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"Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity—not a threat.” - Steve Jobs

Like any business owner, auto repair shop owners must consider all aspects of their business: operations, marketing, collections, bookkeeping, payroll, profitability, and customer service.

But how do you track, monitor, and gain control over these various business functions and analyze the relationship between them? Many shop owners turn to automotive computer programs as a solution, but there are a lot of options to consider. As you research automotive computer programs, you may be asking yourself:

Is it better to have one program for each business function, or one system that covers various aspects? What is the right mix of programs?

Tekmetric is a cloud-based shop management system; but that doesn’t mean all other software and systems out there align with what our software can do. Some automotive computer programs cover diagnostics, some focus on marketing, some focus on digital inspections, and there are some systems out there that check off most—if not all—the boxes.

There is a lot to consider when determining which automotive computer programs are right for your business, and we want to make sure your shop’s needs are met.

You might have heard some myths about automotive repair software programs like “it’s too expensive to switch” and “training is tough.” But that's not necessarily true.

Don’t be deterred by shop management software misconceptions. We’re here to help break down these myths and rRevolutionize your shop with modern tools. See what your shop can accomplish once you have all the facts about auto repair software programs..

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SOFTWARE PROGRAMS

Now that you’re a shop owner, you’re probably looking for ways to level up your shop. Thanks to talking to fellow shop owners or browsing online, you may have become somewhat familiar with automotive repair software programs.

Finding the right automotive repair software program for your shop is one of the most effective ways you can increase your team’s productivity, boost your revenue, communicate better with customers, and more. However, there are some myths surrounding auto repair software programs that might be preventing you from taking your business to new heights.

To help you on your journey, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most common myths we’ve heard about auto repair software programs and then let you in on the real deal.

Starting a business can be a big risk. But if you map out a plan and execute it right, the outcome is well worth it. Having a solid automotive repair workshop business plan in place is especially important if you ever plan on owning multiple shops. 

When you realized that you wanted to be a shop owner, it’s likely you considered the good you can do for both yourself and other people. Helping customers get their vehicles back on the road, and helping service advisors and mechanics grow in their careers is an exceptionally rewarding aspect of owning and operating a repair shop. 

More than anything, partnerships should be mutually beneficial to everyone involved. When good partnerships are formed, the whole should be worth more than the sum of its parts.

Why Should Your Auto Business Partner with Other Brands?

For example, McDonald’s burgers make you thirsty enough to want a Coca-Cola, and sodas have a high margin. By partnering up, McDonald’s can lock in their costs on soda and improve their profit margins for the long term.

On the other hand, not all partnerships are beneficial. Partnerships can expand your opportunities but can also force you into making decisions you never intended to make. When McDonald’s decided to partner with Coca-Cola, they had to exclude other soda brands from their locations.

This exclusivity may have been worth it, but it meant removing options from customers, such as Dr. Pepper and Pepsi products. What may have made the partnership intriguing for McDonald’s is the fact that Coca-Cola owns a variety of beverages, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Powerade, Minute Maid and Pibb Xtra.

Thanks to a variety of options, McDonald’s is able to satisfy most customers who ask for a Dr. Pepper by saying, “Will Pibb Xtra be okay?”

Partnerships in the Auto Repair Industry

In the auto repair industry, we face similar challenges when it comes to partnering with other businesses and brands.

Potential partnerships may include teaming up with parts suppliers, software companies, marketing and trade show affiliates, and any other service, resource or tool that could potentially improve your shop. In some cases, these partnerships will help shop owners enhance performance, save costs and drive revenue.

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For example, Tekmetric has partnered with BG Products, making it easy for shops to sell additional BG products with simple canned jobs built right into the repair-order process within Tekmetric.

Other times, auto partnerships may bind you to an agreement that doesn’t pay off.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine whether a partnership is mutually beneficial or if they’re asking you for more than you’re getting in return.

1. Are You Free to Choose the Tools and Solutions You Want?

One sign of a bad partnership is being forced to do something you don’t want to do. If partnering with another company means taking valuable options off the table, then you may be at a disadvantage.

If your partner implies or directs you not to do business with their competitors because they would like for you to instead use their services or their partner’s services, think it through.

Before officially entering a partnership, imagine your shop one year, five years and ten years down the road. Where will it be then? What will happen if your shop grows? What if innovation has slowed down with your partner? Will you be allowed to innovate your business by using new tools and solutions that become available in the future?

If you’re restricted in a way that prevents you from innovating or adapting to market conditions by testing other products, tools, solutions, and software, you may be handcuffed and unable to compete with other shops.

Drivers typically come in with an expectation of what's wrong with their car, which can make it tricky to sell maintenance work. They might think you're trying to squeeze more money out of them, or may simply have a set budget in their mind and don’t plan on spending extra.  

In reality, you're simply trying to go above and beyond and provide them with the best service possible. So how do you show that, and which tools will help you transform the way you sell maintenance?

Here’s how to build customer trust while staying true to your auto repair shop’s mission of providing optimal maintenance recommendations.

Repeat jobs are common in auto repair work. How often does a customer walk in and ask for something common like an oil change or a tune-up? Or does your shop specialize in one type of vehicle, and you're constantly handling the same repairs?

What if we told you we could help you build those most common repair orders in a matter of seconds? That way your service writers can focus on providing amazing customer service every time.

Because let’s face it, regardless of the job, your customers are relying on your team to provide the same quality experience they're used to in so many other industries. And if you own multiple shops, then your customers are expecting you to provide the same quality of service at each location.

Canned jobs make it easy for your shop to not only save time when building estimates and serving customers but also make it easy to provide a consistent and smooth customer experience -- in the end making your shop even more money by boosting your shop's average repair order.