UpdatePromise

About UpdatePromise

UpdatePromise, founded in 2009 by Curtis Nixon and Flavio Jaen, operates as a SaaS provider of consumer experience management systems for the North American automotive industry. The company is headquartered in Chino, California, and targets automotive dealerships, collision repair centers, and insurance companies. Its business model is centered on a subscription-based service for its integrated software platform, which aims to enhance communication and operational efficiency throughout the vehicle service lifecycle.

The company's journey began when co-founder and CEO Curtis Nixon established a pilot program with Farmers Insurance to deploy the platform to its contracted collision repair centers. A pivotal moment came in 2014 when Nixon recruited Richard Pannazzo to join the team and spearhead the expansion into the OEM dealer market. Pannazzo, who now serves as COO, brought extensive experience from the automotive sector, including roles at Fix Auto USA and a background in operations and process improvement. This strategic move marked the company's significant push into the auto dealership vertical. UpdatePromise has secured a total of $31.4M in funding, including an $8 million investment from GCP Capital Partners in 2018 to foster growth in sales and technology.

The core of UpdatePromise's offering is a comprehensive software suite designed to manage the customer journey from start to finish. Key features include an AI-enhanced appointment scheduler that integrates with dealership websites, a tablet-based service lane check-in process, and automated status updates sent to customers via text and email. A significant component is the media-rich multi-point inspection (MPI) tool, which allows technicians to share photos and videos of required repairs with customers, building trust and increasing the value of repair orders. The platform also integrates mobile and contact-free payment solutions, which have been shown to increase customer satisfaction and can reduce merchant fees for dealerships. Furthermore, the system facilitates the collection of customer satisfaction surveys, manages online reviews, and includes marketing tools for re-engaging past customers. The company emphasizes its strong integration capabilities with major dealership management systems (DMS) like Reynolds and Reynolds and Autosoft, ensuring a more secure and reliable data exchange. Recently, the company has expanded its offerings to include the UpdatePromise Academy, a partnership providing training and professional development for service advisors and managers.