Five Questions to Ask Before Signing a Shop Management Software Contract

By streamlining your auto repair shop workflow, you can help your shop create a memorable customer experience that will keep them coming back next time they have a problem.

From the moment customers walk in the door to when they pick up their vehicle, your shop’s service advisors play a crucial role in creating a smooth, enjoyable experience.

Shop management software makes it easy to establish a standardized intake process so that shops can provide the same level of care to their customers every single time.

Service advisors can build repair orders in seconds, apply the right digital vehicle inspection templates with just a few clicks, and quickly text or email the results to the customer for approval.

This frees up their time to focus on the customer directly, address their concerns, and create a stress-free experience. If things go well the first time, and customers feel like they can trust your shop's recommendations, work they'll more than likely come back for future repairs.

“Receipts.” We all know the literal meaning of this term—those pieces of paper or emails/texts a retailer sends you as proof of purchase, in case you want to exchange or return an item down the road.

In a casual sense, “receipts” also mean “proof” in the event of a dispute. For example, if your dog could talk and claimed he definitely did not steal the pizza from the picnic table, you could show him “receipts,” which could be a photo your astonished friend snapped of him while he was dragging the pizza away. Busted!

Ok, but in all seriousness, as a business owner, you interact with receipts in two ways:

1. You give receipts to your customers once their repair work is finished
2. You get receipts when you purchase items for your shop (like parts)
   

Even though receipts exist in practically every industry, there’s a huge difference between the receipts customers get from an auto repair shop versus the receipts they’d get from a restaurant or clothing store.

Look at it this way: you don’t go to a restaurant and get an estimate for how much your food will cost. You see the prices on the menu, order, and then pay at the end. But in the auto repair world, we have to scope out the work with an inspection and estimate. That’s where the shop and the customer come to an understanding of the repair work that will occur, and get a preview of the cost, before any work gets done.

Without a solid inspection and estimate process, there can be a higher risk of misunderstandings and miscommunications, which can diminish customer loyalty and lead to credit card chargebacks. For example, a customer could misunderstand the severity of the need for a repair and decline it when they get their estimate, and leave a negative online review that their car still has issues. Or, a customer could say they don’t want a particular repair, but a service advisor misunderstands them. The repair happens, and the customer is upset when they get the final bill because they’d communicated that they didn’t want the repair.

That’s why estimates and receipts are extra important in our industry—they protect shops and customers. They give your customers peace of mind; they have a record of what repair work they got done on which day, and how much they paid. And in the event of a customer claiming a certain repair didn’t happen on a particular day, you could pull up your copy of the estimate and the receipt and set the record straight. You won’t have to deal with a frustrating back-and-forth process that can stretch out for days.

But beyond literal receipts, there are other elements of safeguarding your business. After all, protecting your business isn’t just about protecting it from financial and legal standpoints, although those are two important areas. You also have to think about things like your team’s productivity, employee management, healthy margins, and more. Auto shop management software is a great core tool that can help you safeguard your shop from multiple angles.

Building a strong company culture is key to not only employee retention and satisfaction, but also performance. Tekmetric’s leadership team chose to go beyond company values to create a culture operating system.

"I believe culture can be our strategic advantage.” - Sunil Patel, CEO

The operating system is built around 24 Fundamentals, designed to complement Tekmetric’s four values: Focused, Reliable, Authentic and Compassionate.

The Fundamentals are specific characteristics and actions that can be measured and practiced on a daily basis. The Tekmetric team collaborated closely to create the fundamentals, avoiding a top down approach and ensuring buy-in from across the organization.

“What we thought was really cool about it is that they're relatable,” said Karina Amanullah, Head of People and Culture. “Everybody knows how to do each one of them. Even if they haven’t mastered them, they know what they are and there's no ambiguity. “I think the most valuable piece is when you read them you understand exactly what type of company we want to be.”

Added Amanullah, "It makes it clear what kind of culture we want to build. How we want to communicate with each other. What we believe in. What we don’t believe in. Formalizing it and getting it down on paper is powerful.”

Since the rollout in February, the Fundamentals have become part of the everyday work of each team at Tekmetric.

Each week starts with an email from Founder and CEO Sunil Patel on his thoughts on the Fundamental of the week, which is also discussed in team meetings, leadership meetings and during the monthly all company meeting. New hires are introduced to them during onboarding.

And, more importantly, they are becoming part of the everyday vocabulary within the company.

“We're starting to use them as common terms within the company,” said Amanullah. “I hear them used in meetings and I think it’s nice to see them become part of our language. The ultimate goal is to get people so comfortable with them that it's not a thing. It's just what happens at Tekmetric.”

“As we continue to grow and scale our company, consistent messaging and culture amongst our teammates and externally with customers is hard to preserve," said Patel. "I believe culture can be our strategic advantage.”

The Fundamentals

1. ADOPT A GROWTH MINDSET.

Be a lifelong learner. Seek out and take advantage of every  opportunity to gain more knowledge, increase your skills, and become a greater expert.  Accept new challenges and learn from them. Take the time to share what you’ve learned  with others on the team if they can benefit too.

2. SHARE THE WHY

Before others can understand what to do or how to do it, they must  first understand why. Explain the big picture. The more people understand the reason  for what we’re doing, the more actively they can participate in the solution.

3. THINK TEAM FIRST

It’s about us, not about you. Don’t let your ego or personal agenda  get in the way of doing what’s best for the team. Be there for each other and be willing  to step into another role or help a co-worker when that’s what’s required for success.  Help each other succeed.

4. DRIVE IMPACT

While effort is important, our customers expect results. Follow up on  everything and take responsibility to ensure that tasks get completed. Set aggressive  goals, use measurements to track your progress, and hold yourself accountable for  achieving those results.

5. GET CLEAR ON EXPECTATIONS

Create clarity and avoid misunderstandings by discussing  expectations upfront. Set expectations for others and ask when you’re not clear on what  they expect of you. End all meetings with clarity about action items, responsibilities, and  due dates.

6. TAKE OWNERSHIP

Take personal responsibility for making things happen and see them  through completion. Respond to every situation by looking for how we can do it, rather than explaining why it can’t be done. If you see an opportunity to make us better, act on  it. Accidentally stepping on toes is inevitable and should always be forgiven; we're all on  the same team.

7. PRACTICE BLAMELESS PROBLEM-SOLVING

Demonstrate a relentless solution focus,  rather than pointing fingers or dwelling on problems. Identify lessons learned and use those lessons to improve ourselves and our processes so we don’t make the same  mistake twice. Get smarter with every mistake. Learn from every experience.

8. MAKE DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS

Make good decisions by relying primarily on facts and  data, rather than solely on opinions or emotions. Be objective. Analyze the data and use  this information to make better decisions.

9. TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS

Innovation, improvement, and success don’t come from  playing it safe. They come from a thoughtful and intentional willingness to try the  unconventional and to ask “What if?” Try a new way. Think differently.

10. ACT WITH INTEGRITY

Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing  in every action you take and in every decision you make, especially when no one’s looking.  Always tell the truth, no matter the consequences. If you make a mistake, own up to it,  apologize, and make it right.

11. SHARE INFORMATION

While we should be vigilant about protecting confidential  information both internally and externally, share relevant information freely throughout  our organization. The more people know, the better we can collaborate. Learn to ask  yourself, “Who else needs to know this?”  

12. DEBATE, THEN ALIGN

Healthy, vigorous debate creates better solutions. Debate  concepts without making personal attacks. Check your ego and push for the best solution,  rather than your solution. Once a decision is made, however, get fully aligned by putting  your complete support behind it.

13. DO WHAT’S BEST FOR THE CUSTOMER

In all situations, do what’s best for the customer,  even if it’s to our own short-term detriment. Understand our customers’ world. Know  their challenges and frustrations. See the world from their perspective. Put their needs  ahead of our own. There’s no greater way to build a reputation than to steadfastly do  what’s right for others.  

14. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS

Missing just one detail can have an enormous impact  on everything that comes after it. Be a fanatic about accuracy and precision. The goal is  to get things right, not simply to get them done. Double-check your work. Get the details  right the first time.

15. BE A TEKMETRIC AMBASSADOR

We’re all responsible for, and benefit from, our  company’s image and reputation. Consider how your actions affect our collective  reputation, and be a proud and positive representative of Tekmetric. We love to say,  above all else, when representing Tekmetric, be someone you yourself would enjoy  spending time with at a backyard barbecue.

16. LISTEN GENEROUSLY

Listening is more than simply “not speaking.” Give others your  undivided attention. Be present and engaged. Minimize distractions and let go of the  need to agree or disagree. Suspend your judgment and be curious to know more, rather  than jumping to conclusions. Above all, listen to understand.

17. SPEAK COURAGEOUSLY.

Speak honestly in a way that helps to make progress. Say what  you mean, and be willing to ask questions, share ideas, or raise issues that may cause  conflict when it’s necessary for team success. Be courageous enough to say what needs  to be said. Address issues directly with those who are involved or affected.

18. HONOR COMMITMENTS

Do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going  to do it. This includes being on time for all phone calls, appointments, meetings, and  promises. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, notify others early and agree on a new  deliverable to be honored.

19. CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER

Our relationships go deeper than simply being teammates  at work. We spend a lot of time together, and we genuinely care for and about each other.  Whether it’s a kind word during a tough stretch, a friendly smile each morning, or a  helping hand in stressful times, show your compassion.

20. BE A FANATIC ABOUT RESPONSE TIME

Respond to questions and concerns quickly,  whether it’s in person, on the phone, or by email. This includes simply acknowledging that  we got the question and we’re “on it,” as well as keeping those involved continuously  updated on the status of outstanding issues.

21. SHOW MEANINGFUL APPRECIATION

Recognizing people doing things right is more  effective than pointing out when they do things wrong. Regularly extend meaningful  acknowledgment and appreciation — in all directions throughout our organization.

22. MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES

Take care of yourself at home and at the office. Eat well,  exercise, and get adequate sleep – take care of yourself so that you’ll thrive personally  and professionally. Support each other in making healthy choices. To give your best, you  must be at your best!

23. “BRING IT” EVERY DAY

Have a passion for what we do and be fully engaged. Make the  most of each day by approaching every task with energy, focus, purpose, and enthusiasm.  Put your best work and effort on the table. Work with a sense of urgency to get things  done.

24. KEEP THINGS FUN

While our passion for excellence is real, remember that the world has  bigger problems than the daily challenges that make up our work. Stuff happens. Keep  perspective. Don’t take things personally or take yourself too seriously. Remember that  attitudes really are contagious – inject fun into what you and we do.‍