Revolutionizing Auto Repair
By: P.J. Leslie, head of business development for Tekmetric
When it comes to vehicle repair services, customer expectations are drastically different than they were five years ago, and remaining aware of current and evolving customer needs can make the difference between remaining stagnant or boosting profits and expanding your shop.
In 2023, Tekmetric released its Industry Index Report, which pinpoints key trends around customer needs and expectations. By leveraging the trends within the report, you can tailor your approach to enhance your customer experience and drive revenue.
These trends include:
Efficient operations
Efficient shops create more revenue opportunities by completing repairs quickly without compromising quality. When you streamline your processes, you can enable your team to accomplish more in less time. Additionally, efficiency creates smoother customer interactions and reduced wait times.
An example of a tool you can implement that drives efficiency is a smart job-creation tool, like Tekmetric’s Smart Jobs, which creates jobs in one click. This tool also allows you to utilize real-time reporting, which empowers you to review real-time data about your shop’s operations and easily identify inefficiencies to increase productivity.
Convenient communication
Transparency and communication have a significant impact on shop performance. Approximately 18% of households in the U.S. seek auto repair services at least once a year, and strong communication can make their experience with your shop a positive one. One tool that supports these expectations is a digital vehicle inspection (DVI). DVIs allow your shop to send visual reports of inspection findings directly to your customers, keeping them informed and engaged throughout the repair process.
Increased communication can also enhance the customer experience by building trust. For example, a two-way texting feature facilitates instant communication, enabling customers to authorize repairs, ask questions or provide feedback in real time. Together, two-way convenient communication and DVIs significantly increase the likelihood of customers accepting the shop’s recommended repairs, increasing your average repair order (ARO) and driving revenue growth.
Personalized customer experiences
Personalized customer experiences are another revenue-driving factor. Today, only 16% of shops have tapped into the potential of text-to-pay options – but these options have tremendous potential in building customer relationships.
One key aspect of personalized experiences is the integration of digital payment options. Tekmetric’s integrated payments solution enables shops to offer customers the convenience of digital payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or text-to-pay. This not only streamlines the payment process but also caters to modern consumer preferences, making transactions faster and more convenient. “Buy now, pay later” options powered by Affirm or Klarna can also allow customers to get the repairs they need and pay over time.
In both cases, offering digital solutions for payment can meet customer needs to create an enhanced customer experience that ultimately benefits the shop. In fact, Tekmetric has seen the power of digital solutions: of our partner shops, 80% of open repair orders were not only completed but also promptly paid in full.
Implementing the Right Tools
To ensure your shop thrives in 2024, it’s essential to adopt the right tools. This is where a cloud-based shop management solution such as Tekmetric comes in. Auto repair shops effectively using shop management systems experience an increase of at least 17% in average repair orders (AROs). Additionally, in 2023 there was an average car count increase of 6% across the U.S. with shops that used Tekmetric, a further testament to its effectiveness in driving success.
Step into a new era of automotive repair management where your shop's performance can truly measure up with Tekmetric. Get started today at www.tekmetric.com