Working Smarter, Not Harder: How Auto Repair Manager Software Supports Every Step of the Repair Order
Do you ever feel like you need six arms just to make it through the morning rush? We know how you feel. We used to be there. Some weeks you may feel like it’s Monday all week long!
Being a service advisor in the auto repair industry has its challenges, and customers can be a big one. You want to be professional, because without them, you’ll be out of a job. But it can be difficult when every customer wants their car done asap and at a low cost. They probably aren’t thinking about the 50 other things you are juggling. Auto repair manager software can help advisors keep their balls in the air instead of chasing them around the floor.
Bridging the Gaps Between Technicians, Customers, and Management
Do you know where the disconnect usually happens? Most commonly, it is incomplete or unclear repair notes. It may be delayed updates - especially if there are multiple people working on the car or have access to update the information. Kind of like a too many cooks in the kitchen syndrome. There could also be confusion with approvals. Sometimes an approval can fall through the cracks, or essentially get lost.
Wouldn’t it be nice to avoid that disconnect? Imagine your technician inputs some data or finding into their tablet, and you get notified of it immediately. Maybe they discover something not on an estimate, and the customer needs to authorize proceeding with the repair because this bumps the overall cost above what is authorized. The customer gets notified by the auto repair software, and you receive that approval before you even have to check on the progress of the repair.
The result? Lower stress for you, the service advisor, and an increased confidence and communication between all parties. You’ll be able to go home each evening feeling relaxed. Meanwhile, your customers will feel good about trusting you with their auto repairs.
One RO, Many Touchpoints—Let Software Manage the Details
Having so many moving parts in auto repairs can overwhelm even the best service advisor. From the time a customer drops their car off to when they pick it up, there are 287, give or take, things that have to happen. The front desk checks the car in and gets the keys. The parts get ordered. The technician reviews the problem…
A car repair software program can organize each touchpoint, from estimates to updates to follow-ups, more accurately and efficiently. Real-time updates can be made. Communication with the customer is instantaneous. No more scrap pieces of paper to get lost between the car bay and the front desk. Think of your car repair software as a second brain that can process things quicker and more accurately than you do!
Real-Time Reporting = Fewer Surprises and Better Conversations
What would you do with job data? If you knew exactly how many hours a technician worked on a car, what would that do to the accuracy of your billing? Suppose you knew a simple front-end alignment took technician #1 this long and technician #2 that long. Wouldn’t that give you valuable information about which technician should be scheduled to perform front-end alignments? Auto repair manager software can tell you that! You’ll know how long it takes to do a job (and you can track which technicians are a powerhouse on certain repairs). You’ll have information on productivity and auto repair services that are recommended or declined.
The best part is you will have all the information at your fingertips. So when you get that phone call from a customer wondering about the status of their car repairs, you won’t be guessing, you’ll be guiding them!
The Role of the Advisor is Evolving—Here’s How to Keep Up
How would you like a title change? As service advisors, you can wear many hats. You’re a taxi driver, a hall monitor, a data junkie, a communicator, and a busy body to name a few. How does the title, “Shop Experience Manager” sound to you? Let the auto repair shop software wear all the hats. You’ll have more time to make the experience the best it can be for your customers and technicians.
The real-time value of car repair software improves consistency and makes everything transparent, which is becoming a must in today’s auto repair business. The goal is increasing efficiency and cutting costs, but having automation that tells your customers the status of their repairs is a real time-saver. You can even set reminder messages to go out when it’s time for routine maintenance items!
When Advisors Have the Right Tools, Everyone Wins
Remember, it’s not about getting more accomplished, it’s about doing things smarter. How would you like to see these tools in action? See how auto repair shop software can and will deliver on its promises. Request your own On Demand Demo today!
