While it might not seem too obvious at first, there’s a unique opportunity for independent repair shops to enter the digital age. With the right tools for the job, auto repair shops can meet customer expectations at every step of the way, from texting inspection findings right to customers down to cardless payment options.
With the right features, independent auto repair shops can work faster, smarter, and more efficiently, while delivering the amazing customer service we’ve all come to expect.
Owners may have never really thought of it this way before, but relying on some old-school system to run their shop, manage repairs, order parts, stock inventory, and keep track of all their finances is just making things so much harder.
Cloud-based shop management systems combines all the standard aspects of running an auto repair shop and tracking cars as they flow through the repair process in a modern software solution.
Cloud-based access means instant communication, no matter where you are. Think about it this way, you don't have to check your home computer to see what your friends and family are up to online. But, no matter where you access your profiles, all your data, conversations, likes, and feed are always the same.
With a cloud-based shop management system, service advisors and technicians can collaborate with ease. Service advisors can get a birds-eye view of every stage of the repair process without having to interrupt technicians.
As technicians progress and complete repairs, the software will reflect that. Armed with that information, service advisors can then contact guests to update them.
Records are important for any business, and shops are no exception. Having a record of who signed what, and when, can come to your rescue in the event of a customer dispute. And because these are digital records, you won’t misplace them as you might paper records.
Enhanced digital authorization creates an accurate record of customer authorization history and the details of different repair orders in a system. Customers can digitally sign off on repairs, and your repair shop software will capture their signatures.
Enhanced digital authorization modernizes your shop by ditching the old pen-and-paper approach for a digital signature. Customers don’t even have to stop by your shop, and service advisors don’t have hope to make a phone call and catch customers when they’re available: just instantly text or email the estimate for instant approval.
Additionally, digital authorization protects your shop from liability in the event of a customer dispute by maximizing your visibility of key authorization details (like the phone number of the service advisor who sent the repair order).
Your shop can get approval from customers in a matter of seconds, and customers can have the convenience of handling the process on their time.
Digital vehicle inspections solve the problems that come with paper inspections, like unclear handwriting, lost pages, lack of trust, and more.
Digital vehicle inspections are vehicle inspections adapted for the modern age. Customers can see photos and videos of exactly what’s wrong with their vehicles, see the urgency of each proposed repair, and approve or decline jobs directly from their smartphones.
With digital vehicle inspections, technicians can build inspections on their smartphones or tablets. From there, service advisors can build estimates and send them directly to customers’ smartphones.
Customers can then approve or decline jobs on the go. In short, digital vehicle inspections move the approval process along faster and minimize the chances of any miscommunications between your team and your customers. In turn, your team can build greater trust with customers, enabling them to sell more work.
No matter what major big box retailer you walk in, no matter where in the country, if they have multiple locations they'll have a history of every purchase you've made.
We don't even really think about it, but that creates a seamless experience. Customers can expect the same level of care and service no matter where they visit.
Tekmetric Multi-Shop Shared Customer History allows users to connect customers across shops and view the history of those customers across all locations within their organization in Tekmetric.
Shared Customer History in Tekmetric enables multi-shop organizations to create that same experience in their organizations.
With just a few clicks, shop owners and general managers can quickly add customers from one shop location to another without actually typing out all their information again.
This means shops can provide a seamless customer experience across all locations and easily maintain customer information without worrying about duplicating entries.
Vehicle inspections are perhaps the most critical part of the repair process. After the customer stops by and describes the problem, it’s on your shop to investigate the claims, determine the cause, and recommend the next steps to get the customer back on the road.
Modern shop management systems let Service Advisors build out multiple inspection templates to help save time, and some go even further like Tekmetric enabling default inspections.
With default inspections, Tekmetric Users can set a default inspection template to automatically apply to newly created repair orders. Simplify workflows, and gain back time, all while delivering the same great experience to customers every time.
Service advisors won’t have to spend time searching for your shop’s standard inspection every time they build a new repair order.
Plus, technicians will have a standardized inspection to work off of, ensuring that every vehicle is thoroughly inspected to the same standard with the same level of care.
Free up service advisor time so they can focus less on a computer screen, and more on the customer they're servicing.
The Auto Repair Industry is experiencing a number of changes. From larger economic shifts to a growing technician shortage, its now more crucial than ever to set your shop up for growth.
Often in moments of chaos there are windows of opportunity.
After every economic decline, no matter how steep—the housing crisis, the dot-com bust, even the Great Depression—the world has managed to come back.
Times of economic downturn are difficult, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. As far as the virus is concerned, economists are even speaking of a “V” curve. Meaning just as fast as our economy slowed down, it may pick up that quickly too.
In other words, have hope. There are opportunities during slow periods to adjust how you operate and how you service your guests.
These opportunities can help you navigate a tricky economy and prepare your shop for when business picks up again. This may be an unprecedented time in human history, but it’s also an open window for innovation.
What you do now will have a big impact on the future of your business.
If less cars than usual are rolling into your shop for repairs, you now have some time to work on streamlining your process, being more efficient, eliminating waste (of both time and materials), and improving your marketing and guest experience.
How should shop owners approach this situation? In a way, the same way you might approach business at any other time: finding ways to innovate and improve.
.webp)
As 2023 winds down, it's a great time to reflect on the strides made across the independent auto repair industry.
Throughout the year, we’ve been collecting data, talking to shops that rely on Tekmetric every day, and gaining valuable insight into how your shop can prepare for the best year possible in 2024.
That’s why we released our latest Industry Index Report earlier this year, to give shops and industry resources to not only compare their performance against other shops but also some concrete tips and tricks they can implement at their shop.
This comprehensive analysis not only assesses the industry's vitality but also seamlessly integrates unique Tekmetric’s partner shop data, presenting a goldmine of opportunities for optimizing shop management.
The result is a compelling narrative that provides a bird's-eye view of auto repair in 2023 and delves into Tekmetric-specific data, to offer shops like yours the actionable insights you need for success in 2024.
Here’s how shops can take advantage of these trends in 2024.
One of the most important parts of building a thriving auto repair shop in today’s industry is knowing how to interpret your shop’s data well – and often. Understanding how to leverage and report on your data can help you transform your business overnight through informed decision-making, financial health monitoring and strategic planning. Large corporations invest in tools to provide them with business intelligence to grow their bottom line and it should be no different when it comes to running your auto repair shop.
Through data analytics and predictive reporting, organizations can gain a deeper understanding of market trends, customer behavior and emerging opportunities. Integrating these capabilities into running your business can be quite intimidating. Fortunately, Tekmetric’s shop management system provides the tools you need to run reports, monitor your shop’s performance, and make strategic decisions that promote increased efficiency and profitability. Read on to discover how you can leverage data to enhance efficiency, improve customer engagement, identify growth opportunities, and drive profitability in your shop.
Identifying a clear target of what you’re looking to achieve in your business is the most important starting point when it comes to measuring performance and success. To effectively leverage data for your business, start by clearly defining your goals. Identify what you aim to achieve, whether it's improving customer satisfaction, increasing sales or optimizing operations to save you time or even looking to expand your auto repair shop to a new location.
Once your goals are set, establish specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure your progress. This step is crucial to ensuring you are able to evaluate progress clearly and objectively. Once you’re able to track your performance accurately and measure success, you can now move onto formulating a data-driven strategy to reach your business objectives.
For an auto repair shop, analyzing data begins with collecting detailed information about various aspects of the business, such as customer demographics, parts usage, Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI) metrics, technician efficiency, as well as sales trends. This analysis helps in understanding the current performance levels, pinpointing areas for improvement, and optimizing resource allocation. For example, with Tekmetric’s real-time insights you can quickly identify repair orders by status and identify bottlenecks before they occur in your shop.
Establishing baselines involves setting standard performance metrics against which future performance can be measured. By using historical data, the shop can determine average repair order (ARO), parts margins by vendor and employee efficiency. These baselines serve as benchmarks for evaluating progress and identifying deviations that require attention.
An auto repair shop can make data-driven decisions by leveraging data insights to inform its business strategies and decisions. Tekmetric built its reporting suite with a focus on helping shops identify key areas for growth and opportunities for innovation. For example, thorough and efficient digital vehicle inspections can strongly enhance your customer experience by building trust and transparency.
At Tekmetric, we've discovered that shops sending eight to twelve photos to customers on over 50% of their repair orders achieve a higher average repair order (ARO) compared to those that don't. By measuring DVI quality through metrics like photo quantity, you can increase your ARO while building trust and transparency with vehicle owners. Leveraging Tekmetric's reporting tools, you can identify your own trends and implement a growth strategy driven by data-backed decision making.
To ensure ongoing success, an auto repair shop should prioritize monitoring and regular review of its operations. This entails creating regular reports to track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and measure the impact of data-driven decisions. By consistently monitoring performance metrics, the shop can stay proactive in addressing challenges and capitalizing on opportunities.
It's crucial for auto repair shops to remain agile in their approach. Tekmetric’s reporting enables its users to be prepared to pivot and make quick decisions based on real-time data and insights. As the automotive industry evolves and customer needs change, shops must adapt their strategies accordingly. By staying agile, the shop can swiftly respond to market shifts, customer preferences, and emerging trends, ensuring its continued relevance and competitiveness in the industry.
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)