Does your shop maintain a high level of transparency? You need to evaluate your methods of running your auto repair shop. If you don’t do this, you will find yourself in muddled-up situations. Even if you are a small garage owner at this point, you would have known that a successful sale with a customer in the auto repair business highly depends on “how much they trust your words.” For this, the right auto repair service software will help your customers trust you more.
You can track down your inventory parts, repair orders, repair costs, metrics, and finances with auto repair software. And it gives you a chance to build a trustful bond with customers. They want to see what’s going on with their vehicle after leaving it at your shop. Moreover, it helps you to give reliable services. Check what’s happening inside your repair shop without even leaving your seat.
Don’t be a lazy lad; leave your seat and go for a walk. 😛
How about learning some tactics that will help you to provide visibility to your customers and employees by using auto repair service software? Let’s Begin…
Why Should Transparency Be Your Top Priority?
To implement something first, we need to know its importance and how it will help us grow your business. Agreed?
For running any business first, you need to understand your customers’ minds. And let me tell you one thing, this is not a thing to ignore because I have seen many auto repair businesses going down the road. Not because the business wasn’t profitable. Upon talking with such business owners, I discovered the failure stemmed from not huddling with their customers and employees.
However, don’t be scared if you are feeling that weak connection between you and your customers.
And we all know,
“it’s never too late to learn”
Relationships are stronger when they are transparent, whether they are with friends or customers. Don’t give customers a feeling that you have an intention to empty their pockets. If you do so, the next moment you will find them outside of your shop.
All efforts are in vain…
What’s An Outcome?
All of us have experienced a “fear” of the unknown. It could be waiting for the results of the exams you have just given or waiting to hear from a job where you recently gave your interview. Your eyes stick to your phone to ping a new message or call and you imagine all possible worst scenarios.
This is human nature that our imaginations can run wild when we wait for results or are distracted by thoughts of “what-ifs.”
When customers are getting their auto repair work done they expect you to tell them everything that is happening with their vehicles. Whether it’s about any additional issues that have been discovered while inspecting, or knowing where the process of repair is.
As a good shop you understand their concerns, and keep them in the loop through 2 Way SMS integrated with auto repair software.
Visibility and transparency are not just for shop-to-customer. They also help bridge the imagination and productivity gap within your shop.
Moreover, with this software, you can avoid the risk of facing “chargebacks” on the declined services which is not good for your shop. To avoid any inconvenience, send customers estimates in their email. No more chaotic situations between customers, technicians, and your service advisors.
Let’s roll down and learn ways to become a successful shop that delivers transparency for everyone.
Win Customers’ Heart: Give them Transparent Inspections
Failing to make your customers happy? Are customers angry about not receiving their vehicle back timely? Read more about how to deal with angry customers.
Your customers expect fast services. Auto repair service software can be your best friend in this. As we know, manual inspections take time and consume your technicians 5x times more energy.
When a vehicle comes to your shop first tech spends their energy diagnosing and then repairing the vehicle. But if you go for digital solutions, they can work more devotedly in delivering your customer quality work. Above all, they will be able to work on more cars.
Introduce DVI (digital vehicle inspections) to your shop. It won’t only help technicians; your customer will be easily convinced that what you are doing to their vehicle is the right thing.
How? Digital vehicle inspection software allows you to attach pictures and videos while inspecting customers’ vehicles and sending them estimates. When they see images they will automatically trust your words.
Trustable Estimates
Once the inspection game is over, the next step is getting those estimates approved. That’s the make-or-break situation.
At times there will be customers who will throw what and why questions at you. And that’s okay if we put ourselves in their situation. To make them understand better you add pictures so that you don’t have to explain them in your technical jargon.
Moreover, while you create estimates for their vehicles transparently tell them about what parts you are going to use on their vehicle.
For instance, tell them you are going to use OEM, After-Market, or Used Parts. This will help them understand the costs of repairs.
Not only this you are also providing customers convenience because you can send them their estimates through email using auto repair estimating software. They can approve and decline those services.
So when they will arrive next time at your shop you can see from their previous repair order which services they took and declined. This will help you to check their previous service history.
Bird’s Eye View Of Your Shop
Sounds interesting? I’m sure it is because we all want to stay up-to-date about what’s happening around us. So if a customer is standing next to you confronting the progress of their vehicles. If you are a service advisor reading this– I have good news, you won’t have to run to the bay to check vehicle updates each time.
Instead, you will simply check through auto repair software and instantly tell a customer through job board navigation. It tells you the status of all jobs happening at your bay on one platform.
If you are a shop owner reading this– you can keep an eye on everything, what time your techs come and leave, what is the workload for the day, your shop finances, where the customer car is in the repair process.
If you are a technician reading this, If you come across any issue while working on an RO, the last thing that you want is to chase down a service advisor. Right?
It’s very possible that you track the issue in your RO while you work on vehicles. You can add a comment without switching tabs. Easily select who you want to notify if additional issues occur.
In a nutshell, torque software benefits each and everyone at your shop. It maintains the workflow of your shop.
Keep Your Social Media Up-To-Date
In this modern world, it’s very necessary to keep your social media profiles up to the minute. There is a high chance to generate business from your social media.
Young customers are more likely to connect with you through their social media. So when they “search for the best shop near them”. Your shop must be on top of the search.
And this won’t happen overnight, it will require your 100% attention. So never neglect your social media. In fact, to make your presence more authentic, ask your existing customers for reviews.
Moreover, you can add images of your shop technicians while they are working and talk about the values that you offer in your auto repair garage.
Final Words
The auto repair business is profitable if you learn a few tactics that will help you to gain your customers’ and employees’ trust.
Your shop customers and employees are equally important for you, so try to give them ease at your doorstep. For instance, auto repair service software will help everyone at your shop.
As I have explained in this blog post, you can have a bird’s eye view at your auto repair shop easily. So there is no more uncertainty coming towards you.