“It’s all about transparency and mutual benefit.” - How Cogent Hire and Hills are smoothing the path for salvage

The worst case scenario for many drivers following an accident is the total loss of their vehicle. Being without your chosen vehicle for a week or two while a repair company gets to work is one thing - having to handle the recovery and salvage of a written-off vehicle is another thing entirely.

And for drivers, insurers and businesses alike, the entire salvage process is often filled with that word we at Cogent Hire dislike more than any other.

Friction.

Making the wrong call on whether or not a vehicle is repairable or a total loss? That adds friction. Having to vet multiple potential salvage partners? Friction. Disagreeing with the partner you choose? You guessed it. Yet more friction.

We don’t like friction. And nor do the experts at Hills Salvage & Recycling. Which makes them perfect partners for Cogent Hire.

 

“We need to make the right decision quickly. And we can.” - how Cogent Hire speeds up the salvage process

“Total loss is all about making the right decision as quickly as possible.”

Cogent Hire MD Kirsty McKno knows that speed is key when it comes to deciding whether a vehicle is repairable, or a total loss. And Cogent Hire’s tech plus people approach is all about making that decision within hours.

“Our team needs to make the right decision as quickly as possible to keep costs low and reduce friction. And we can, with AI powered triage. We can make the right decision on the first call 85% of the time - and within two hours 100% of the time.”

We’ve covered Cogent Hire’s triage process and partners in an earlier post, but once this process is complete, and that total loss decision is confirmed, we need to take action quickly. Because salvage shouldn’t be about scrapping a car. It should be about recovering as much as possible. For our clients, and for the environment.

And those green values are shared by our salvage partners Hills, as Joe March - Head of Commercial & Network Management explains:

“This is a really exciting partnership where as well as providing salvage disposal services for Cogent Hire clients, we will include our sister company, the Green Parts Specialists, in a project to supply green parts into the credit Hire supply chain.”

Hills don’t just drag written-off vehicles to a wrecker’s yard to break them up and dispose of them. They’re committed to thoroughly inspecting the vehicles that arrive and re-using as many components as possible as green parts.

And that’s a huge benefit to drivers and insurers alike. Because while replacing a damaged part with new creates friction during the claims process, using green parts from a written-off vehicle keeps costs down, is seen as a like-for-like replacement by insurers, and helps speed up the repair process:

“Upcycling parts from salvaged vehicles is a sustainable solution with measurable benefits - providing both cost and time savings for Cogent Hire clients by using green parts in the credit hire repair space.”

 

A smoother way to salvage

The use of green parts sourced by our salvage partners might have benefits to drivers and businesses looking for a quick, simple repair process. But it doesn’t come as much consolation to those clients whose cars are being broken down for green parts.

Fortunately, one thing that does come as a consolation is another shared value. Hills are just as committed as Cogent Hire to making the whole process as smooth, painless and respectful as possible.

Hills is a family-run, wholly independent salvage company and they’re committed to transparency, openness and respect. They treat every vehicle with care - ensuring nothing is damaged in transit, and operate a real-time portal that offers a seamless digital journey to keep everyone fully informed.

And this commitment to customer service is based on the belief that the way Hills works is better for everyone - because it’s better for the environment. Joe explains:

“We live in a world where we must reuse and recycle, where we must be sustainable and efficient. By adopting green parts, we’re able to reduce the number of vehicles that are written off as a total loss, and that means every driver we deal with deserves the best possible service.”

“We want to demonstrate the real value of openness and transparency, just like Cogent Hire.”

This commitment to the environment is cemented by Hills’ understanding of electric vehicles. While some salvage companies aren’t comfortable handling EVs and the huge, potentially dangerous batteries they contain, Hills are. So Hills, like Cogent Hire, can support any driver of any vehicle.

A smoother process for drivers of written-off vehicles, and a commitment to upcycling that reduces the number of total losses overall? It’s easy to see why we’re happy to collaborate with Hills.

And our shared values of openness, transparency and customer service show why they’ve been just as happy to collaborate with Cogent Hire.