PITTSFORD, N.Y.—Sept. 12, 2008—Autobody shops in Florida and New Jersey recently became the first to start receiving job referrals from SceneExchange—the only Web service that lets consumers choose a shop online for prompt repair of their insured vehicle.

SceneExchange is a simple, cost-effective way for shops to increase their volume and capture the jobs they want, according to Scene Genesis, a technology company that works with shop owners, insurers and consumers.There’s no fee to receive ongoing referrals from SceneExchange.  The program will be expanded to Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri during the month of October--and beyond--as additional insurers sign on.

Scene Exchange alerts local shops about new collision-repair jobs posted by participating insurers. Shop managers view the appraisal and bid for the business based on turnaround time and service.  The vehicle owner goes on the SceneExchange site to review the shops’ proposals and information about their training and warranty policies, and check ratings from other SceneExchange customers who’ve used the shop.

     “SceneExchange gives collision-repair shops more control and helps smooth out the flow of work,” said Chrisa Hickey, Scene Genesis’ Director of Product Management.  “Shops that are busy can skip any jobs they can’t handle, and the ones that have capacity can jump on them fast.”

Owners of both personal and commercial vehicles can use the service.  Bodyshops pay referral fees for only the jobs they complete.