Handling a large auto repair business is undoubtedly a challenging job. It requires constant tracking of the process and how the operations run around. Even if you and your team opt for the way to circle around the shop to check up on the process, or to get updates from the whiteboard, everyone will keep scrambling around.
These methods can quickly become complicated and ineffective. For one thing, they’re prone to errors—what if, say, a technician forgets to scribble down the most recent status of a repair on the whiteboard? If this occurs, a service advisor may be unaware that things are moving ahead of schedule and may turn down a walk-in customer.
These methods are also time-consuming. If you circle the shop for updates throughout the day, for example, that’s time you could be spending on marketing or growing your automotive business.
The auto repair industry is extremely competitive, so it is no surprise that auto repair shops constantly look for ways to streamline their operations. Auto repair software has been a huge help in this regard, and it’s effortless to use to make workflows more efficient.
However, you must first study the ins and outs of the automotive industry in order to properly utilize the possibilities of automobile scheduling software. In reality, you may use the strategic approach to generate some significant gains and returns.
And to help you learn them, here is a guide complete with tips on how to use auto repair scheduling software to streamline the workflow of your auto repair shop.
What is Automotive Scheduling Software?
But first, let’s introduce you to the fundamentals. What is automotive scheduling software, and how does it operate?
A type of system called automotive scheduling software helps in enabling the monitoring of each car in your auto repair company while it undergoes repairs. Based on the necessary repairs, the software enables customers to set up or schedule appointments for several bays.
Benefits of Using Auto Repair Scheduling Software
There are numerous benefits to investing in an auto repair appointment planner or software for an automobile company like yours.
You and your team have more control over the time spent in your shop thanks to car repair scheduling software. You can all see the status of each repair from any internet-connected device, saving you all the trouble of having to meticulously gather scattered updates from across the store.
Using automobile repair scheduling software will also help your staff provide consumers with more accurate status updates on their vehicles. A service adviser can check the system to get a more precise estimate of how much time is left on a repair before calling a customer.
The procedure is streamlined by competent auto repair scheduling software, which leads to quicker response times and, as a result, fewer missed opportunities. Instead of exchanging information back and forth, technicians and service advisers could complete each repair swiftly, opening up space on the shop’s calendar for further repairs.
Additionally, your shop’s car count and revenue potential will increase the more vehicles it can accept.
What Should You Look For In Auto Repair Scheduling Software?
Auto repair scheduling software can undoubtedly make your company stand out in the automotive sector.
But in order for this to happen, you must absolutely guarantee that you buy the greatest ones. The features you should consider while buying this software solution are listed below.
Integration
Your shop is probably using more technologies to advance, such as a marketing tool to track leads and a parts-buying platform to quickly find parts.
You can handle everything, including inventory management, from one location if your vehicle scheduling software integrates with these other types of solutions. This will make juggling all of these different tools easier. For instance, a service representative can place an order for the required parts and inquire about the customer’s experience with your store while setting up a repair.
Cloud-Based
You can’t always stay inside your store. Imagine that you require a day off. Perhaps you are attending back-to-back meetings to finalise the preparations for your company’s expansion into a second location. You might be interested in going to a three-day conference for retail owners. Or, even better, a flight to Hawaii is about to take off.
With the help of cloud-based automotive scheduling software, you can accomplish all of that without losing sight of what’s happening at your company!
Given that your data is kept in the cloud and you have access to the internet, you can check in on your store from any location. For instance, when you’re waiting in the doctor’s office or airline lounge, you can check out the current repair orders.
Utilizing cloud-based scheduling software for vehicle repairs has additional benefits. You won’t have to be concerned about whether your operating system will support it or, even worse, about losing all of your data in the event of a hardware failure.
Instead of dealing with a siloed solution if you own many vehicle repair companies, you can rapidly get them all on the same system.
Customer Communication Tools
It is crucial to communicate with your customers in the way that they like to be contacted. To simplify client communication, look for the following characteristics in automotive scheduling software:
Digital Vehicle Inspection: the ability to quickly offer consumers pictures and videos of cars that have been photographed or videotaped. Dealing with paper that has been tarnished will end.
Text-to-pay: the flexibility to text clients with bills that they can safely pay from their phones.
True two-way texting: the software’s capacity to communicate with users via text message.
As a result of keeping customers informed throughout the repair process, these features help to build customer confidence. By removing the need for service advisors to rush to put customers on hold while they wait for status updates from technicians, these
