A Customer’s Journey Through Auto Repairs
Unless you’re brand new to the road, you likely have an idea of what you’re getting into when it comes to dropping your car off for repairs. But, there’s a lot of grey area, isn’t there?
You drop it off, maybe have a phone chat in the middle somewhere to discuss any issues, and trust that your auto repair shop is not trying to scam you and is only doing necessary work to keep your car safe.
But when your auto repair shop has automotive shop management software in place, you can stay up to date with everything going on from the moment you drop off the car to when you drive it back home.
So what does that look like? Let’s take a walk through a typical auto repair shop experience.
Dropping Off The Car
You’re probably used to dropping in at your scheduled time, ringing a bell to get someone to check you in, or talking to whoever is at the computer, and waiting as they pull up your file and sort out what you’re there for. Then, you grab a coffee and a seat with whoever else is waiting for their car and filter through a random collection of months-old magazines.
With automotive shop management software installed, here’s what you won’t see:
- A service tech searching through a giant rack of files on the wall to locate your car history. In just a few clicks, your car will be right there on the screen and allow them to check you in and get right to work on your car.
- A cluttered waiting room or people waiting in line at the register. When your auto repair shop has digital invoicing and contactless payment software, things won’t get backed up like they do when staff has to sort through paper invoices, cards manually, etc.
- Auto repair shop staff running back and forth to talk to each other or look up information, because they’ll all be connected on a central network that allows the service technicians to spend more time working on your car rather than getting bogged down with paperwork. Big win for you!
Instead, you’ll be smoothly checked in, keys handed over, and off you go to live your life. Sure, you can wait there if you want/need to, but you certainly don’t have to. You’ll be kept up to date on each step of the process no matter where you are thanks to text messaging communications.
Digital Vehicle Inspection
Previously, you were either walked through the findings of your vehicle inspection over the phone or there in the shop if you stick around. You likely won’t look at it yourself, and unless you’re knowledgeable about cars, what you see/hear might not make much sense.
You have to trust your mechanic that what they’re telling you is the truth and their recommended repairs are necessary for the long and short-term health of your vehicle.
However, if they have automotive shop management software, you don’t have to wait around. Thanks to digital vehicle inspection software, you can view your inspection on your phone rather than walking through it together in person.
You can go back to work or not have to sit there and waste precious hours of your weekend. You’ll be kept up to date and sent a copy of your digital vehicle inspection through the app or via text message communications. You can review the inspection and view photos of the suggested repairs.
When you can see what they’re talking about, it helps build trust and shows you what they’re talking about if you aren’t familiar with car parts and functions. You know what a crack or leak or worn part looks like.
For your auto repair shop, it means you’ll be much more likely to give the go-ahead for repairs. For you, it means you’ll be likely to approve the repairs because you can see that they are indeed necessary. It lets you know that your auto repair shop is knowledgeable and has your safety in mind. This builds a better relationship all around.
Text Message Communications
Got other things to do? Get to them! You don’t have to sit there and wait.
You’ll never be in the dark about what is going on with your car thanks to text message communications. You’ll know, almost in real-time, what’s going on with your car. You might even be sent photos of suggested repairs.
And you’ll be notified when your car is ready to be picked up. This level of convenience and communication offers unparalleled transparency, builds trust between you and your auto repair shop, and allows you to keep living your life without wondering about what’s going on with your car.
Contactless Payments
When it’s time for payment, you don’t even have to come in and go to the register. Your auto repair shop’s automotive shop management software will likely offer a contactless payment option.
For example, the Invite to Pay contactless payment feature in Omnique gives you the option to pay from your phone wherever you are. This quick, remote option allows you to pay, then just drop back in, grab your car, and off you go!
Automotive shop management software like Omnique is designed to optimize auto repair shop processes from the first interaction to the last. Ready to optimize your customer journey? Start your free trial today.