Bavarian Motor Repairs Invested in the Right People & Technology

Like thousands of shop owners before him, Andrew Minkler started his shop with absolute confidence in his technical abilities but little first-hand experience on how to run a business.

In 2011, Andrew left his role as a Certified Master BMW Technician to go back to school for engineering. To help pay his tuition, Andrew started his own auto repair shop: Bavarian Motor Repairs. Once the ‘be your own boss’ seed took root, there was no turning back. Since day one, Andrew has focused on delivering the highest level of service to BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce owners in the D.C. area. Now, he is growing his business by connecting his team and his customers, tracking his shop’s metrics, and scaling his garage from the ground up.

Connecting with Clients

Andrew resigned from doing mobile diagnostics tech support for BMW in 2011 to go back to school for engineering. In 2015, Bavarian Motor Repair opened. Last August, the team decided to be more intentional about growing the shop. Because they only service BMWs, Rolls Royce, and Minis, they're constantly pushing to surpass the local dealers, which is a feat in the aggressive DC area. Tekmetric helps them stand out.

The goal was to communicate with clients faster and with more clarity to provide better service, resulting in higher dollar repair orders (ROs).

Communication is extremely important. If they're not communicating, they're not working. Everything is a presentation to customers.

When you can show clients the problem on their own terms, and give them a choice, it grows your ARO and your business.

Engagement with clients is high caliber and proactive throughout the entire repair process. From the second customers drive onto the lot, the team greets them and begins documenting their concerns to make the visit as personalized and efficient as possible. Once that personal connection is made, the shop management system shines with digital vehicle inspections (DVI), messaging, and fast estimate approvals by text or email.

Switching to a New Shop Management System

The old shop management system (SMS) was on a local PC, which led to downtime and losses. After investigating other systems and testing them at expos, Tekmetric stood out for its direction in communication, presentation, and efficiency.

Tekmetric made it easier to see important numbers and made everything easier. The changeover was seamless, with improved support, fluidity, and reliability. There hasn't been a single day where Tekmetric was unavailable.

There are many small features that help the team work more efficiently. When clients started receiving updates in advance, tickets and numbers increased. Service writers can now write a $6,000 estimate in five minutes or less.

Tracking My Numbers

Measuring the value of the business allows more opportunities to pass that value on to clients. The team tracks door rate, effective labor rate, parts and labor margins on each RO, service advisor close ratios, GP dollars, and other KPIs that Tekmetric tracks and displays. Measuring success and quickly identifying shortcomings and opportunities for innovation has led to profit growth.

Currently, car count, ARO, and technician efficiency are up. Technician efficiency increased from around 95% to about 120%, with expectations for further growth.

Scaling My Business

The shop is expanding, adding 2,500 square feet for four new bays. As they expand, having cloud-based software that grows with them is critical. Andrew can attend meetings, spend time with family, and still access the shop from his phone. Anywhere access gives confidence to let staff grow into their roles.

For marketing, much of the data is pulled from Tekmetric. The shop has strong referral and outreach programs. Early on, they realized that cold-call customers were not the best clients. Increasing referrals attracted the right clients—those who trust the shop to create honest repair orders. Customer information is pulled from Tekmetric and used for targeted marketing on Facebook and Google.

"Communicate your vision to your team and invest in the right people and technology to make it a reality."

Andrew reflects that doing one thing well is not enough; teaming up with others is essential. He hired a professional coach, joined a 20 group, upgraded to the best SMS, and now runs a business with direction and purpose. He expresses gratitude to clients, staff, and companies like Tekmetric.

For more information about Bavarian Motor Repairs, visit bavarianmotorrepairs.com