“Independent collision centers have made the commitment to partner with Rivian and we want to provide the tools and information needed to deliver an excellent customer experience,” he said.
The company’s data is housed at CCI Global Technologies, Rivian’s data aggregation partner, along with ITAS, the management tool used by network members.
“It allows shop owners to manage all of the things required for the program in a very interactive way,” Phillips explained.
Since joining the company in 2020, Phillips has visited more than 1,000 body shops, evaluating locations to qualify them for certification. Rivian is actively seeking additional facilities to take part in the program.
“To become certified, centers must meet specific requirements such as being up to date on training, having the specialty tools necessary to perform repairs and being conveniently located,” he explained.
Phillips said the OEM has high standards for those interested in joining.
“If you're a well-equipped shop and you're currently working on modern vehicles, you're going to have the majority of the things required to be on the program,” noted Phillips.
A key element of the program is based on relationships. These include the relationships Rivian has with its certified network and facilities have with customers.
“It’s about ascertaining that are you committed to working with a customer who is in a bad situation and you’re going to deliver the same type of experience Rivian provides its customers,” explained Phillips. “I've got to know without a shadow of a doubt that you're going to stand beside me shoulder to shoulder as we venture into this new car business.”
Those interested in being part of the network must go through a credit check and sign a participation agreement.
After getting set up with the required tooling and equipment, collision repairers are provided training. Once the equipment is onsite and training is complete, a facility goes through a final validation before working on Rivian EVs.
Shops can also expect post-certification actions where team members conduct a quality assessment to ensure the proper equipment is used and OEM procedures are followed.
“It's really focused on the customer and repair quality is how we deliver the best outcomes,” said Phillips.
Rivian manufactures its batteries and drive units in-house, as well as many of the components. Currently, only certified collision centers have access to Rivian parts. In the future, the auto manufacturer expects to offer unrestricted parts to non-certified collision centers for structural components, such as fenders and bumpers.
However, with the car’s sensors and cameras, Phillips said almost every repair on a Rivian EV will require calibration. As a result, facilities must have access to a diagnostic capability. This can be an in-house operation or as of 2023, a partnership with a Rivian Certified Diagnostic Center (RCDC), a new certification added to the certified network to better support this repair requirement.
“We want to ensure the vehicles are fixed safely and properly, but also deliver that customer experience that we all expect,” he said.
Stacey Phillips Ronak