How can I modernize my auto repair shop?

One of the best tools for modernizing your business is a modern, [cloud-based shop management system](https://www.tekmetric.com/post/repair-tracking-software-workflow).

What are the key modern features of auto repair shop software?

The features and capabilities found in modern repair shop software will fall into two main buckets: - Features that enable you and your team to work more efficiently - Features that enable you and your team to interact more smoothly with customers

How does cloud-based shop management software improve shop operations?

Unlike traditional software that needs to be installed directly on your shop computer... cloud-based software can be used on any device, from any location that has an internet connection.

What payment options does Tekmetric offer to modernize auto repair shops?

Text-to-pay is touchless payment—customers can pay invoices directly from their smartphones. ... Tekmerchant even provides necessary protections to help shops prevent chargeback fraud.

The Ultimate Guide to Modernizing Your Shop With Repair Shop Software

The article titled "The Ultimate Guide to Modernizing Your Shop With Repair Shop Software," published on May 22, 2023, by Tekmetric, discusses how automotive repair shops can enhance their operations and increase average repair orders—highlighted by Metro Motor's success across 19 shops—through the adoption of modern repair shop software solutions.

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See how Metro Motor grew their average repair order to $800 across 19 shops with Tekmetric

Under the Lift: Stories from the Automotive Frontier (New Episode)

Thought Leadership

The Ultimate Guide to Modernizing Your Shop With Repair Shop Software

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May 22, 2023

Read time: 2 min

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How Can You Make Your Auto Repair Shop More Modern?

We keep saying that word "modern," but what does that really mean for auto repair shops? When we step back and think about the modern independent repair shop, we could sum it up with three core concepts:

1.The freedom to run your business in a more contemporary way with data, industry knowledge, flexibility and independence to work as in whatever way is best for you and your shop.
2.The power to simplify your shop's operations can gain complete visibility, control and opportunity to determine the best path forward for every decision.
3.The best experience for your customers, every time, for every job, whether that's a coolant flush and pad replacement, or a turbo rebuild.

With the right tools in place, your team members won’t have to stress about extra oversight and can feel empowered to take the reins at work. And your customers can have a more active say in the repair process.

One of the best tools for modernizing your business is a modern, cloud-based shop management system.

What Makes Modern Shop Management Software?

The features and capabilities found in modern repair shop software will fall into two main buckets:

Features that enable you and your team to work more efficiently
Features that enable you and your team to interact more smoothly with customers

Ultimately, the modern features we’re about to dive into will free up your time as a shop owner. Instead of stressing over small day-to-day details, you’ll be able to focus more on the high-level aspects of advancing your business.

1. Cloud-Based Shop Management Software

Cloud-based shop management systems make everything so much better. We really mean that.

Unlike traditional software that needs to be installed directly on your shop computer, which then needs to be maintained by that specific service provider in your shop's physical location, cloud-based software can be used on any device, from any location that has an internet connection.

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With cloud software, everything is hosted on the provider's servers, but completely owned by and accessible to your shop.

Technicians can type inspection notes from their smartphones without having to leave their bays, service advisors can check on repair details, and owners can work remotely from anywhere with internet access.

And because all of your data is on the cloud, you’ll have more peace of mind that your shop won’t suffer from data loss if the hardware breaks down, and the platforms are always improving.

2. Real-Time Control with a Streamlined Shop Workflow

Just as a dashboard in a car allows drivers to see what’s going on with their vehicle, auto repair shop software acts as your shop's dashboard with a streamlined workflow. Shop owners gain total control of their business in real-time, while allowing service writers, technicians, and shop owners to see what’s coming in, what vehicle is in the garage, and what’s ready for pickup.

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Because shop owners have a granular look at the status of each job at any given moment, they can gain a strategic view of everything happening in their shops.

Tekmetric also lets shop owners see the dashboard by day, week, month, and year-to-date, opening up a whole new level of forecasting with a complete view of how their business is performing over time.

3. Digital Vehicle Inspections For Enhanced Visibility

Digital vehicle inspections are an absolute game-changer for creating a modern customer experience at your shop.

Instead of handing guests a paper inspection, you can send a digital one straight to their device, where they’ll be able to read all the necessary details about the proposed repair work.

Tekmetric’s digital vehicle inspection feature helps you navigate that issue by bringing another layer of transparency to every interaction. Technicians can attach photos and videos to each DVI, so guests can see for themselves exactly what’s wrong with their cars. As a result, they’ll have peace of mind and trust your recommendations.

4. Simplified Parts and Inventory Management

Modern shop management software gives you an holistic view of everything happening in your shop for the ultimate level of management.

And successful parts management means you need to understand how your inventory is suited to the needs of your customer, the quality of the parts that are kept in the shop, and how to minimize inventory that is not being sold.

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Modern shop management software makes parts and inventory management easy by combining every single aspect of running your shop, managing your inventory, and even ordering new parts into one streamlined workflow.

If you don't have a part in stock while working on a car you can quickly swap the part for a similar one in inventory, or instantly place an order for what you need and let you text the customer all the same system.

5. Instant and Digital Communication

These days, customers expect updates on the services they receive, such as shipping updates on their packages. Repairs are no exception. Customers are busy and want to know when they can expect to pick up their vehicles.

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Thanks to true two-way texting, service advisors can give customers updates and even answer any questions that customers might have about their DVIs. Service advisors can update customers on the status of their repairs in seconds. They don’t have to dial a number or try to find customers in person.

6. Built-In Payment Processing

When you can order a pizza online, and pay for it in multiple installments, why shouldn't your shop's customers have that option for their vehicles' repairs?

Text-to-pay is touchless payment—customers can pay invoices directly from their smartphones. They don’t have to physically walk into the shop to hand over cash or a credit card.

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Shops can take advantage of alternative payment methods to provide their customers with flexible service and simplify the payment process. Not only does this make it easier for your customers, but Tekmerchant even provides necessary protections to help shops prevent chargeback fraud, so you can have peace of mind knowing you will get paid for the work your shop did.

Running a Modern, Independent Auto Repair Shop

The ability for shops to track financial information, payment, and customer history will affect their success, especially as they take on new types of repairs on new types of vehicles.

As they update their repair offerings in response to new vehicles on the street, shops will need to keep a close eye on their metrics to ensure they are meeting their profit goals.

And of course, shops will have to respond to updates in consumer technology to ensure that they’re keeping their teams and customers happy.

With Tekmetric, you can modernize your shop and give your team and customers the flexibility and autonomy they want.

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

FAQ

With the SiriusXM Platinum Plan, customers receive access to hundreds of SiriusXM channels featuring ad-free music plus sports, talk, entertainment, news, and comedy that they can enjoy both in their vehicle and outside the car with the SiriusXM app.

“We recognize the immense opportunity this collaboration with SiriusXM presents for repair shop owners,” said David Weiner, Chief Revenue Officer for Tekmetric. “At Tekmetric, our goal is to provide shop owners with a wide range of options to enhance their customer experience. Enabling a complimentary SiriusXM subscription on our platform is just one way we empower shop owners to offer added value, sustaining loyalty and satisfaction among their customers.”

In addition to enhancing customer experience, this integration is streamlined for shop owners to easily apply it to their shop. With just two clicks, shop owners can seamlessly activate the integration and begin providing the SiriusXM trial subscription to customers as a thank you after service visits. For instructions to enroll your shop today, please click on this link: https://siriusxmforshops.com/Tekmetric.

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Customer Experience

SiriusXM and Tekmetric to Provide Enhanced Customer Experience at Auto Repair Shops

April 10, 2024

Read time: 1 min

Highlights from November include the refresh of Tekmetric Payments, launch of our Booking Tool in beta mode, and your #1 ask for the mobile app: a time clock!

Learn more about what we’ve been up to below.

Streamline Payments for Your Shop with Tekmetric Payments

We’re excited to introduce our refreshed payments solution, Tekmetric Payments (formerly known as Tekmerchant).

This refresh comes with some exciting new features including:

A dedicated “payments” section of the platform
View into payments over time and their details (method, timeline, etc.)
More detailed information around payouts (transactions included, payout schedule etc.)
A dispute management & resolution workflow right in the platform
Sunbit is now available as an additional buy now, pay later option

These enhancements are included on top of existing Payments features, at no additional cost for current Tekmetric Payments customers. This is just the beginning - expect more features and financial partners to be added in the coming months.

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Who’s this for?: Tekmetric Payments Customers. Interested in adding this to your subscription? Contact us.

Learn More Here

See the Evolution of our Mobile App - Time Clock & Enhanced Camera Experience

Your techs asked, and we delivered! The Tekmetric Mobile App now includes time clock functionality you've been waiting for, letting techs clock in, out, and take a break – all from their mobile device. We've also enhanced the camera experience with tap-to-focus capabilities and added a convenient "trash can" feature to image markup functionality for easy editing. No more switching between desktop and mobile for inspections – just perform seamless, efficient DVIs right from your phone.

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Who’s this for?: All customers using version 1.7.0

Check what version you’re on the bottom of the left sidebar - Easily update your app via your app store

Learn More Here

Join Our Booking Tool Beta Group

Ever wish that you could manage your scheduling process right from your Tekmetric account? Your wish is our command. Configure your appointment settings and embed directly onto your website in minutes. No more splitting windows or managing between two different systems.

Connect to PartsTech Seamlessly

We’ve eliminated the complexity of the traditional multi-step integration processes when connecting Tekmetric with PartsTech. Say goodbye to hunting down API keys or navigating complex vendor setups – now you can connect to PartsTech's extensive parts network directly within Tekmetric Integrations with just a few clicks. This enhancement was built to help make your parts setup experience effortless, allowing you to order them quickly on the estimate. This allows you to focus on what truly matters: getting vehicles back on the road faster.

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Who’s this for?: All customers - Primarily those without PartsTech enabled

Learn More Here

Gain Control of Your Pricing Strategy For Oil Changes

When you build a Smart Canned Job for oil changes, we put you in complete control of your pricing strategy. Now you can present service specials with clean, professional pricing that builds trust with your customers – perfect for advertising those competitive oil change specials while managing surplus charges effortlessly.

Who’s this for?: All Customers

Video for enhanced presentation

Hide discount for package oil change

Get Professional-grade Accountability With PO# on Estimates

We know for some shops, fleet work is imperative to helping grow your business. Now you can add the PO# directly on repair orders, having it display automatically across estimates, invoices, and A/R statements for your fleet customers. This enhancement brings professional-grade accountability to your workflow, making it effortless to track approvals and maintain precise documentation. Just input the PO number once in the RO sidebar, and Tekmetric handles the rest – ensuring every fleet repair has a clear, traceable approval record.

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Who’s this for?: All customers

Learn More Here

Simplify Inventory Management at the Shop Level

Take control of your inventory management with our new shop-level inventory feed located on the shop dashboard which puts vital inventory edits at your fingertips. This view helps how you monitor inventory changes across your shop, making it easier than ever to spot trends, prevent shrinkage, and ensure you have the parts you need when you need them.

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Who’s this for?: All customers.

Learn More Here

Product Updates

Tekmetric’s November 2024 Product Rundown

December 6, 2024

Read time: 4 min

The truth is that estimates tie into professionalism. When the first oral surgeon gave you an estimate for your wisdom tooth removal surgery, they helped you:

Manage your expectations: You knew what kind of procedure to expect, and how much you could expect to pay for it.
See that the office cared about your wellbeing: The oral surgeon and their staff wanted you to make the best choice possible and gave you a resource to accomplish that.
Have a reference point for the future if any issues come up: For example, if you got charged a couple of hundred dollars more after your procedure, you’d have documentation to show that the extra cost wasn’t part of the plan.

Wisdom tooth removal surgery isn’t cheap. Neither is auto repair work.

Just like a professional oral surgeon’s office explains to patients what their options are and how much they should expect to pay for procedures, a professional auto repair shop shows drivers what their repair work options are and how much they should expect to pay for repairs.

That professionalism is what helps you win over and retain more customers. If your customers are deciding between different auto repair shops, they’ll likely stick with the business that shows the most professionalism.