Clearly, you want to expand your auto repair business to win more market share and share your expertise more widely. Yet you want to know how to grow auto repair business without drowning in paperwork that consumes valuable time.
Auto shops can grow while managing the extra stress, risk of human error and keeping that personal touch with customers. With the right tools, you actually work more efficiently and accurately while communicating more clearly with customers to build trust.
And you stay more organized while keeping pace with industry regulations and your growing client base. By investing time in customers, you put yourself in a position to bring in even more business.
What is digital inspection software?
Digital vehicle inspections take the old paper checklist and modernizes it. DVIs capture photos and videos of the worn parts so drivers can easily see the need to approve a repair.
They also record a list of suggested repairs for the future, creating an easily accessible digital record for each vehicle. As a result, service advisors can quickly get updates and share them with clients. They can recommend additional services and explain them with photo evidence to justify the work.
Overall, this improves communication and workflow within an auto repair shop.
Old versus modern
For years, auto repair shops have used clipboards with lists that they work through methodically. Sure, they made sure the techs reviewed all components but limited their findings to notes.
Afterward, the tech or a service advisor would have to call and explain to a customer what was wrong. If the driver wasn’t car-savvy, it could take several minutes to show the value of a repair. All this would slow down the workflow in the shop.
Comparatively, digital vehicle inspection software allows a tech to take photos and videos of the car on the hoist. He or she then shares it seamlessly with all staff and the customer. Records never get lost under a pile of paper since they are searchable.
As a result, these changes save shops valuable time and put everyone on the same page. Staff spend less time on the phone or walking back and forth to the bays, focusing on their core jobs. That’s just one way how to grow an auto repair business.
Why Autoflow stands out from other digital inspection software providers
Autoflow has worked with countless shops to understand these processes and design software that increases efficiency, accuracy and customer satisfaction. Our founder, Chris Cloutier, set out to improve the processes in his Texas shop and still shares his insights with others.
Several members of the Autoflow team have worked as ASE-certified service advisors and technicians. We continually improve by listening to how to grow an auto repair business with cutting-edge technology.
Our DVI software establishes transparency and builds a relationship built on customer trust. This enables them to make informed, confident decisions on repair approvals and vehicle maintenance as they understand the how and why behind recommended repairs and services.
Autoflow’s features include:
- Multiple pictures per item with text markup to draw emphasis on problem areas
- Videos up to 5 minutes long per category
- Customized multiple-page vehicle inspection sheets
- Optional tire inspection section
- Notifications when the customer opens DVI and how much was viewed
- Techflow to track each technician’s efficiency
- Built-in referral logic tree as part of the rewards program
- And much more
Reward Loyal Customers
There’s no quicker way to grow your auto repair shop profit than giving an existing customer a reason to keep coming back. Autoflow’s referral and rewards feature allows you to do just that, keeping track of the points your customers earn and indicating in your system when they’ve earned a reward, which are all defined by you. When your customer experience is better than everyone else’s, you’ll find a new customer walking through the door every day.
Marketing Made Easy
It can be difficult to know where to start with your car repair shop marketing. With Autoflow’s DVI, you can personally connect with customers by making the follow up process easy and making it simple for customers to leave reviews. Let them do your marketing for you and feel free to brag about great reviews you get!
Boost Efficiency and Save Time
Autoflow’s digital inspection software streamlines the inspection process by automating many manual tasks. This reduces the amount of time and effort required for inspections, allowing you to service more vehicles and increase revenue. This is key to how to grow your auto repair business.
Autoflow’s features automate the inspection process with:
- Two-way texting to communicate quickly with customers via photos, videos and notes
- Repopulation of previously declined services
- Predictive text in the notes section
- Digital sign-offs upon sheet completion
- Archived completed sheets in the customer records.
- Vehicle Scheduled Maintenance (by MOTOR)
- Automated service reminders
- Remote payments
Each of these shave off precious seconds and minutes from each repair. Together, they provide customers more detail with less time and effort than doing any of these tasks manually.
The less time each car spends waiting for approvals, the sooner you can begin the next repair. By increasing your car count, you earn more profit and grow your auto repair business. The inspections also open the door to upsell more services, generating more revenue per customer.
Customers also love it since they understand the repair and get their vehicles fixed sooner.
“Autoflow gives you too many tools to not use it,” he adds. “Working without it would be like tying one arm behind your back. Autoflow frees you up so you can actually get the job done. Across the board, it helps us with efficiency. Autoflow allows us to really ramp up and go from being a seven or eight to really be a 10,” says Aaron Tharp of Christian Brothers Automotive in Murphy, Texas.
Improve Accuracy and Reduce Errors
By using Autoflow’s software, you can ensure that every inspection is carried out accurately and consistently. This eliminates the risk of errors and reduces the likelihood of costly mistakes.
For starters, shops can create customized inspection templates based on your most common makes and models. Within them, you can add notes specific to their typical service and repair needs.
By keeping one digital record, you bypass the chance that human error will lead to a misspelled name, unchecked box or transposed numbers. The software checks for any gaps and holds staff accountable as you grow your auto repair business.
After all, a missed reconnection can lead to a brake failure or electrical problem. These can have dire consequences for the wellness of the vehicle and its passengers. No one wants to see that type of damage or legal fallout, especially a customer who trusts your staff.
As a bonus, Autoflow helps your shop stay organized and compliant. Our software provides an efficient and organized way to manage inspection reports, repair orders and other important documents. This helps you stay compliant with industry regulations and avoid legal issues.
Enhance Customer Satisfaction
With Autoflow’s software, you can provide your customers with a comprehensive and easy-to-understand report of their vehicle’s condition. This not only improves transparency but also instills trust and confidence in your services.
This unfolds in four steps:
- Customer report overview – Clients receive a text or email and follow a unique link to the report overview.
- Client info and concerns – Clients see that you wrote down their concerns and the findings related to them via attached notes, images and videos.
- Recommended attention – Clients access urgent and future recommendations for service with notes, pictures and videos.
- Inspection images – For a closer look, technicians can upload photos with markings or longer videos.
This level of transparency builds trust between your staff and customers, leading to more satisfaction. As a result, customers are more likely to post glowing reviews that earn you more customers.
Most drivers these days didn’t grow up fixing their own cars and find auto repair discussions intimidating. When you make it clear what a part does and why it needs replacement, they feel more included and educated about the decision. That creates a bond of trust that pays off with loyal business.
Autoflow facilitates this process by making it effortless to add photos and videos to files, then send them out via email or text. Customers appreciate the ability to approve work with a click. They can also be prompted to leave good reviews after checkout.
“One of the things I really love is the followup with our guests,” says Aaron from Christian Brothers. “My Google reviews just skyrocketed just from that one simple text message that gets sent the day after they finish with us. Autoflow delivers on that.”
He also appreciates easily tracking who is working on each vehicle and its status from inspection to repair to completion. That accelerates updates to customers.
“Autoflow helps us eradicate all of that background stuff so we can focus our attention with our guests, which is really where we want to be and how we learn. I would say that’s Christian Brothers philosophy absolutely – that focus on that customer service experience.”
Conclusion
Businesses that adapt to meet customers’ new habits have higher rates of survival and profitability than those who resist. With Autoflow’s DVI software, auto shops can grow by operating more efficiently, accurately and to the standards held by their customers.
With our expert team and their real-world experience, we know what makes auto repair shops thrive. We understand what customers want and how to deliver, while making your shop look like heroes.
Find out more about why Autoflow is the best place to buy digital vehicle inspection software. Request a demo and see the benefits for yourself.
