Cars are expensive, complicated machinery that most of us happen to rely on every day. And while we've probably spent a larger portion of our lives driving than we want to realize, the inner workings of their vehicle remain unintuitive to most of us.
That's exactly why your shop exists! To help your customers take care of the costly, sometimes difficult repairs so they can get back to their lives, whether that’s bringing the kids to soccer practice or getting to work on time!
Independent auto repair shops can overcome that skepticism from customers. After all, anything is possible with the right tools for the job. When that comes to customer service, independent auto repair shops can start using those tools with a modern shop-management system.
One that makes the often painful, expensive process, of getting their car fixed as simple, easy, and painless as possible.
More specifically, with Tekmetric, shops can show customers what's wrong with Digital Vehicle Inspections, and even help them cover the unexpected cost of a necessary repair with checkout options like Buy Now, Pay Later.
Customers can see photos and videos of exactly what’s wrong with their vehicles, see the urgency of each proposed repair, and approve or decline jobs directly from their smartphones.
DVIs simplify the entire process from both ends, enabling your team to offer amazing customer service most of us don't expect from an independent auto repair shop.
Technicians can build inspections on their smartphones or tablets, and take pictures or record videos to clearly illustrate what parts need to be repaired or replaced. This lets the customer see and hear the problem with their own eyes and ears.
Why DVIs are the Right Tool for the Job
Telling a customer their wheel bearing is going bad on a paper printout will have a different effect than showing them a video of your technician rotating that wheel bearing, recreating that awful howling noise the customer hears every time they drive.
Customers expect digital experiences. We have our receipts emailed to us instead of printed, we can order groceries online, and we get pictures when our deliveries are dropped off. Almost everything we purchase has a digital component, and your shop should be no different.
Auto repair shops can easily provide a modern customer experience with digital vehicle inspections by emailing or texting the results directly to the customer, including those pictures or videos technicians include in their inspection findings.
And you can stop wasting time on phone calls and tracking down your guests for the green light on repairs. Tekmetric lets customers review repair orders directly in those digital inspection findings your shop sent them.
Within a matter of seconds, at their convenience, customers can approve the work so your shop can get started, and get their vehicle back on the road as quickly as possible.
Buy Now, Pay Later Options Bring Your Shop into 2023
Here’s where the tricky part comes in: the customer hesitates to approve the repair order.
The sticker shock of a big repair they weren’t expecting can generally lead to customers picking and choosing what they want to repair so it fits their budget. In some cases, this means sometimes putting off important repairs that could end up dangerous if ignored.
That's exactly where buy now, pay later comes in.
Why Buy Now, Pay Later Options are the Right Tool for the Job
With our industry-first offering of buy now, pay later via Affirm or Klarna, we make it easy for shops to get those expensive repairs approved by providing customers with the option to pay for the repair over time, while you get paid the same day.
And you’ll still see a host of new benefits, like:
Get paid on time by allowing your customers to pay over time
Make more money by increasing your Average Repair Order value
Keep everything simple with one single trusted payment partner
Tekmerchant is all about consolidating your payment processing into one platform, simplifying the hassle of seeing all of your payments right in your shop management system.
And with buy now, pay later shops can see a huge boost to their average repair order by meeting customers where they are and giving them the option to pay at a schedule that fits their needs exactly.
Visualize Repairs with MotoVisuals
Building a trusted relationship with your customers starts with transparency.
Tekmetric now seamlessly integrates with MotoVisuals to elevate the customer experience, streamline shop processes, and empower automotive businesses like never before.
MotoVisuals offers a wide array of simple-to-follow animation videos for service advisors to leverage with their guests, simplifying vehicle education and repair explanations.
Why MotoVisuals is the Right Tool for the Job
While DVIs can help your shop show customers what needs to be repaired or replaced, they still might have questions about your shop’s labor rate. It’s one thing to see a broken part and another thing to know what it takes to replace it.
That’s where your service advisors come in – they help translate the technobabble of auto repairs to the customer. So why not equip them with the best tools for the job?
In fact, Advance Professionals reported a 90% increase in close rates from hesitant customers when shops incorporated MotoVisuals into their digital vehicle inspections.
The Right Tools for the Job Meet Modern Customer Expectations
Because they don't feel pressured to cover the cost upfront, customers are more likely to make those larger repairs with less hesitance.
Your shop will become a trusted advisor for your customers: one they can rely on for support, helping them make the right decisions for their vehicle and their wallet.
At Tekmetric, we understand that data security is more than just a priority—it's a responsibility. That’s why we are excited to announce that Tekmetric is now ISO/IEC 27001 certified! Combined with our SOC 2 Type II certification, this achievement underscores our commitment to keeping customer and partner data safe and maintaining systems that operate at the highest standards.
What is ISO/IEC 27001?
ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally recognized standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). It represents a comprehensive framework for managing and protecting an organization’s information assets, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.
To obtain this certification, Tekmetric went through rigorous audits and a thorough examination of security protocols, risk management practices, and data protection measures.
As we continue to innovate shop management solutions to best support our customers, achieving this certification reinforces that our platform and internal workflows protect the highly sensitive data customers and partners trust us with.
What This Means for Tekmetric Customers
For Tekmetric customers, achieving ISO/IEC 27001 certification means you can trust that we adhere to the highest standards for information security.
Enhanced Data Security & Trust: Our certification guarantees that Tekmetric has stringent security measures in place to safeguard sensitive data, including customer information, financial records, and business data.
Reduced Risk of Data Breaches & Security Incidents: By adopting a proactive approach to risk management, Tekmetric minimizes the likelihood of security breaches and disruptions
Compliance & Regulatory Alignment: Our ISO/IEC 27001 certification helps customers demonstrate compliance with data protection regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA.
This certification reinforces our commitment to safeguarding your data, providing you with peace of mind and confidence in our Shop Management platform. To learn more about all our certifications and our commitment to security, visit our Trust Center.
Many mechanics and auto repair shops are finding success by utilizing new apps that can help speed up inspections, car repairs, diagnostic readings and more. These apps can help everyone from dealerships and repair shops to mobile mechanics and DIYers. Here is our selection of the best mobile apps and online resources by use type.
Diagnostic and code reader apps
Torque Pro: Torque is a vehicle diagnostics tool and scanner that uses an OBD II Bluetooth adapter to connect to your OBD2 engine management. It can use the GPS to provide tracker logs with OBD engine logging so you can see what you were doing at any point in time.
It works on any vehicle that uses the OBD 2 standard (most vehicles built after 2000, but can work for vehicles as far back as 1996). The app needs a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter to work. Torque is currently $4.95 and available in the Google Play Store.
Car Scanner ELM OBD2: Car Scanner offers OBD code scanning, sensor data and more. You can also reset DC fault codes with this app. It uses an OBD 2 Wi-Fi or Bluetooth adapter to connect to your OBD2 engine management.
RepairSolutions2: TheRepair Solutions app guides you from diagnosis to fix. It pairs with the newest generation of compatible OBD2 decoders and scanners to deliver the most comprehensive automotive repair database with verified fixes from ASE Master Technicians.
Tekmetric Mobile: Tekmetric Mobile is specifically designed for the automotive industry and helps car mechanics be more efficient with tasks like digital vehicle inspections. Technicians can take pictures and videos straight from their mobile phone to show customers where a repair is needed. It also provides auto mechanics with an easy way to manage their time clock.
Tekmetric Mobile is free but an active Tekmetric subscription is required to use this app. Tekmetric Mobile is available for iOS and Android users.
Tek-Tip: Mobile apps can be paired with cloud-based automotive repair software to further boost productivity and effieicncy.
SafetyCulture: SafetyCulture has designed a workflow app that helps teams collaborate and manage tasks. While not specifically designed for the automotive industry, this app can be used for digital vehicle inspections.
This app is free currently for teams with 10 people or less. It is available for iOS and Android users.
Service guide apps
BG Technician App: With access to fluid application guides, tech tips, and service guides, auto repair professionals can harness the power of the BG Tech App in the palm of their hands. The BG Tech App instills the confidence needed for technicians to discuss common car maintenance problems and solutions that prevent those problems. The BG Technician App is free and is available for iOS and Android users.
1A Auto Diagnostic & Repair: The 1A repair app helps guide you through various automotive repairs with over 19,000 videos from professional technicians. You can also shop for auto parts used in the videos directly from the app. This app can also benefit mobile mechanics by allowing them to shop for car parts straight from the app.
Tek-Tip: Don't forget about "old-school" repair manuals that are now available in digital formats.
VIN scanner apps
Tekmetric Mobile: Tekmetric Mobile can scan VIN codes and license plates to help you start your check-in process sooner and build ROs faster.
Tekmetric Mobile is free but an active Tekmetric subscription is required to use this app. Tekmetric Mobile is available for iOS and Android users.
VIN Check Report: This app will scan your VIN and show you market value, vehicle history, recalls, and more. Typically this type of app is used by those looking to purchase a car but this app also helps mechanics find title and recall information.
This app is available for free to Android users or you can utilize their website.
VIN Report: This app provides an easy way for you to scan a VIN and retrieve important title, recall, theft, and pricing information. It also can estimate depreciation and market value if you are looking to buy or sell a car. Mechanics will appreciate its ability to quickly find vehicle history information and open recalls.
The VIN Report mobile app is available for free in the Google Play Store or you can use their website.
Tire apps
TireScan Advisor: While many other options exist for measuring tire tread, TireScan has created an app to help automate this task by taking pictures from your mobile phone. This app utilizes AI to analyze your tire’s tread, TIN and sidewall.
TireScan is available for free in the Google App Store.
Anyline: If you are looking for a more robust app, Anyline might be the solution for you. They have created an app that reads sidewall, tread, TIN/DOT, sizing, make and model in real-time. However, they do not disclose their pricing and it is safe to assume that it is not a free app. This app seems to be designed for dealerships and large repair shops.
Tek-Tip: Tekmetric Tire Suite provides automated DOT registration, fitment data, ordering, and more.
Service advisor apps
BG Advisor App: The BG Advisor App is developed specifically for automotive service advisors and can help with sales, training and more. This app can help service advisors and shop owners explain repairs to customers and win more work for your shop. This app is available for iPhone and Android smartphones.
Online resources
YouTube
YouTube is a gold mine for car repair veterans and DIYers alike. Some of our favorite channels include:
Enright Auto - for new tools and repair techniques
Reddit can be another powerful resource for new techniques plus an online community to answer questions you may have. Some of the best subreddits include:
Mobile apps are more of a luxury than a necessity for mechanics, however, they can help speed up repairs and boost efficiency. They can also help reduce time spent on paperwork and simplify workflows. If your shop is looking to stay competitive in this technology-heavy era plus boost productivity, mobile apps might be the answer you are looking for.
Closing thoughts
While all of these mechanic apps and resources can be useful, it is important to find apps that pair well with your needs. Before downloading any apps, make sure to read the reviews and do your own research. Lastly, don’t be afraid to test new apps out in your shop and see what works best for you.
No matter what your auto repair shop specializes in, chances are you're facing similar challenges.
New customers are hard to come by
It can be difficult to keep even the most loyal customers coming back
Repair work is frequently declined or pushed off
The reality is, people don't want to have to pay for an expensive fix when they don't directly see or understand the value or necessity behind the repair. We've become very used to simple solutions to complex problems, and more often than not customers wish their cars were like that too.
Auto repair shops can also be intimidating: they're loud, usually covered in oil, and they can feel like a trap.
That's why transparency is so critical in the auto repair industry, and why digital vehicle inspections have become such an important tool for shops. Customers want to know that they're only being charged for necessary work, and digital vehicle inspections help your shop show them that.
Digital vehicle inspections are just one aspect of your entire shop's workflow, but are an incredibly powerful foundation that go a long way in making your shop more money.
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)