Gamify Your Auto Repair Shop to Boost Performance

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.

Tekmetric is coming to SEMA 2026, and we're building something big.

From Nov. 3-6, 2026, our team will be in the North Hall at Booth 11847 featuring the all-in-one auto repair platform trusted by more than 16,000 shops. We're bringing live demos, hands-on benchmarking, announcing new products, a timed brick-building competition with prizes, and one big build we can't talk about just yet.

I've been to a lot of show floors, and the shop owners who get the most out of SEMA don't try to see everything. They show up knowing what they need and where to find it, so consider this your map to everything Tekmetric at SEMA.

SEMA 2026 fast facts

• When: Nov. 3-6, 2026
• Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas
• Tekmetric: Booth 11847, North Hall
• Who can attend: The show is trade-only. Friday, Nov. 6, is the only day open to the general public.
• Education: More than 99 free professional education sessions run during the week.
• Can't make it? See what we have planned for SEMA.

Why we're at SEMA

SEMA is the biggest week of the year for the automotive aftermarket, and it reaches far beyond the service bay. Parts manufacturers, tool and lift makers, tire and wheel brands, audio and electronics suppliers, collision and refinish specialists, truck and off-road builders, and racing teams all share one campus for four days. More than 2,000 exhibitors debut thousands of products, and the builds in the aisles make you stop walking. It's one of the biggest stages in the world for anything with an engine.

Tekmetric is one piece of that picture. Auto repair technology is a small corner of a very large industry, but the shops that run on it sit at the center of it. Every part, tire, and tool on that floor eventually lands in a bay, on a lift, and on a repair order. Our customers and partners are there, and so are the shop owners, service advisors, and technicians who haven't met us yet. The energy and the connections are why we come, and this year we're bringing more than we ever have.

Build your plan, brick by brick

Decide what you need before you land. Whether it's new equipment, a better front counter, or an honest read on how your shop compares to others, write it down and build your route around it.

Know the halls. SEMA fills the Las Vegas Convention Center campus, and the floor is organized into 14 product categories across five hall sections. Knowing which hall holds what saves miles on your feet:

• West Hall: Trucks, SUVs, and Off-Road; Powersports, Side-by-Side, and Lifestyle (new for 2026); Restyling and Car Care Accessories
• North Hall: Business Services (that's us); Mobile Electronics and Technology; Restyling and Trucks
• Central Hall: Racing and Performance; Hot Rod Alley; Restoration Marketplace
• South Hall Upper: Tools and Equipment; Collision Repair and Refinish
• South Hall Lower: Global Tire Expo powered by TIA; Wheels and Accessories; New Products Showcase

For most repair shop owners, South Hall Upper (lifts, tools, and equipment), South Hall Lower (tires), and North Hall (business services) cover the most ground. Start there and branch out.

Bring your numbers. Know your average repair order, car count, parts margin, and effective labor rate, because every vendor conversation gets sharper when you can talk specifics. At our booth, those four numbers unlock something worth your time, and we'll get to that below.

Leave room between stops. The campus is large and the days are long, so buffer time lets you follow a good conversation instead of cutting it short.

Wear comfortable shoes. It's the same advice every year, and it's still true.

What's waiting for you at Booth 11847

Our theme this year is building shop results, brick by brick, and every station in the booth answers one question: What does this do for my shop?

See how your shop stacks up

Run your numbers through the Tekmetric Shop Index and see how your ARO, car count, parts margin, and effective labor rate compare to thousands of shops nationwide. It takes about two minutes, and you walk away knowing exactly where you stand. Your benchmark also enters you to win a $1,000 gift card.

Watch the platform work

Our booth is set up around three stations that match how a shop actually runs:

• Run Your Shop. Repair orders, digital vehicle inspections, scheduling, and real-time reporting in one place.
• Secure Payments. Built-in payment processing, including Buy Now, Pay Later options that help customers say yes to the full estimate.
• Engage Customers. Two-way texting, review management, digital advertising, and marketing tools that keep your bays full between visits.

Each station is one piece, and together they're the whole platform. Bring a question about your own shop and we'll answer it with a real-world example.

But this year, we also have something new to show you.

Are you one of the 51% of shops that has to send vehicles to the dealership because you can't find the repair data you need? Or did you know the average shop misses 166 calls a month? Or that the average DVI takes 30 minutes?

At SEMA, we're showing you what we're doing about all three, before anyone else sees it.

Compete in the Brick by Brick Build Off

It's the only build at SEMA that fits in your carry-on. Grab a bin of toy bricks and race the clock against three other builders in a seven-minute competition. A new round starts about every 10 minutes — just listen for the horn honk that opens and closes each round.

Build a car, a truck, a boat, or whatever you have in mind. Our team judges every entry, and the day's top builds go on display with your name, city, and shop. One winner each day takes home a LEGO car set: a 1960 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C, a Dodge Charger R/T, a Ford Model T, or a Lamborghini Revuelto.

We are bringing something big

We've been working on something for months, and we can't share the details yet. We'll just say it's life-size, it's made of bricks, and the horn works, so come see it in person.

Tektonic 2027

Tektonic is our annual industry conference, built for shop owners, service advisors, and technicians who want to run better shops. Stop by to hear what's planned for 2027 and how to be part of it.

Canadian shops: Join us at AIA Canada Night

Tekmetric is a sponsor of AIA Canada Night during SEMA week. If you run a shop in Canada, come meet our team from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, at HaSalon inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Canada Night is a ticketed, trade-only event, so secure your spot through AIA Canada.

Beyond the booth

Once you've found us, the rest of SEMA is worth your time, too. The tools and equipment halls show you what's coming to your bays before it hits a catalog, and the free education sessions cover shop management, marketing, and technical training. The conversations with other shop owners are often the best part of the week.

See you in Las Vegas

You won't see all of SEMA, and that was never the goal. The best weeks end with one idea you put to work the Monday you get back. Make Booth 11847 one of your stops to run your numbers, build something, and meet the team behind the platform. We'll be in the North Hall, brick by brick.

Want the full rundown before you go? See what we have planned for SEMA.

When researching digital vehicle inspection software solutions, you should look for these seven core features that benefit your team and your customers:

1. A searchable DVI history
2. The ability for technicians to attach photos and videos to inspections
3. A color-coded system that indicates the severity of inspection findings
4. A direct tie-in to parts and labor data when building estimates
5. The ability to add canned jobs when building estimates
6. Digital authorization
7. Automatic saving and tracking of declined jobs

1. Searchable DVI History

When shopping for digital vehicle inspection software, make sure that you can easily look back on past inspection findings. When service advisors are able to quickly find out what was uncovered during previous inspections, they’re less likely to miss a repair opportunity and leave money on the table. They can simply pick up where they left off, helping your shop sell more repair work.

2. The ability for technicians to attach photos and videos to inspections

It’s one thing to tell a customer, “Hey, your car has really bad engine corrosion.” It’s another thing to show the customer a photo of the orange, brittle-looking rust all over their engine. When customers can see what’s really going on with their vehicles, they’re more likely to trust your team’s word and authorize repairs right then and there. They’ll be less inclined to shop around for a second opinion or tell you, “Oh, I’ll sleep on it and come back tomorrow.”

A digital vehicle inspection software that enables technicians to quickly attach photos and videos will help your team keep repairs moving along and build customer trust.

3. A color-coded system that indicates the severity of inspection findings

When explaining repairs to customers, the best route is often the simplest one. Instead of spending time speaking or writing about the intricacies of each inspection finding, service advisors can leverage digital vehicle inspection software that uses a simple, color-coded system to instantly give customers an idea of how urgent each inspection finding is. For instance, an inspection finding marked in green would indicate that everything is good to go, one marked in yellow would indicate something that might need attention down the line, and red would indicate the need for immediate action.

4. A direct tie-in to parts and labor data when building estimates

It’s vital for service advisors to weave in the right parts and labor data when building estimates. But doing so manually is a tedious process. With everything going on, service advisors might accidentally scribble down the wrong piece of information, resulting in the customer getting the wrong parts and labor pricing, or inaccurate parts availability.

Digital vehicle inspection software with a direct tie-in to parts and labor data helps service advisors create accurate estimates from the get-go, so there are no unpleasant surprises for anyone at the shop come estimate-review time.

5. The ability to add canned jobs when building estimates

On a daily basis, service advisors may find themselves writing the same types of findings on estimates over and over.

Digital vehicle inspection software with a canned jobs feature will eliminate a lot of this repetition by enabling service advisors to add pre-saved jobs to estimates in a matter of seconds. That way they can complete inspections faster and get estimates in customers’ hands as soon as possible.

6. Digital authorization

The easier you make it for your customers to authorize repair work, the more likely they’ll quickly do so. That’s where digital vehicle inspection software with digital job authorization steps in. Service advisors won’t have to track down customers to get their verbal or written approval to start repair work. Instead, customers can approve or decline individual jobs from the moment they get their estimate.

7. Automatic saving and tracking of declined jobs

Some repair work is going to get declined for various reasons. But don’t worry. Declined jobs show that your shop is thorough with inspections and estimates; your team caught every budding and existing issue with each vehicle. Think of declined jobs as future business opportunities for your shop.

However, remembering and keeping track of declined jobs can get tricky with a pen and paper method. Service advisors might totally forget about these opportunities, or if they remember, they’ll have to dig through stacks of paper or navigate folder after folder on a computer just to find the right estimate.

Digital vehicle inspection software that has a “declined jobs” feature enables your service advisors to pick up right where they left off the next time a particular customer walks into your shop. They’ll be able to search which jobs the customer declined last time, and recommend taking care of those issues. The results? You’ll get more business and impress your customers with your great customer service.

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