6 Features Auto Repair Shops Need To Support Multi-Shop Growth

The reality is that now is a better time than ever to set your auto repair shop up for success, and even start laying the foundation for multi-shop growth. Especially for shop owners willing to take the time to embrace a new toolset: a modern shop management system.

In our latest Auto Repair Industry Index we took a look at recent industry trends across the country, compiled data from industry resources, and compared it to our Tekmetric data. What we found was really promising!

With a cloud-based SMS, shops can leverage amazing features like Default Inspections and Smart Jobs to not only simplify their workflows and smooth out their operations to run like a well-oiled machine but also set their business up for future growth and success.

1. Standardize Your Shops’ Workflow

Auto repair shops standardize their shop’s workflow as much as possible to free up time for your team to focus on the critical aspects of their job, like interacting with customers or completing repairs.

Features like Default Inspections are a simple way to create a uniform experience across your organization’s multiple locations.

In Tekmetric, default inspections automatically apply a standardized inspection template to every repair order service advisors create, letting them spend less time on the computer, and more time talking to customers.

2. Shared Customer History

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.

By linking customer data so that service writers have access to all past information, you can remind customers of that brake job they declined last time, or double-check on the status of that failing water pump your techs saw last time to create a personalized, yet uniform experience across all your shops.

3. Smart Jobs Will Revolutionize Your Shop

Your typical repair order may have one or more jobs packaged together, requiring a lot of clicking to find the right labor guides, the right parts, and the right markup matrices, over and over again. That's why we built Smart Jobs.

Smart Jobs is so powerful that it’ll revolutionize the speed and efficiency your shop works at.

With just one or two clicks, Smart Jobs will create a proper job, check inventory, pull in the right parts, prompt service advisors to purchase any missing parts, and automatically apply unique parameters to a job like fluid quality and amount based on engine type.

4. Unified Reporting For All Locations

As your shop expands, you’ll want to consistently and accurately track all of your numbers. Having the ability to track how much your shop has grown helps you hone in on the best direction for your business and course-correct to minimize any potential loss.

For example, if you notice that a large portion of your declined jobs are brake pad replacements, you can create a promotional campaign around brake pad replacements at one of your locations to see if the campaign effectively improved said location’s close ratio.

If it works, you can scale it across all locations. If it doesn’t work, you have the data you need to adjust.

5. Integrate With the Best Tools

By linking in other platforms, tools, or systems you're already using with your shop management system, owners and managers can create the ultimate platform that touches every part of their operations, building on top of the organization and core functionalities of managing your business.

For example, you can integrate with common parts vendors to simplify inventory management and parts ordering within one platform.

Or, if you're looking to expand your business, integrations let your shop bring in entirely new tools like all-in-one auto repair shop marketing platforms, or more traditional Customer Relationship Management tools, letting your shop set up automatic emails, reminders, or even offers for customers.

6. Continuous Support For Your Shop

We get that time is a huge reason a lot of shop owners don't want to make the change to a new shop management system. Learning how to use a new shop management system can be overwhelming.

That doesn't mean you should rule out the opportunity to upgrade your shop's tools and set yourself up for future growth. Our onboarding process is much more than just a setup wizard or a series of emails -- we'll get you ready to launch within your shop within 2 weeks!

Even better though, your support doesn't stop there. Not only do we have an industry-leading support team available at a minute's notice to work through any speed bumps you might run into, but Tekmetric is constantly being improved with new features and functions to help your great shop get even better.

Experience the Benefits of Tekmetric’s Automotive Repair Software

Are you a multi-shop owner who wants more visibility and alignment across locations? Are new shop locations in your future vision? Schedule a demo and see why more than 3,000 auto repair shops choose Tekmetric!

Ready to grow your automotive business? Book a personalized Tekmetric Demo Here

FAQ

Inventory can include items like oil, tools, and large equipment. It also includes stock items, or parts which are sold to the customer during the course of repairs, such as gaskets and timing belts.

Inventory management and parts management go hand in hand, but outside of labor profits, the profit a shop brings in ultimately comes from parts markup at the point of sale. Consequently, there’s very little room for error in managing parts.

Simply put, mismanaged parts means money left on the table and unhappy customers—a combination no shop owner or automotive team wants to experience.

A good auto parts inventory management system should let you:

• ​Know what parts you have in stock and how many you have
• ​Track what sells and what sits on the shelf longer than it should
• ​Help you plan for growth.

With the right auto parts inventory management system, your shop can go from disorganized to a well-oiled machine generating more and more profit.

In the fast-paced auto repair industry, delivering exceptional service and ensuring vehicle safety is paramount. This is where Tire Suite comes in — a solution that simplifies tire management, letting you save time and gain peace of mind.

Tire Suite is a comprehensive solution designed specifically for tire shops. Whether you're struggling with time-consuming DOT# registration processes, concerned about protecting your shop from risk, or looking to save money and boost profits, Tire Suite has you covered.

Streamline Your Processes, Save Valuable Time

Time is money, especially in the fast-paced world of tire shops. With Tire Suite, you can say goodbye to the days of manual paperwork and tedious DOT# registration processes. Our platform automates the entire registration process via Tiremetrix, saving you valuable time that can be better spent serving your customers or growing your business. By streamlining your processes, Tire Suite allows you to focus on what matters most – delivering exceptional service to your customers.

Our platform not only streamlines your processes for DOT# registration but also helps streamline tire sourcing. Access vehicle-specific tire specifications swiftly, facilitating seamless tire selection for your team. Easily search your inventory or seamlessly add tires as needed parts, enabling effortless tire sourcing through integrated parts ordering.

Protect Your Shop, Ensure Compliance

Compliance issues can be a nightmare for tire shop owners, leading to costly fines and penalties. With Tire Suite, you can rest easy knowing that your shop is fully compliant with DOT# regulations. Our platform simplifies the registration process and provides ongoing support, helping you avoid unnecessary risks and protect your business from potential liabilities. By investing in Tire Suite, you're investing in the long-term success and sustainability of your shop.

Take Your Tire Shop to the Next Level with Tire Suite

Ready to take your shop to new heights of efficiency and success? It's time to discover the power of Tire Suite. Say goodbye to wasted time, compliance concerns, and unnecessary expenses – and say hello to a brighter future for your shop.

When you think about the most exciting aspects of being in the auto repair industry, it’s unlikely that the invoice and estimating process comes to mind. Drafting up invoices and getting approval on estimates can be a tedious process when all your team wants to do is get things rolling with the repair! And if you have a small team, it might be tough to find someone who can squeeze in the time to create an estimate and invoice for every single repair.

However, the auto repair invoice and estimating process is one of the most important parts of your business. By fine-tuning it, you can keep better track of repairs and sell more work, increasing your shop’s ARO.

Here are five main reasons why you should fine-tune your shop’s auto repair invoice and estimating process.