4 Ways to Create a Better Auto Shop Customer Experience

Order too many parts and your money and space are tied up in inventory. Order too few and when you run out of what you need, projects come to a standstill while  you wait for a delivery. That’s why you need a solid auto parts inventory management system. 

Auto parts inventory management is a process that helps you decide when to buy, store, use, or sell auto parts, so you can be sure that items you need are in stock when you need them. This requires tracking parts you have on hand and streamlining the process of reordering or replacing them at the right time. 

An inventory system will help your shop run more efficiently and free up a ton of time. Implement an effective system to tighten up your workflow and take your business to a higher level. 

Parts management is a critical function of any auto repair shop business. The only way to guarantee that you’re making a profit on the parts you sell on repair orders is by having an air-tight system for managing and tracking those parts from purchase to sale to reconciliation. The final step of making sure that each and every parts transaction is accounted for is probably the most important step—and the most misunderstood.

Some of the issues your auto repair shop will run into if you don’t carefully manage parts include:

• Un-billed parts (forgetting to collect payment on parts)
• Inconsistencies between your cost of goods sold and accounts payable
• Inability to track and receive return credits
• Inability to detect theft before it gets out of hand
  

Many of these issues can be avoided by using purchase orders to reconcile the parts you sell on repair orders.

But many auto repair shop business owners still wonder what some of the best practices are when it comes to parts management. How often should you be reconciling parts payments? Who should take on this task: you, your service advisors, or a dedicated parts manager? How do you make sure you’re getting the best value for the parts you buy and sell? How do you ensure that each and every part is being billed?

Let’s answer some of these questions, and unpack the best practices for parts management.

Tekmetric Repair Guide, DVI Quick Capture and Tekmetric Receptionist open for early access at SEMA 2026, doing more of the work alongside the shop.

Nov. 3, 2026 – Tekmetric, the all-in-one platform used by more than 16,000 auto repair shops nationwide, today opened early access at SEMA 2026 to two new products, Tekmetric Repair Guide and Tekmetric Receptionist, and a new capability, Tekmetric DVI Quick Capture. Tekmetric Repair Guide puts licensed OEM repair information inside the repair order so technicians don’t leave the job to find it. DVI Quick Capture turns a technician’s photos and audio into written inspection findings, cutting documentation time dramatically. Tekmetric Receptionist answers the calls a shop’s team can’t get to, so no opportunity gets missed. Eligible shops will see each tool in their Tekmetric account starting Nov. 3.

For nearly a decade, shops have run on Tekmetric, which holds the repair orders, customers and vehicles behind every job. These three tools put that foundation to work, doing more of the work alongside the shop inside the repair order, the inspection and the phone line. Tekmetric is demonstrating all three at SEMA, Nov. 3 to 6, at Booth 11847.

“Shops have always done more with less, with fewer people and more demand than they can handle,” said Jared Haleck, Tekmetric Chief Product Officer. “Tekmetric started by helping them run the operation. These three new capabilities take the next step and start doing part of the work alongside the team. This is the direction Tekmetric is heading, and SEMA is where we’re showing it for the first time.”

TEKMETRIC REPAIR GUIDE: LICENSED OEM REPAIR INFORMATION INSIDE TEKMETRIC

Stop searching. Start fixing.

In a 2024 Auto Care Association survey of independent repair shops, 51% said their shop sends up to five vehicles a month to the dealer because of vehicle data limits. The association estimates those limits cost independent shops $3.1 billion a year. Each of those vehicles is revenue the shop sends down the road.

Tekmetric Repair Guide puts OEM verified repair information inside the repair order, where the job is already open. The VIN decodes automatically, and the procedures, wiring diagrams, torque specs and technical service bulletins that match the job come up without a search. Technicians can use Ask Tek, the plain-language search inside Tekmetric Repair Guide, to type a question the way they would ask a coworker, such as what commonly causes a misfire on an Audi SQ5, and get a direct answer with the OEM procedure attached. Ask Tek can also recommend labor times based on hours logged at real Tekmetric shops, a real-world reference for the technician to weigh alongside their own judgment.

Who can start using Tekmetric Repair Guide on Nov. 3. Tekmetric Repair Guide launches with eight European makes: BMW, Mini, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Land Rover, Jaguar and Porsche. Shops with at least 25% of their repair orders on those makes will see it in their Tekmetric account and can start a free 30-day trial. Tekmetric Repair Guide supplements the repair information tools shops already use and does not replace them. Coverage is expanding throughout 2027 as Tekmetric adds more manufacturers. Interested shops can request access to Tekmetric Repair Guide here.

TEKMETRIC DVI QUICK CAPTURE: PHOTOS AND AUDIO IN, WRITTEN FINDINGS OUT

Walk the car. Tekmetric writes the inspection. 

A digital vehicle inspection typically takes a minimum of 30 minutes, and technicians often spend more time documenting it than performing it. Service advisors then often rewrite those findings for the customer. DVI Quick Capture is built to get the process under 10 minutes.

Tekmetric DVI Quick Capture is an enhancement to the DVI shops already run, with the same inspection templates and the same link to the repair order. In the Tekmetric mobile app, the technician captures photos, video and audio notes during the walk-around. Tekmetric assigns the media to the right inspection tasks and writes the findings in language a customer can follow. The technician reviews every finding and accepts or edits it before the inspection is complete.

Who can start using DVI Quick Capture on Nov. 3. Eligible shops on the Tekmetric Scale plan can turn on DVI Quick Capture from the Inspections tab in Tekmetric, and it is included at no cost for them through 2026. It is not available on other plans at this time. Interested shops can request access to DVI Quick Capture here.

“I appreciate the fluid inspection process. Keeping the camera window open so you can just flow through the inspection in one shot. Our inspections are very thorough, and it’s cool to be able to speed them up. Cutting edge. Easy.”

Kellyn Karr, Owner, KAAR Automotive

TEKMETRIC RECEPTIONIST: ANSWERS THE CALLS A SHOP'S TEAM CAN'T GET TO

Never miss another call. 

The average shop misses 160 calls a month, and 90% of those happen during business hours when advisors are already stretched thin. A caller who reaches voicemail may hang up and call the next shop.

Tekmetric Receptionist picks up when the team can't. It books appointments directly onto the shop's live Tekmetric schedule, answers routine questions about hours, location and services from information the shop sets up, and deflects spam. It recognizes returning customers, greets them by name and references their vehicle. Everything else, including a request for a person or a vehicle update, goes into a callback queue with a summary and suggested next steps, so the service advisor knows what the caller needs before dialing back. Setup requires a  call-forwarding configuration at the shop's phone provider, and the shop keeps its main number.

“Tekmetric Receptionist has helped us at Jossy’s tremendously,” said Chris Hiday, General Manager at Jossy’s Auto. “It’s a time saver and we know time is money. We are able to see the calls we missed and a summary of what the customer is needing, which allows us to do the legwork before the call so we are better prepared. Not only does it get the calls when we are busy with another customer, but it also catches the after-hours and weekend calls. Our service advisor loves it.”

Who can start using Tekmetric Receptionist on Nov. 3. Shops connected to RingCentral through Tekmetric Phones and using Tekmetric Online Booking will start seeing Tekmetric Receptionist in their account over the coming days and weeks, as the rollout gradually expands. Once enabled, they can start a free 30-day trial. Remaining RingCentral-connected shops and shops on the waitlist will follow, and general availability is planned for Q1 2027. Shops on other phone systems are part of the plan too: Tekmetric Receptionist works through call forwarding, so shops whose phone system can forward calls will be able to use it over time. Other interested shops can request access to Tekmetric Receptionist here.

Tekmetric will share more about where the platform goes next at a customer webinar on Dec. 9. Register here.

ABOUT TEKMETRIC

Tekmetric, the most trusted auto repair platform used by more than 16,000 shops nationwide, improves auto repair shops through the relentless pursuit of innovation. Tekmetric's all-in-one cloud-based auto repair platform, including shop management, payments, marketing, technology integrations and real-time data, empowers auto repair shops nationwide. With Tekmetric, shop owners can create transparency, enhance productivity, increase profitability and deliver a superior customer experience for vehicle owners. For more information, visit www.tekmetric.com.