VRS Overview
The Variable Rate System (VRS) is the auto collision industry's new model for measuring and reporting market-based labor rates, making the old method using so-called "prevailing rates" obsolete, and giving the industry an unprecedented level of data transparency for labor rates and paid procedures.
The VRS is an innovative and proven technology helping the auto collision repair industry find the right labor rates for the right shops and achieve more consistency in payment of necessary but not-included procedures. The amazing, new BillableGenie (part of the VRS suite) gave the industry the first centralized online, searchable database of insurer and customer paid estimate line items, focused on added items such as not-included operations, procedures, materials, as well as paid labor rates and labor rate concessions.
For labor rates, the VRS process starts with the VRS Labor Rate Survey. The survey is deployed nationally, using the same survey for every state, and available for all collision repair centers to take for free, as often as they need it. NABR recommends shops complete the survey at least every 6 months to keep their shop profile up to date in the VRS, including their labor rates, training, equipment, and certifications.
The VRS Labor Rate Survey has no equal in the industry, with several key characteristics that make it the industry's premier labor rate survey system.
(1) An Independent, Third Party to Conduct Unbiased Labor Rate Surveys
NABR is an independent third party, not tied to auto body shops or insurance providers. NABR conducts impartial surveys and does not hide, exclude, or manipulate survey data or results for any party's interest, thereby creating system that all users can trust and have confidence in. It provides a level playing field for everybody.
(2) Equal, Open Access
All collision repairers nationwide can access and take the VRS Survey anytime without cost. There are no invitations, passwords, or special access requirements of any kind. See all the VRS labor rate surveys at LaborRateSurvey.com.
(3) Standardized Questionnaire
To ensure a level playing field and apples-to-apples comparisons across the industry, the VRS uses a standardized survey across the country. All body shops take the same survey.
(4) Continuous Measurement
Markets are dynamic, not static. Labor prices can change at any time, for a variety of reasons. Therefore, the VRS labor rate surveys are always open and available 24x7, enabling the VRS labor rate reporting to be the truest readout on what market labor rates are right now.
(5) Verified Data
Whatever information in the survey can be verified is verified. This includes items such as shop contact information, I-CAR Gold Class recognition, and OEM certifications, among other items.
(6) User Defined Geographic Areas
Commonly used CBSAs (Core Based Statistical Areas) as market areas are often misleading and irrelevant, and were never designed by the government for purposes of pricing collision repair labor. The VRS technology enables custom labor rate search areas starting from a specific shop address or ZIP code, together with a mileage distance, which better reflects a collision repairer's competitive market and how consumers shop. It is not limited by city, county, state lines, or any other pre-defined region.
(7) Range of Rates
In today's market, with increasingly advanced vehicles, the use of "prevailing rates" is quickly becoming antiquated. There is no one rate for a market or for a body shop. Instead, there is a range of labor rates in any market that are reasonable and acceptable to customers, in order to get their vehicle repaired right by a qualified repairer.
(8) Differentiation
Body shops are different, they are not all the same. They have differences in facilities, training, tooling, equipment, and certifications. The VRS enables both repairers and insurers to separate shops from each other and find the right rates for comparable shops, usually higher rates for shops who've invested more in their business and lower rates for those who have not.
(9) Data Integrity
NABR has high standards for data integrity. The VRS treats all survey data the same for everybody. It does not hide, exclude, or manipulate survey data or results in any way for any party's interest, thereby creating system that all users can trust and have confidence in.
(10) Data Transparency
For markets to function efficiently, pricing transparency is key. The VRS brings the collision industry an unprecedented level of data transparency you will not find anywhere else. By revealing public posted labor rates down to the shop level, the VRS provides the ultimate pro-competitive view of the marketplace, and a data-driven solution to what the real rates are in any market.
National AutoBody Research is committed to the highest level of excellence and a never-ending quest for simple, easy to use solutions that achieve real results for the collision repair industry. The Variable Rate System’s enhanced survey methodology and innovative technology represent a real breakthrough to enable a rational pricing model for the collision repair industry.
We respectfully ask for an opportunity to meet with you and show you how the Variable Rate System can help you.
Request a free, no-obligation demo of the VRS.
The VRS is an innovative and proven technology helping the auto collision repair industry find the right labor rates for the right shops and achieve more consistency in payment of necessary but not-included procedures. The amazing, new BillableGenie (part of the VRS suite) gave the industry the first centralized online, searchable database of insurer and customer paid estimate line items, focused on added items such as not-included operations, procedures, materials, as well as paid labor rates and labor rate concessions.
For labor rates, the VRS process starts with the VRS Labor Rate Survey. The survey is deployed nationally, using the same survey for every state, and available for all collision repair centers to take for free, as often as they need it. NABR recommends shops complete the survey at least every 6 months to keep their shop profile up to date in the VRS, including their labor rates, training, equipment, and certifications.
The VRS Labor Rate Survey has no equal in the industry, with several key characteristics that make it the industry's premier labor rate survey system.
(1) An Independent, Third Party to Conduct Unbiased Labor Rate Surveys
NABR is an independent third party, not tied to auto body shops or insurance providers. NABR conducts impartial surveys and does not hide, exclude, or manipulate survey data or results for any party's interest, thereby creating system that all users can trust and have confidence in. It provides a level playing field for everybody.
(2) Equal, Open Access
All collision repairers nationwide can access and take the VRS Survey anytime without cost. There are no invitations, passwords, or special access requirements of any kind. See all the VRS labor rate surveys at LaborRateSurvey.com.
(3) Standardized Questionnaire
To ensure a level playing field and apples-to-apples comparisons across the industry, the VRS uses a standardized survey across the country. All body shops take the same survey.
(4) Continuous Measurement
Markets are dynamic, not static. Labor prices can change at any time, for a variety of reasons. Therefore, the VRS labor rate surveys are always open and available 24x7, enabling the VRS labor rate reporting to be the truest readout on what market labor rates are right now.
(5) Verified Data
Whatever information in the survey can be verified is verified. This includes items such as shop contact information, I-CAR Gold Class recognition, and OEM certifications, among other items.
(6) User Defined Geographic Areas
Commonly used CBSAs (Core Based Statistical Areas) as market areas are often misleading and irrelevant, and were never designed by the government for purposes of pricing collision repair labor. The VRS technology enables custom labor rate search areas starting from a specific shop address or ZIP code, together with a mileage distance, which better reflects a collision repairer's competitive market and how consumers shop. It is not limited by city, county, state lines, or any other pre-defined region.
(7) Range of Rates
In today's market, with increasingly advanced vehicles, the use of "prevailing rates" is quickly becoming antiquated. There is no one rate for a market or for a body shop. Instead, there is a range of labor rates in any market that are reasonable and acceptable to customers, in order to get their vehicle repaired right by a qualified repairer.
(8) Differentiation
Body shops are different, they are not all the same. They have differences in facilities, training, tooling, equipment, and certifications. The VRS enables both repairers and insurers to separate shops from each other and find the right rates for comparable shops, usually higher rates for shops who've invested more in their business and lower rates for those who have not.
(9) Data Integrity
NABR has high standards for data integrity. The VRS treats all survey data the same for everybody. It does not hide, exclude, or manipulate survey data or results in any way for any party's interest, thereby creating system that all users can trust and have confidence in.
(10) Data Transparency
For markets to function efficiently, pricing transparency is key. The VRS brings the collision industry an unprecedented level of data transparency you will not find anywhere else. By revealing public posted labor rates down to the shop level, the VRS provides the ultimate pro-competitive view of the marketplace, and a data-driven solution to what the real rates are in any market.
National AutoBody Research is committed to the highest level of excellence and a never-ending quest for simple, easy to use solutions that achieve real results for the collision repair industry. The Variable Rate System’s enhanced survey methodology and innovative technology represent a real breakthrough to enable a rational pricing model for the collision repair industry.
We respectfully ask for an opportunity to meet with you and show you how the Variable Rate System can help you.
Request a free, no-obligation demo of the VRS.
