As shop owners, we know that it’s an inconvenience for our customers when their vehicles break down, and we should do everything we can to make their experience at our shops painless. We know that they are busy with work, kids, sports, hobbies, pets, and the list goes on. We, as shop owners, have the ability to create a complete automotive digital experience, and I believe the orchestrated dance would go something like this:.

Kim is starting to hear a horrible grinding noise around the front of her car, and she is worried. She is under pressure at work, adding to the chaos at home, and now has one more problem to deal with, her car. No worries because your shop is there to save the day!

1. You have great reviews online! You’ve answered everyone’s review, even the bad ones. Kim senses the honesty and trust in those reviews and in your replies.
2. Kim conveniently schedules an appointment online and drops off her vehicle after hours.
3. Kim is kept informed with text message updates and does not have to worry and wonder “have they looked at my car yet?”
4. Kim gets a comprehensive vehicle inspection sent directly to her phone. “Wow, so that is what a brake pad and rotor look like…interesting!”
5. Kim approves all the work to be done via back and forth text messaging with your shop. She is just too busy to get tied up with phone calls. She appreciates how accommodating your shop’s communication is.
6. Kim gets confirmation that all work is completed and her vehicle is ready.
7. Kim gets a text-to-pay link sent to pay her bill and a three digit code to pick up her vehicle after hours, which is on her timeline and not the shop’s.
8. On the following day, Kim receives a text message thanking her for her business that prompts her to go online and leave a glowing review of her experience.

And, the cycle starts all over again with the next person in need, and your shop is known not only as the shop that can fix cars, but the shop that knows customer service!