Why Car Inspection Software Beats Paper Inspections
Since around when cars first began rolling off the assembly line, the clipboard, pencil, and paper have been as much a part of working at an auto shop as getting under a car and getting your hands dirty. But while there are many tools in auto shop’s toolbox that remain unimproved upon over time, handwritten vehicle inspection forms are not among them. Today, vehicle inspections are getting a much-needed digital upgrade, thanks to Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI) software.
DVIs streamline out hidden, ultimately costly process inefficiencies which are impossible to avoid when mechanics log inspections manually. You may have already heard about companies like Bridgestone taking their vehicle inspections paperless, but don’t think that DVI software is only for big-name corporate chains. Small auto repair shops and their technicians can benefit just as much as enterprise-scale operators from taking vehicle inspections digital. This DVI deep dive will demonstrate why they are the better option, improving both drop-in visits and regular vehicle inspections, and why they should make sense for you.
How Traditional Vehicle Inspections Hold Your Shop Back
Doing inspections the pre-digital way has some costly limitations, including:
Lost Time
Minor processes inefficiencies like filing and retrieving paperwork, reading messy handwriting, etc., all waste a little time, which adds up to hours in aggregate.
Lack of Transparency
With traditional vehicle inspections the customer has to take a shop at its word on the maintenance technicians perform and the problems they find. This unavoidable lack of transparency can lead to customers hesitating on repairs, second-guessing experts, and worse. DVIs’s transparency bolsters trust and prevents misunderstandings and negative interactions (we’ll soon discuss how).
Inconsistent Record-Keeping
In a busy auto shop, inevitably, sometimes a piece of paper ends up under an oil pan or a coffee cup and is lost or rendered partly illegible. Paperwork gets misfiled, duplicates are accidentally made for return visitors, etc., meaning your records are never as precise as they could be.
What Is Car Inspection Software?
Car inspection software is a cloud-based product that allows you to perform Digital Vehicle Inspections. It displays all the fields of a vehicle inspection sheet right on a tablet or smartphone touchscreen, letting a technician go down the checklist, rank problems, add notes, and even snap and append photos and videos to document what needs repair. The information is saved in the car’s profile, accessible from any device with a login.
How Digital Vehicle Inspections Improve Small Shops
Here are some of the advantages you can expect to see after adopting Digital Vehicle Inspections:
Faster Inspections
Checking items off on a tablet with easily navigable menus goes much faster, and technicians can snap images of mileage stickers, etc., instead of copying down numbers.
Increased Customer Trust
With pictures and videos to show customers what is wrong, customers can see that a hose is about to crack or a belt about to tear, so they won’t second guess your technicians’ judgment. Moreover, DVIs look more organized, meticulous, and contemporary, which can put a customer’s mind at ease and establish trust.
More Repair Approvals
With enhanced customer trust comes a willingness to accept suggestions. If you can walk a customer through why they need a particular fix, with video evidence of the issue, they’re more likely to realize it’s necessary.
DVIs: Don’t Let Cost Put You Off
If cost concerns are keeping you from deploying DVIs, they shouldn’t, because the ROI is there. The time DVIs save your staff is money. DVIs let your technicians focus their expertise on fixing cars and serving customers instead of handling paperwork, and the overall better experience brings return customers.
Don’t fear implementation, either: good car inspection software (like DVI software from BOLT ON Technology) integrates with your shop’s existing applications, making it easy to adopt.
Getting Started With Car Inspection Software
Car inspection software packages can differ in interface, features, and functionality. Before you pursue an implementation, explore multiple vendor demos to see what setup suits your shop, keeping user-friendliness in mind. When you do choose and deploy a solution, train your shop on it. While using DVI software feels a little different, it’s easy to learn and so comprehensive and convenient that your technicians will likely prefer it over paper.
Meeting High Expectations For Vehicle Inspections
Traditional vehicle inspections get the job done. But these days, you can do the job better. DVIs can help make your entire operation more organized, saving time and streamlining out hidden costs, and can facilitate more pleasant, trusting customer interactions, building loyalty. So if you’re a small shop wanting to meet new expectations for vehicle inspections, check out BOLT ON’s on-demand demo and see how we can help!
