How to Protect Your Auto Repair Shop from Chargebacks

When he set off to create Tekmetric, founder and CEO Sunil Patel had an ace up his sleeve: experience running his independent auto repair shop.

Running a repair shop is the background of everything we do. It's that partnership between Tekmetric and the auto repair shops that leverage the platform daily that enable us to build the absolute best tool for the job: running an independent auto repair shop.

So we set out on a mission to deepen our connection with our customers and understand each shop's unique challenges and wins by visiting as many customers as possible.

We wanted to understand the unique challenges and victories each shop faces, to truly deepen our connection with you. The results? It blew us away. Your stories, your shops and your teams are the heart of what we do. You inspire us every day to provide the best solutions for the independent auto repair industry.

Tekmetric's Customer Obsession

Whether your shop is general repair, like brakes, fluids and check engine lights, or a specialized business focused on older European cars, there’s one thing that’s always the same: the amazing, critical work your shop does to get people back on the road!

And it’s your amazing shops that use Tekmetric that make all this possible. Our customers' valuable feedback is what helps us develop a better platform, and the proof is in the pudding.

Just look at all the awards we’ve been winning because of our users, like you!

What We Hear from Independent Auto Repair Shops

No one knows what it takes to run an independent auto repair shop better than the teams that rely on Tekmetric to power their operations.

Here's what we heard from shops and why they love Tekmetric:

Tekmetric's ease of use and simplicity in running your shop

‍Everything you need to run your shop is organized, tracked, and maintained in one tool.

Whether you're a shop owner peaking into real-time performance reports or analyzing shop trends, a general manager ensuring cars flow quickly and efficiently through your shops, a service advisor supporting customers, or even a technician fixing cars, Tekmetric can help your shop operate like a well-oiled inline 6.

Tekmetric empowers shop to grow and reach their next level

‍We constantly hear how shop owners have leveraged Tekmetric to grow their business in ways they never expected.

Whether that means opening and managing multiple locations, simply adding a few new bays moving into a larger location, or even expanding your operations to service more customers, Tekmetric's simplicity and complete control over your shop makes it easy to track, plan, and grow.

Tekmetric's commitment to transparency and communication

Because we're so customer-obsessed, we're always here to help! As a cloud-based solution, Tekmetric helps run your shop by doing a lot of the operational "heavy lifting," so to speak.

Not only do we provide the right tools for the job, but we're here to partner with your shop. Our support doesn't end, and we're always a quick message or phone call away, anytime you need support!

Our Commitment to Shops Like Yours

Because we're here to help your great shop get even better, we're always open to hearing how we can make Tekmetric even better! 

Want to see Tekmetric in action? Book a demo today to see how you can revolutionize your shop operations.

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.

Within an auto repair shop, data serves many functions: streamlining day-to-day operations, helping service advisors and tracking a shop’s cash flow. But you can also harness the power of data to plan for the future. In fact, strategically leveraging data can help you determine when it is time to open a new location. Think of it as your roadmap to multi-shop success. Data helps you every step of the way, from optimizing your existing business, to creating a plan for a new shop, to maximizing workflow across all locations.

Looking at the Big Picture: The New Location Roadmap

When you start planning for a new location, your strategy should prioritize the big picture of your business, allowing you to strategically determine the process for opening the next shop. Key metrics and analytics can help you monitor your business performance and plan for both the long- and short-term future. Whether you are expanding for the first time or the tenth, leveraging data can help make the process smooth, strategic and simple. It’s as straightforward as 1… 2…3: 

1. Getting Started: Make Your First Location the Best It Can Be

Before opening a new location, ensure your existing shop is optimized. Your goal is to maximize efficiency and productivity, so you can replicate the process at a new location. Take a good, hard look at your numbers, and be honest with yourself about your business performance. Some key questions to ask include:

• What are your ARO and car count, and can you increase them?
• How many repeat customers do you have versus new customers?
• How effective are your mechanics at completing their work? 
• Will adding another mechanic or bay be enough to support my current levels of business growth?
• How frequently are customers approving your full estimate or returning for follow-up work on previously declined jobs?

Once you have determined that your existing business is performing at the highest level possible, you are ready for the next step.

2. Creating a Plan: Determine Criteria for Your New Location 

As you look to add a location, it is important to identify your business needs and the assets you have available. Data from your existing location(s) is key to this step. Not only can you analyze business performance to determine your financial ability to open a new shop, but you can also identify opportunities with new customers to target or niche services to offer.   

For example, if your existing location is overwhelmed with customers seeking same day or next day service, another shop might be the solution. Or, if you are targeting customers in a different area of town, building or buying another location closer to the population you are targeting might draw them in. Here are some questions to ask when determining the criteria for a new location:

• Have I maximized the efficiency of my existing location(s)?
• Can I afford to build a brand-new shop, or should I buy an existing business?
• What is my close rate at my existing location(s)?
• What demographic am I targeting, and how can I meet their needs with this new location?

3. Setting Up for Success: Use Tekmetric Multi-Shop to Maximize Workflow 

Once you have multiple locations, it is critical that you maximize workflow between all locations. You can compare locations using Tekmetric Multi-Shop to monitor performance, track key metrics and determine each location’s strengths and weaknesses. A good question to ask yourself is: how can I leverage each location’s strengths to support continued business growth? 

First, ensure that you have replicated the optimized processes from your original location(s) at the new shop. You have worked hard to ensure your business was performing at the highest level possible before opening a new location – make sure to keep that momentum moving!

Second, play to the strengths of each location so they support each other. For example, determine which locations are high versus low volume to maximize your technicians’ time at all locations. If one shop is a high-volume location overwhelmed with work, you can leverage a lower volume location by moving some cars there for same-day repairs. Just don’t forget to move the cars back to the original location for the customer’s convenience! 

The idea of multiple auto repair shop locations can seem daunting, but by maximizing your data, you can simplify the process to ensure you are prepared for the next step. First, put all your efforts into running a top-tier business with your existing location(s). Once you are satisfied with your performance, utilize data to establish a clear plan for opening your next location. Finally, use tools like Tekmetric Multi-Shop to maximize workflow and leverage each location’s strengths to support the overall business. This approach will maximize your productivity and efficiency across all your locations, increasing your overall bottom line and keeping customers satisfied.