The Next Big Thing In Automotive Service
A 6 min read to ensure your shop is on the right track
Vehicle inspections are a huge part of auto repair shops. That’s why shops need to ensure a healthy, streamlined process to doing them. Service technicians are most likely doing inspections on each and every car that flow through the garage doors (even if they are in for just an oil change!)
As more and more shops are beginning to change, and adopt more tech in their business it’s imperative to change with the times. If you don’t, you have a huge risk of being left in the dust. In this blog, we are going to go over the 3 top reasons a shop needs to join thousands of others in ditching the pen and paper, and using digital vehicle inspections instead.
Paper is ancient (and not in a good way!)
For many years paper inspections were the go-to for auto inspections. Ever since the dawn of the automotive service shop, it’s been how technicians explained what’s wrong with a customer’s vehicle. It was simple and straightforward but extremely limited in its communication of a vehicle’s problems.
They often say a picture is worth a thousand words and this couldn’t be true enough. Before digital vehicle inspections, when a customer would question the inspection findings, the technician would often have to spend MORE time (that could be used working on the next car!) explaining what’s wrong with the vehicle. They may even have to actually walk the customer around the vehicle pointing out each individual problem so they have a clearer explanation. This is a huge time killer in 2019, so for managers looking to get the most out of a techs hours take note of this.
Now with digital vehicle inspections, that entire headache is GONE. Technicians can now take photos and videos of exactly what’s wrong with the vehicle during the initial inspection. He/she can then include these findings right on the vehicle inspection report. This has been proven effective in a case study where the average shop saw a 25% increase on their average invoices.
Oops! Mistakes Happen..
What about all the spills that happen in the shop? Shops are stain ridden environments full of potential spill hazards. Coffee spills, oil , washer fluid, and who knows what Bob spilled on that inspection report last week. All potentially staining and/or smudging a paper inspection report making the advisor second guess what the tech wrote. This doesn’t look very professional for the customers who are about to shell out big bucks on auto repair.
When you switch to digital, inspections are done through smartphones and tablets. Never again will you have to worry about stained inspection reports. People usually treat technology with some respect as they are going to do all the can to ensure no damage comes to their devices either. The tech can now send the report right to anyone who needs it, whether that be the customer, advisor etc. There are so many reasons to switch from paper to digital inspections we actually wrote a full article on it. You can check it out by clicking here.
Easily upsell more automotive service work
Most drivers who bring their vehicles in for standard service jobs like oil changes, tire rotations only want the bare minimum done. They come in with the thought already in their head that the shop will try to upsell them on “unnecessary work”. Even when there are serious concerns a technician may have regarding their vehicle’s health, it’s often passed over as “being a pushy salesmen.”
Most customers often figure if the car runs everything is fine. The vehicle may even last many more months before dying on the side of the road. The reality is, without fixing some of the issues outlined in inspection reports the customer is not driving in a car that is as safe as it can be.
Digital vehicle inspections give advisors the ability to show customers exactly what is wrong with a vehicle in clear images and video. In simpler terms, the customers see exactly what the technicians see when he/she is doing the vehicle inspection.
When the customer can clearly tell what is wrong with their vehicle they are much more open to approving extra work that they didn’t come in for originally. So much so that on average shops that use digital vehicle inspection software can see a 25% increase in their AROs. This gives customers peace of mind while driving that they are in a safe vehicle for themselves AND their families. Not only is it safe, but it’s got work that was actually needed. Safety is always the priority for customers and as members of the automotive industry, it should do us pride when we can give customers that feeling.
Communication is key
Ensuring your shop has great communication process is place is crucial. Part of communication is making sure work is finished on time and of high quality. With custom checklists in place, your shop can rest easy in knowing technicians won’t miss anything.
If you don’t have proper checklists in place, and the technicians don’t follow them and MISS SOMETHING, this could end very badly. Your shop could be on the hook for thousands in damages to the customer’s vehicle. We’ve seen rags ending up running through engines, technicians forgetting to even do the most basic things like putting the oil cap back on can cause massive headaches.
Don’t lose money due to improper communication. With AutoServe1, your shop can actually have the ability to have custom checklists for all the services you provide. No more guesswork and working off the top of your head! You can learn more about checklists by clicking here.
Customer Gone MIA?
Another huge problem in shops is simply not hearing from customers. After an inspection, shops try getting work approved ASAP. Before digital vehicle inspection software, you would have to hopefully connect with a customer on the first try through calling them. More often than not, shops wait hours for customers to get back, especially if its midweek.
People are often too busy to take a call as they’re in the middle of work, meetings, etc. With two-way texting features on AutoServe1 software, shops have the ability to send the customer the full report right to their smartphones. Reports are fully detailed including images and video explaining problems. The customer doesn’t even have to call to approve work either. They can approve the service right from their phones! Finally, no more annoying voicemails and waiting to hear back from them off shop hours.