyone they’ve been in contact with) is showing symptoms of COVID-19
- Take online payments where possible to minimise the use of chip and pin
We're asking our customers to...
- Follow social distancing guidelines at all times
- Postpone vehicle handovers and windscreen appointments if they (or anyone they’ve been in contact with) is showing symptoms of COVID-19
Vehicle repairs during COVID-19
Our technicians will fit the following before moving or fixing any customer vehicle:
- Disposable seat cover
- Disposable floor mat
- Disposable steering wheel cover
- Disposable gear lever and handbrake cover
When working on your vehicle, our approved repairer will:
- Wear suitable PPE
- Wear disposable gloves at all times when moving or working on vehicles
- Minimise the number of people accessing customer vehicles
- Make sure customer vehicles are well ventilated
- Make sure vehicles are wiped down before and after, including the dashboard, steering wheel, keys and other areas
- Reduce the number of people they have contact with and plan for the minimum number of people needed on site to operate safely and effectively
- Disinfect the vehicle by using a sanitising machine on arrival and departure from the premises, including any courtesy cars
- Wash down the exterior and allow the vehicle to dry off naturally
- Our approved repairer may offer a virtual estimate of your vehicle using photos and videos, rather than visiting you
- They'll let you know what they're doing to protect you, including cleaning/sanitising vehicles, and following social distancing measures
- If you have to visit the approved repairer site, they'll call ahead to confirm the time and date
- If anyone at your home address is self-isolating due to COVID-19, your vehicle will only collected if the driver uses full PPE and will be returned to site via a vehicle transporter
- They'll use posters and floor markings to remind you of social distancing at our approved repairer sites
- Hand sanitisers will be made available for your use in reception at entrance and exit points
- Disposable gloves may be available in dispensers in car parks and in reception areas, as well as sanitiser wipes/sprays and bags for your vehicle keys
- The drop-off area will be clearly identified for easy parking
- You may be advised of potential delays in the repair process due to part delays or available staff limitations
Our approved repairer will call ahead to check if anyone at your address is isolating due to coronavirus, and to outline the process the driver will follow. This includes:
- Minimising contact with people at the collection address
- Not entering your vehicle with you under any circumstances
- Ensuring the keys for the vehicle being collected are left in an agreed drop zone, and making sure social distancing guidelines are followed
- Making sure that social distancing guidelines are followed if any paperwork needs to be signed
Hire car process during COVID-19
Our hire car provider has introduced a "complete clean" pledge which is to ensure each replacement vehicle is thoroughly cleaned between every booking.
This includes vacuuming, a general wipe down and sanitising with disinfectant that meets leading health authority requirements. Our hire car partner will pay particular attention to more than 20 plus touch points, including:
- Key and key fob, steering wheel, steering column, center console, accessory panel, cupholders, compartments, door interiors, door pockets, seat belts, seat surfaces, seat pockets, interior door handles, exterior door handles, areas between seat/console, areas between seat/door jambs, instrument panels, rearview mirrors, visor mirrors, dashboard, gearshift, and any other high-touch area
Delivery and collection:
Whether our hire car provider delivers the replacement vehicle to you at home, your workplace or body shop, they will maintain social distancing guidelines at all times - even when handing over key / key fobs and they will ask you to electronically sign the rental agreement via a tablet.Walk ins:
If you prefer to travel to the rental location to collect your replacement vehicle, a new kerbside process has been introduced to help meet social distancing guidelines. However, if you need to enter one of the branches, they've introduced sanitisation of all touchable surfaces (including counter tops, phones, tablet devices, payment devices and door handles).Windscreen repairs during COVID-19
Here's what to expect on the day of your appointment:
- On arrival, our technician will follow social distancing guidelines and won't shake your hand to ensure social distancing
- Technicians will wear appropriate levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Technicians will show you where to place your keys so they can be sanitised
- Technicians will sanitise critical touchpoints of your vehicle (including steering wheel, door handle, gear stick and indicator stalks) both before and after the work with a disinfectant that meets leading health authority requirements. They may also use seat covers.
What to expect on the day of your appointment:
- Most waiting rooms are closed to ensure social distancing. Please plan to drop off and pick up your vehicle rather than wait during your appointment
- On arrival, our technicians will come to greet you, but won't shake your hand and keep back to ensure social distancing
- Technicians will wear appropriate levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Technicians will show you where to place your keys so they can be sanitised
- Technicians will sanitise critical touchpoints of your vehicle (including steering wheel, door handle, gear stick and indicator stalks) both before and after the work with a disinfectant that meets leading health authority requirements. They may also use seat covers.
Total loss process during COVID-19
Whether our salvage agent technicians collect your vehicle from your home, workplace or body shop, they will follow social distancing guidelines at all times - even when collecting key / key fobs, and requesting you to electronically sign the collection sheet via a tablet.
They will be wearing appropriate levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and prior to loading your vehicle onto the recovery vehicle, they will sanitise it and check all personal possessions have been removed.
Please ensure you remove all personal possessions from your vehicle before it's collected.
Breakdowns during COVID-19
On arrival, our recovery agents will follow social distancing guidelines. They'll also:
- Wear appropriate levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Show you where to place your keys so they can be sanitised
- Sanitise critical touchpoints of your vehicle they are required to touch including keys, steering wheel, door handle both before and after the work. They may also use seat covers.
If you're away from your home address and already inside your vehicle, our technician may ask you to remain inside your vehicle with the windows up while they provide assistance.
You won't need to sign any paperwork.
If required, we'll arrange a safe, alternate form of transport for you, such as a taxi (vehicles that have a screen to separate the driver from passenger will be arranged where possible to support social distancing), a replacement vehicle (see replacement vehicle section for details) or recovery vehicle.
Where possible, our recovery agents have taken extra measures to support social distancing and protect employees and customers. These include:
- Fitting screens to recovery trucks to separate the technician from the customer
- Requesting customers wear appropriate PPE when inside the recovery vehicle
- Only transporting small passenger numbers in certain vehicles to maintain social distancing
- Using alternative solutions, such as moving customers to a place of safety a short distance away while remaining in their vehicle on the recovery vehicle bed