blog

HOUSTON – October 18, 2023 – Tekmetric, the leading automotive repair software company, has announced the appointment of Clare Corriveau as the company's new Vice President of Marketing. With an extensive background in the software industry, Corriveau brings a wealth of experience and strategic vision to the Tekmetric team.

“Clare's depth of experience and strategic acumen in the technology sector will be instrumental in driving our marketing efforts and advancing our position in the market,” said Sunil Patel, CEO of Tekmetric. “With her leadership, we look forward to reaching new milestones in our top-tier customer service and innovative solutions.”

Corriveau's professional journey spans 17 years across a variety of brands and products in B2B technology. Her proven track record in demand generation, marketing strategy, product positioning and brand development underscores her significant  role in Tekmetric’s continued growth. In her new position, Clare will be instrumental in guiding Tekmetric’s marketing initiatives and brand development. Her responsibilities encompass enhancing brand visibility, devising and implementing marketing strategies and bolstering the company's foothold in the automotive repair software market.

Before joining Tekmetric, Corriveau was the Senior Director, Growth Marketing at cybersecurity startup Cobalt, where she led the demand generation team to drive revenue growth along every stage of the buyer and customer journeys. Prior to Cobalt, Corriveau served in several director- and manager-level roles with OneTouchPoint, Gotransverse, Blackbaud and more.

“I am thrilled to join Tekmetric, a pioneering force in automotive shop management solutions. Their commitment to revolutionizing the industry and empowering automotive professionals aligns perfectly with my own passion for innovation and customer-centricity,” said Corriveau. “I look forward to contributing to Tekmetric’s journey of empowering auto repair shop owners to increase efficiency in their operations and ultimately grow their business.”

About Tekmetric

Tekmetric, a Houston-based auto repair technology company, offers a cloud-based platform that enables auto repair shop owners to enhance productivity and increase profitability through its streamlined workflow management processes.

Designed by a former shop owner, Tekmetric’s platform drives shop efficiency through real-time data, a customizable user interface and customer-centric communication tools. Since its launch in 2016, Tekmetric has disrupted the industry with its robust fully-integrated system, developed with an emphasis on customer transparency and user collaboration. For more information, visit www.tekmetric.com.

Safeguarding the physical and digital confidential assets of your business is of utmost importance for any repair shop owner. However, figuring out the right steps to initiate this process can be challenging.

The Importance of Security

Shop owners must always know who is coming in and out of their shops, this can be monitored by alarms and security camera systems throughout and around the building to insure the physical protection of the digital systems within the shop.

For those who are working in the shop, they should be trained on the protection of proprietary data within the shop by implementing password management, data integrity, and regular system backups.

Finding the Right Tools for the Job

Choosing a shop management system such as Tekmetric can help you manage your shop more efficiently, automate your processes and improve your overall customer communications while keeping your data secure and protected.

Shop management systems have proven to be beneficial for protecting data in the case of natural disasters or fires. When you are looking for a shop management system to protect your data be sure to choose the system that is transparent regarding their systems data backup process and insurance in the event of a breach. ‍

Switching to the Cloud

Deciding to make the switch to cloud-based systems for data storage and accessibility such as Tekmetric can give shop employees and owners peace of mind knowing that their digital confidential assets are safe and secure.

Training and empowering employees on how to protect digital information is equally as important as physically protecting your shop with security alarms, cameras and locks.

By implementing the right processes and tools, shop owners and their employees can be confident that their shop's data is secure, accessible and protected from unexpected crises. 

For more information, view our data security checklist here. 

If your shop isn't using at least one mark up matrix to get the most out of your parts sales, then you might be leaving a lot of money on the table.

In fact, auto repair shops have an amazing opportunity to maximize their profit margin on parts sales in particular. Especially when you consider the tools available to support and simplify the entire process. Gone are the days of using pen and paper or busting out the calculators.

Cloud-based shop management systems have made it easier than ever to not only manage your shop, but really get the most value out of the work you're already doing.

Using a parts matrix in particular is one of the most important aspects in making sure your shop is profitable. By building streamlined process for marking up parts, shops can ensure grow your shop’s profit margin while staying fair to customers.

Summer is a busy time in the auto repair industry, and 2020 was no exception.

But as the seasons change to fall and winter, we notice that fewer people are taking their vehicles in for repairs. Of course, this varies from state to state. Auto repair shops in colder climates may still see a steady flow of customers as drivers winterize their vehicles.

In most places, a slow down in business is to be expected.

While there may be fewer walk-ins, there are several ways shop owners and service writers can stimulate business and maintain a healthy sales funnel.

Digital Vehicle Inspection software enables auto repair shops to go beyond a traditional paper system for inspections and repair order estimates.

Customers have become accustomed to a digital experience every time they shop, and having their car fixed is no different. Auto repair shops need to update their processes to meet those expectations. When look specifically at auto repair shops, there are even more opportunities to go digital beyond receipts.

Printed estimates may seem like a professional way to present work to customers. But the problem is that paper estimates don’t really show drivers what’s wrong with their vehicles.

The result? Customers approve a small sliver of work, or worse, go to another auto repair shop for a second opinion.

Digital vehicle inspections not only save time and paper but also build trust and enhance the customer experience. Not to mention, they help sell larger repairs and increase customer loyalty.

On busy days, it can feel like there are a million things happening at your shop. Technicians are hard at work getting repairs knocked out and service advisors are helping customers. Even on slow days, there’s work to be done. You might decide to tackle that new marketing plan or personally call customers to remind them of service work they’d previously put off.

No matter the circumstances, it’s important to have a way of juggling and managing it all. However, keeping track of everything with pen and paper, a whiteboard, or just by playing it by ear can quickly turn into a headache. After all, those methods are unreliable and complicated. Information can easily get lost in the mix, and all it takes is for one misunderstanding to knock things off track.

Repairs management software can keep you and your team on track and free up your time as a shop owner so you can focus on the high-level aspects of growing your business. Service advisors can use Tekmetric’s Job Board to see the status of repairs, appropriately delegate tasks to technicians, and give customers updates every step of the way.

Hey auto repair shop owners! When’s the last time you examined your invoicing process?

Your shop’s invoicing process may seem like a small part of your business. But your auto repair shop invoicing software presents an oft-overlooked touchpoint with your customers. If you approach it strategically, your invoicing process can be adjusted swiftly and easily to yield tangible improvements to your bottom line.

For customers, the invoicing stage is likely the cause of some amount of stress; it’s never fun to write a big check to get your vehicle fixed.

For shop owners, the invoicing stage is an opportunity to show customers that they’re being taken care of. According to an extensive JD Power customer survey analysis of auto repair customers, “...Quality work done promptly, explained clearly, for a fair price, and delivered with excellent customer service is what leads to customer satisfaction among American drivers.”

A frictionless auto repair shop invoicing software that connects to the rest of your business allows you to build customer loyalty, as well as upsell, cross-sell, and reach a broader customer base. When you take care in how you invoice, and note the impact invoicing has on everything else, you can turn what is normally a stress-inducing process for customers into a process that builds trust and maintains a positive image for your shop.

Here’s how you can find synergy between your auto repair shop invoicing software and other parts of your process to build customer loyalty, improve your marketing, fuel sales, and grow your business.

Do you ever wish you could see into the future? As a business owner, being able to predict how much business you will get during a week, a month, or a year can help you make important decisions regarding marketing your services, taking on more work, hiring more employees, or even knowing when to expand your business.

Of course, there are always going to be unforeseen situations. No matter how much technology you have, there’s no surefire way to predict accidents, natural disasters, or other changes in life circumstances. Fortune telling aside, shop owners can use real-time reports to forecast the health of their business and get a sense of how much money their garage is expected to make before the end of a week, month, or year.

Here’s how you can leverage two of Tekmetric’s real-time reports in combination to forecast your shop’s performance and test the decisions you make as a shop owner.

One of the most challenging parts of being a service advisor is building trust with drivers. Many drivers already feel apprehensive about spending money on repairs, but you’re still tasked with letting them know exactly what’s wrong with their car. And sometimes, that means identifying more issues than they were expecting.

At Tekmetric, we’ve heard a lot of great tricks of the trade from service advisors like you. And we’ve designed Tekmetric with many of these insights in mind. By leveraging Tekmetric’s capabilities, you can more effectively upsell, cross-sell, and reach more customers—and see your shop’s ARO and gross profits rise.

Here are the best auto repair shop software features within Tekmetric to help you flourish in your role.

Were you looking for a vendor to reorder carbon copy auto repair receipt templates when you found this blog? Maybe you’ve already spent a few hours at your computer, searching for the right auto repair receipt template. But none of the templates you’ve seen looks right for your shop. It’s hard to find a perfect fit. You need a template that is fast to fill, inexpensive, flexible enough to work for any sale, and easy for you and your customers to understand. That’s a tall order.

But all too often, standalone templates fail to meet the complex business needs of modern auto repair shops.

You have already made positive changes toward getting organized by searching for and maybe even trying out a variety of new templates. But what if you could save time and improve accuracy with a system that did all the work of writing and tracking receipts for you?

Think about how you currently find the information you need for your receipts and fill them out. Maybe you use carbon copies. Maybe you type the receipts out. But you’re probably getting the information from your invoices, which themselves reflect estimates. That’s three documents to write per customer, which can quickly add up to a lot of time spent on paperwork.

Auto repair shop management systems are capable of populating receipts with payment information and prices from estimates and invoices in seconds to create consistent receipts and a more positive customer experience.

We know that change can be hard, but it’s worth it.

Let’s analyze some of the ways your current auto repair receipt templates might be holding you back and how an auto repair shop management system can improve your customer experience, simplify work at the shop, and lead to more business growth for you and your team.

Your automotive shop is the beating heart of your business. A well-designed basic auto shop layout can streamline operations and refine your business.

When you plan to refresh your auto mechanic shop, consider how to make efficient use of your available space, enhance safety, refine the look and feel of the shop, and improve customer comfort.  Most of all, upgrading the technology that forms the backbone of your business is a major component of a modern auto shop. 

Manage space effectively

No matter how much square footage your shop has, you can maximize your layout to house everything you need. Consider the size and shape of your space before you commit to a specific layout. Evaluate the services you currently or intend to provide so you can plan your space safely and efficiently. 

Some of those considerations include: 

• Equipment locations: Look at your  permanent installations, such as lifts and compressors as well as movable items.
• Storage: Organize storage areas so parts and equipment are easily accessible and tidy, both making them easy to find and improving your shop’s appearance and parts storage.
• Working areas: Set up your workbenches and counter space so technicians can perform detail work away from the vehicle. 
• Loading bays: Verify your loading bay areas have adequate clearance.  
• Waiting rooms: Design an appealing space so your customers have a clean, well-lit, and comfortable place to wait. 
• Administrative offices: Make sure your employees have all the tools they need to keep the business running efficiently.  

Effective space management also plays a big part in keeping an auto shop safe. 

The automotive shop industry has grown tremendously between 2018 and 2023. It reached $59.1 billion in revenue, the result of a compound annual growth rate of .5%. Vehicle ownership drives a considerable amount of this growth, and it will increase through 2028.

This exciting, growing field offers tremendous potential for new auto repair shop owners. However, competition is fierce. Nurturing successful business growth comes down to running it optimally. In this guide, you’ll discover what you need to know about building an auto shop and how to thrive in this industry. 

How Do You Run an Auto Repair Shop?

Running a profitable auto repair shop long-term revolves around establishing solid relationships with your customers. Over 60% of customers say that they like to get their work done at the same shop, and 96% go to three or fewer locations when they need to get work done on their car. Gaining customer satisfaction through expertise and communication plays an important role in keeping your customers happy so that they return.

Proper auto shop management and best practices, such as improving productivity and rewarding loyal customers, keep your business competitive. Many strategies that strengthen your business will also incentivize customers and encourage them to return. Since customers do not want to go to numerous auto repair businesses, proving that your business is one they can rely on encourages this loyalty which strengthens your ROI.

To build a quality business, a business plan that emphasizes customer service and retention will take you far. You can incorporate a few central strategies into your plan to keep your customers happy.