Ford And Norwich Union Announce Repair Centres Agreement

Car market leader Ford Motor Company Ltd and Norwich Union Insurance (NUI), the UK's largest insurer, have signed a far reaching agreement to enhance further the claims process for Ford drivers.

The number of Ford drivers insured by NUI who will have their accident-damaged vehicles sent to Ford Accident Repair Centres is set to double. All Ford repair work authorised by NUI wherever carried out will be done using Ford genuine parts.

Ford Accident Repair Centres are staffed by Ford-trained technicians working to agreed standards and scheduled repair times. Ford genuine parts provide peace of mind for customers - repairs are backed by a three-year parts and labour warranty (some conditions apply).

Ford will work with NUI on repair work being authorised by Ford repairers themselves to further reduce the amount of time a Ford vehicle is off the road.

John Cooper, director of Ford Customer Service Division, said: "We are delighted to see Norwich Union embrace the twin concepts of using genuine parts for all Ford repairs and refer more Ford owners to our network.

"This partnership will enable us to achieve higher levels of satisfaction for our mutual customers and we look forward to working with Norwich Union to ensure successful implementation."

This latest agreement will provide improved customer satisfaction for NUI-insured Ford drivers, knowing that their vehicle will be repaired to the high standards and repair methods supported by NUI in Ford Accident Repair Centres.

Ford and NUI are already well known to each other. Ford Insure, the company's own brand of motor insurance, has been underwritten by NUI since its launch in 1998.

Simon Machell, NUI's customer service director, said: "We are particularly pleased to announce this agreement as it represents a further significant step forward in Norwich Union's delivery of its parts supply strategy, as well as continuing to develop our strategic relationship with Ford."