Auto repair shops might bulk order carbon copies, or you might find a template online and print as many copies as your shop needs. Or, if your shop uses digital templates, you might have to deal with time-consuming digital file management.
Filling out the forms over and over, be it by handwriting or typing, can become tedious. And both options are less than ideal for record-keeping.
Paper can get lost, and digital files can become overwritten or corrupted. Both approaches are inconvenient and ultimately slow things down at your shop. And the impression you give during the payment process can determine whether those customers return or not.
Here are four reasons why a shop management system is better than an auto repair invoice template approach for your business.
Reason 1: The Invoicing Process Will Become Faster
Think about how much time the auto repair invoice template approach requires. From filling out forms by hand to only being able to collect payment in person, using paper or digital invoice templates usually means a backlog of customers waiting on service advisors.
And if you use integrated payment options like Text-to-Pay, customers will be able to pay directly from their smartphones. Service advisors will spend less time processing customers who are checking out, and customers can pay quickly instead of having to stand in line at your shop.
But, best of all, you'll give your customers an opportunity to budget large expenses they may not have otherwise expected.
We've seen shops help customers cover the cost of a $2000 or more repair they might have otherwise pushed off.
With the flexibility of buy now, pay later options, they can take care of those repairs before they get even worse, and potentially lead to even more expensive damage.
Reason 2: More Convenient for Everyone Involved
Another benefit of a shop management system over an auto repair invoice template approach is that it offers greater convenience for everyone involved.
Your service advisors can continue providing excellent service to incoming guests with minimal disruptions. They can quickly generate and send invoices, which takes significantly less time and effort than filling out estimates and always needing to hand them off in person.
Your service advisors can keep flowing through the process of checking in customers, building estimates, and selling repair work.
Reason 3: Better Tracking and Record-Keeping for Your Shop
Sometimes your team will need to pull up a prior invoice. Maybe a customer calls your shop wanting to remember what they paid for and when, or maybe someone is disputing a charge that they forgot about.
Using a paper or digital auto repair invoice template approach makes it tough to keep track of invoice histories at your shop.
With a shop management system, record-keeping becomes a simple, stress-free endeavor so you can better safeguard your shop. If a service advisor wants to find a particular invoice, they can quickly search inside of the shop management system and pull it up within seconds. No more spending extra time digging through files, physical or virtual.
With a good shop management system, you should be able to search for documents, too. And for multi-shop organizations, you should be able to link customer history across all your locations.
If a service advisor sends part of a payment to your accounts receivable department, they should be able to later search and see how much a customer owes on their balances.
If down the line, a service advisor wants to sell work that a customer previously declined, the service advisor can access that customer’s profile, see what they declined and when, and call up that customer to remind them that it’s time for another visit.
Reason 4: Generate More Business and More Profits
Consider which customer is more likely to be super impressed and return to your shop?
Charlie, who had to rush back to your shop before closing to wait in line to pay
Janet, who paid from their smartphone at their own convenience
Customer B likely drove away from the shop impressed that the check-out process was so simple.
So much of the modern customer experience revolves around the speed and convenience of digital options. The customer who has an easier time paying for their repair will be more likely to sing praises about your shop to their friends and family, getting new customers through your doors.
To make the best impression possible on your customers, and make life as easy as possible for your team members, you should look for a shop management system that covers you throughout different stages of the repair process, including inspections and estimates, inventory management, and reporting on metrics so you can see how well your shop is performing.
As you research different options on the market, be sure to ask the right questions, demo each system, and get your team’s input. Additionally, be sure to get a good sense of the team behind every solution you’re considering.
A solid onboarding and customer success team can guide you through the switch, answer your questions, and teach you all the tips and tricks you need to get your new estimate and invoice process rolling.
Tekmetric: Stand Out for the Right Reasons
Tekmetric helps you give your customers a modern, fast, convenient check-out experience. Schedule a demo to see Tekmetric in action!
Although our goal is to help you determine the best ways you can enhance your auto repair shop profit margin, we’re still going to shoot straight with you: opening a shop isn’t easy. You’re going to have to put in some hard work, but exceeding your goals will be well worth it. Along the way you’ll learn new things through trial and error and encounter some unexpected challenges, but who doesn’t when they step outside of their comfort zone, pursuing something they’re passionate about?
One question you may have is, "Is it even a good time to start an auto repair business?" That's a tricky question to answer. Coming off the heels of a pandemic in an economy that has seen better times might scare any new business owner. But remember, some of the most long-standing businesses were started during economic recessions.
Although there’s been better times to start an auto repair business, your shop can still be successful. And it’s clear that the demand for automotive repairs isn't going anywhere.
Take a look at these statistics on the latest automotive repair trends:
In 2022, there will be an estimated 76 million vehicles aged 16 years or older in the United States.
It’s estimated that by 2022, 18% of American households will use an auto repair service at least once a year.
The number of vehicles on the road that are 12 years or older is anticipated to increase by 15%.
In the past decade, the average length of time that drivers own their automobiles has increased by 60%.
As you can see, the need for vehicle repairs will likely increase due to the fact that drivers are choosing to stick to their trusty ol’ vehicles rather than opting for a shinier new ride. But regardless of whether the auto repair industry’s profit trends are growing or plateauing, making smart business decisions will not only prepare your shop for future transformation but also help your shop survive disruptive trends in the future.
Let’s get to boosting your shop’s short and long-term profits.
We’ve listed each of these tactics in the order you should take during each of your business growth phases: the seed stage, the start-up stage, the established stage, or the expansion stage. The order of these 10 tactics does not determine their importance; each tactic complements one another to put your shop in the fast lane to success.
Fast Facts
Industry size and past growth: The U.S. auto mechanics industry is worth more than $68 billion in 2022 and has seen steady growth the past five years.
Growth forecast: The U.S. auto mechanics industry is projected to experience continued growth in the coming years and expand by more than 10% by 2026.
Number of businesses: As of early 2022, 264,121 auto mechanic businesses operated in the US.
Number of people employed: As of early 2022, the United States auto repair industry employed about 561,359 workers.
Should auto repair shops focus on social media marketing?
How many people do you know who spend a substantial amount of time on Facebook? Or hours watching YouTube? How can your business take advantage of how easy it is to get in front of potential customers?
Social media became the leading online activity in 2013 and has grown ever since. According to a Backlinko study, there are 5.24 billion global social media users that average over 2 hours a day on social media platforms. The top three social media platforms are Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp.
Chances are that your potential new customers are spending more time online than anywhere else. Is your auto repair shop doing everything it can to reach them?
Source: https://backlinko.com/social-media-users
Social media channels are key for boosting your shop's reputation and make a big difference when it comes to driving referrals and repeat customers. Engaging your local community will keep you top-of-mind as a reliable, trustworthy place for your guests to get their vehicles repaired.
10 effective social media strategies for auto repair shops
Social media channels are one of the most powerful forms of word-of-mouth advertising; more and more people go on social media to make purchasing decisions as well as socialize with friends and family members.
By having a strong social media presence, it makes it easier for the people you serve to share information about your shop, whether that be promotions, insightful posts, or even fun photos that your auto shop shares. But there are so many ways to engage the people in your service area on social media that it can be tough to know where to start.
To make things easier, here are ten ways that your auto repair shop can use Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter and other channels to interact and socialize with potential customers and loyal guests.
1. Think local
It’s important to remember that social media channels—especially Facebook—are places where people often go to talk about a shared experience. A lot of times, those experiences are local. Whether it’s how the sports teams in town are doing, where people like to go, or upcoming events, the bulk of many online social media conversations is still driven by what’s happening in our own communities.
Businesses are a big part of that conversation. How often have you seen friends or family members post a question on their feed like “Know any good restaurants in town?” People also post public reviews and recommendations of the places they go and the businesses they use on Facebook, Google, Yelp, and other channels.
While it may not be direct marketing, starting a dialogue about what’s going on in your community may be a good way to start some conversations. Are there any new happenings? Are there charitable or uplifting things that people are doing in your community? You can even talk about the local driving experience, highlighting best roads to take during certain times of the week and any ongoing construction projects that drivers may want to be careful when diving past for the sake of their vehicle.
These are just a few of the things that you can address on your Facebook page to get guests talking and make your shop more approachable.
2. Local charities and events
Looking for ways to play a bigger role in your community? Consider using your social media pages to focus on other businesses, events, and charitable activities in your town. While this may seem to take the focus off of your shop and services, it shows your neighbors and guests that you care about the well-being of your community at large.
For example, Casey’s Automotive in Chantilly, Virginia promotes and partners with the local charity, Ellie’s Hats, an organization that raises funds to support children who have been diagnosed with cancer. Every year, Casey’s and Ellie’s Hats hold an annual Spring Fling car show where the kids get to help hand out prizes for different cars and people get custom-built trophies made out of car parts. By partnering up, Casey’s is not only helping make the world better by living out their values but also engaging the community and gaining potential future referrals.
3. Teach your followers something cool or valuable
Showing guests how to do something is a great way to give them something of value, establish leadership, and build trust. A good auto shop owner can always appreciate guests who take care of their vehicles between visits, so showing guests how to take care of their car may be worth sharing and demonstrate that you truly care about your guests’ vehicles.
Tek-Tip: Use video.
Consider using videos. They are visually engaging, which is good for teaching something, and they have a strong track record of driving web traffic in search engines and on social media. According to Marketingland, 62% of Google universal searches include video; per Hubspot, social video posts garner 48% more views than other kinds of posts. Christian Brothers Automotive posts regular video tips on their Facebook page, like this one about tire safety.
In addition, some guests may find things that are simple for technicians and other experienced vehicle owners, such as performing an oil change or rotating tires, to be difficult or more of a hassle than they want to take on, and will instead bring the job to you.
Tek-Tip: Consider your audience.
If your shop helps the average daily driver, you may be able to teach them something basic like how to refill their wiper fluid or change a tire. But if your shop services clients who already know the basics, you may want to show them something more exciting and sophisticated like: -How we installed a 10 point roll cage in a Jeep Liberty. -Lift kit tipsHow to install a winch and/or lightbar to an off road vehicle How to reset the oil light on particular vehicles
4. Show gratitude and understanding
Guests are the backbone of any auto repair shop. Without them, you wouldn’t be in business. Show your guests that you value them! Sometimes this is better done in person, but if a guest is particularly loyal, or you provided them with some interesting, exciting repair work, you may want to ask them if you can feature them on social media and thank them for coming in.
If someone leaves a 5 star review on Facebook, Google, Yelp or somewhere else, or says something positive about your business, be sure to thank them for taking the time to do so. If the review was not made on a public site, and you got it from a customer by email or text, you should ask them permission to share their review before posting it on social media.
If the review was not made on a public site, and you got it from a customer by email or text, you should ask them permission to share their review before posting it on social media.
The best way to handle negative reviews (and chargebacks, for that matter) is to prevent them from happening in the first place by providing excellent customer service and communicating clearly with your customers. That said, there is always the chance that something will slip through the cracks or that someone will post something because they’re having a bad day. Not all negative reviews are within your control.
Most channels allow you to respond to guests. Talk to your service advisors and technicians to find the specific circumstances of the complaint being made so you have all the facts before responding.
Then, respond in a timely manner; you don’t want to let a review linger for days before responding.
When you do respond, stay courteous and professional, no matter how rude or out-of-line the customer’s review is. If you are able to encourage them to take the conversation offline by calling you, do so. Sometimes, a little attention will encourage the customer to remove their negative review.
If not, at least the public can see that you paid attention and took every possible step to meet their needs. If the review is entirely fabricated, you may be able to challenge it through an official appeal process on the site; Yelp, for example, allows you to flag a review for removal.
It’s also helpful to be proactive about gathering positive reviews so they drown out the negative ones and lessen their impact on both your potential customers’ shopping experience and your overall average business rating on the review site.
6. Highlight seasonal holidays & events
The holidays are a natural part of the yearly newscycle. They’re also fun for a lot of people, and a time when families and friends come together to celebrate something important. By highlighting holidays and using proper hashtags, your shop can gain more attention, inspire action, and be a part of the community's seasonal activities.
Don't forget to use the proper hashtags for seasons and events in your posts. These can help gain attention, but only if you use hashtags that show up in news feeds!
Some holidays move around on the calendar, but here are some dates and hashtags to use for certain holidays and events that take place over the course of the year:
January
1st, #NewYearsDay
16th, #GetToKnowYourCustomersDay
20th, #MLKDay
25th, #ChineseNewYear (1/25 - 2/8)
February
4th, #WorldCancerDay
14th, #ValentinesDay
17th, #KindnessDay (Random Acts of Kindness Day)
22nd, #NationalMargaritaDay (Don’t drink and drive!)
25th, #MardiGras (Same as above)
27th, #NationalRetroDay
March
6th, #EmployeeAppreciationDay
8th, #InternationalWomensDay
17th, #StPatricksDay
23rd, #NationalPuppyDay
25th, #WaffleDay
28th, #EarthHour
30th, #NationalDoctorsDay
April
1st, #AprilFools
15th, #TaxDay
16th, #HighFiveDay
22nd, #EarthDay
May
4th, #MayThe4thBeWithYou (National Star Wars day)
5th, #ThankATeacher (National Teacher’s Day)
10th, #MothersDay
12th, #NursesDay
15th, #ChocolateChipDay
21st, #AccessibilityAwarenessDay
25th, #MemorialDay
June
5th, #DonutDay
6th, #HigherEducationDay
8th, #BestFriendsDay
12th, #NationalAutomotiveServiceProfessionalsDay
14th, #FlagDay
15th, #NativeAmericanCitizenship
21st, #FathersDay
30th, #SMDay (Social Media Day)
July
1st, #TellAJoke (International Joke Day)
4th, #IndependenceDay
7th, #WorldChocolateDay
14th, #BastilleDay
17th, #WorldEmojiDay
19th, #NationalIceCreamDay
26th, #ParentsDay
30th, #InternationalDayOfFriendship
August
15th, #NationalRelaxationDay
19th, #WorldPhotoDay
26th, #NationalDogDay
September
5th, #InternationalDayOfCharity
6th, #ReadABookDay
7th, #LaborDay
21st, #DayOfPeace
29th, #NationalCoffeeDay
30th, #InternationalPodcastDay
October
4th, #NationalTacoDay
16th, #NationalBossDay
31st, #Halloween
November
3rd, #ElectionDay (2020)
11th, #VeteransDay
13th, #WKD (World Kindness Day)
26th, #Thanksgiving (2020)
27th, #BlackFriday (2020)
28th, #ShopSmall (Small Business Saturday, 2020)
30th, #CyberMonday (2020)
December
1st, #GivingTuesday (2020)
3rd, #IDPD (International Day of Persons with Disabilities)
9th, #ChildrensDay
10th, #HumanRightsDay
25th, #Christmas
31st, #NewYearsEve
Tek-Tip: Stay ahead of the calendar.
Since holidays come at the same time every year, you can work them into your social media marketing and your marketing calendar as a whole. Planning out your holiday tactics in advance gives you the time to study consumer trends and behavior as well as outline your campaigns so you don’t have to think on the fly. Map the holiday calendar in advance for less stress, more insights, and stronger returns.
Tek-Tip: Don’t forget to include local events!
If your service area has a local festival or event (like the Bluebonnet Festival in Burnet, Texas or the Art Car Parade in Houston), don’t forget to highlight them with the proper hashtag, too! You may even consider reaching out to the event organizers to help sponsor the event.
7. Social media contests
Everyone loves a raffle, and everyone loves a gift card. Gift card lotteries are a simple way to encourage people to like your posts, share your posts, and provide you with a good review.
We often see auto shops use monthly gift card drawings as a way to continually drum up engagement. It’s also a good way to work in some general education for your customers.
For example, you can make the gift card amount match the exact amount of an oil change to remind customers that they need to get that done to take the best possible care of their vehicle.
Photo contests are another way to get more exposure and traffic to your social media page. You can pick a topic and encourage guests to post or submit their photos on social media and tag your auto shop. Create an award, like a service certificate or gift card, and pick a winner!
8. Like, share, and comment
It’s not enough to just post content and hope people engage with it. Remember to like, share, and comment on your own posts and on other people’s, too, when it’s appropriate.
Sometimes reminding page visitors to like, share, and comment on your own posts is all that’s needed to encourage them to engage.
Here are some example posts that you can try on your own feed:
"Like us and share your experience on social media and get $5 off!"
"First 5 people to share and comment get 15% off their next visit."
“We’re proud to support first responders. Share this post if you are, too.”
“We’re always trying to improve our guest experience. What can we do to improve our service to you and our community? Tell us in the comments.”
9. Diversify your channels
Between Google My Business, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and even your shop’s website, there are a lot of places where potential guests may go for information. Posting on all platforms may seem complicated at first, but you can always reshare content. For example, if you post a blog or new service page on your site, be sure to share it on Facebook and Twitter. Did someone leave a good Google review? Post about it on Facebook and thank them! Just upload a YouTube video? Share it on Facebook!
Tek-Tip: Use online marketing management tools like Hubspot, Shopgenie, or Hootsuite.
Sometimes when you’re using multiple social media channels, it is best to view them all in one dashboard. Tools like Hubspot help you schedule posts, view post engagement, see analytics, and manage conversations all from a single dashboard. Some tools also help manage reviews, which can be beneficial as its own process for you and your shop. Different tools have varying capabilities and vary in complexity and pricing, so find the one that is right for you.
Some social media sites, like Facebook, have built-in scheduling tools that could make it easier to schedule posts without using an outside platform.
Also remember it’s okay to start small; you don’t have to use every single social media channel. If you find a channel does not drive leads by engaging customers or driving search traffic to your website or social media pages, don’t use it.
You are not obligated to use every social media network and may find that it’s only worth using one or two for your business.
10. Have fun!
Probably the most important tip of them all: have fun. Remember, social media is typically a place where people go to engage with socially engaging content. Content that is too serious may make your feed look stale, and make it difficult for potential customers to relate to your brand.
If you can capture your technicians, service advisors, and even yourself having a good time, it breaks the ice and may entice people to do more business at your shop. We’ve seen shops post pictures of team building events as well as pictures that show off their goofy side; the team at Casey’s Automotive has done a good job of posting lighthearted content and photos of their team having a good time, and it has helped them gain more than 2,000 followers.
On May 4th, you can have your team pose for a lightsaber battle. October 16th is National High Five day, so be sure to post some good high-five pictures and emojis on your Facebook page. 🙏👏
Social media post ideas for auto repair shops
Customer-Centric Content
“Car of the Week” Feature – Showcase an interesting repair job or classic vehicle that came through the shop.
Customer Spotlight – Share a short story or testimonial from a happy customer (with permission).
Before & After Visuals – Post transformation photos of a repair or detailing job.
Behind-the-Scenes Tours – Give a video or photo tour of your shop and introduce your team.
Educational & Helpful Tips
Seasonal Maintenance Reminders – Inform customers about what their vehicle needs in winter, summer, etc.
“Tech Tip Tuesday” – A weekly snippet of car care advice from your technicians.
Warning Signs 101 – Teach customers how to spot common issues (noises, leaks, dashboard lights).
Myth-Busting Posts – Tackle popular car care misconceptions.
“Guess the Problem” Game – Post a photo or video clip and have followers guess the issue.
Vote for your favorite car - Create a poll asking followers to pick their favorite car.
Customer Q&A Sessions – Invite followers to drop questions in comments for your techs to answer.
Throwback Posts – Share old shop photos or stories from the early days.
Trust & Transparency Builders
Meet the Team Posts – Personal bios, favorite tools, or “a day in the life” of a tech.
Explainer Videos – Short clips that walk through common repairs or shop processes.
Tool Spotlight – Show off unique or advanced tools you use and why they matter.
Customer Review Highlights – Turn your Google or Yelp reviews into branded quote graphics.
Fun, Culture & Promotions
Shop Culture Moments – Celebrations, birthdays, pets in the shop, or Friday playlists.
Contests & Giveaways – Oil change giveaways, “Tag a friend who needs a tune-up” style promos.
Local Business Shoutouts – Cross-promote other small businesses in your area.
Milestone Celebrations – Anniversaries, number of vehicles serviced, or team achievements.
Final thoughts
Remember, engaging guests on social media is just one way to improve your auto repair shop. There are other important marketing strategies to utilize such as search engine optimization, Google Ads, email marketing, and more. Lastly, always focus on creating an amazing customer experience to encourage customers to share their experience with others.
We’re excited to announce that Tekmetric, the leading cloud-based shop management system for automotive repair shops, is joining forces with Shopgenie, the leading auto repair shop CRM, to provide a comprehensive all-in-one solution that optimizes operations and drives growth for auto repair shops. This combination is set to combine the best of both worlds, offering shop owners smarter tools, seamless integrations, and enhanced features to optimize operations and drive growth—all from a single, unified platform.
So, what does it mean for our partner shops? Here’s a few of the benefits you’ll see in the coming months:
Streamline your operations: Managing your shop requires balancing internal processes while delivering top-notch customer service. With the addition of Shopgenie, we’re not just expanding our platform—we’re creating a true all-in-one solution that addresses the real-world challenges you face every day. Soon, you’ll have one platform, one login, and one phone number for all customer communication, simplifying your workflow and reducing complexity.
Enhance Customer Engagement: Keep your customers informed and engaged with automated marketing tools, text reminders, and follow-ups. With integrated communication tools, you’ll deliver exceptional service that strengthens relationships and boosts customer loyalty.
Increase Efficiency & Profitability: Benefit from seamless integrations with CRM, booking, and marketing tools that reduce manual work, streamline operations, and ultimately increase profitability. Plus, you’ll continue to have the flexibility to use Tekmetric’s 70+ integrations in our robust ecosystem, with Shopgenie continuing to build and support integrations with other shop management systems.
Here’s what our leadership has to say:
“This combination sets a new standard for efficiency and customer experience in the industry. At Tekmetric, we are committed to providing shop owners with best-in-class tools to manage and grow their businesses. Similarly, Shopgenie’s ability to solve real-world challenges with intuitive technology has earned it the trust of shop owners nationwide,” said Sunil Patel, Founder and CEO of Tekmetric. “Together, we are building an all-in-one platform that empowers shop owners to attract, retain and serve customers more effectively, driving long-term growth.”
“Tekmetric’s relentless pursuit of innovation and passion for creating products that make shop owners’ lives easier could not be a more perfect fit for Shopgenie and our customers,” said Kieran O’Brien, CEO and Co-Founder of Shopgenie. “Our combined strengths will create a more complete, powerful platform that sets a new standard for auto repair software solutions.”
At Tekmetric, helping shops measure up is at the core of everything we do. With this combination, we’re building a seamless, all-in-one solution to manage every aspect of your shop more effectively. Together, we’re setting a new benchmark for the industry and aim to take your shop to the next level. Learn more at https://www.tekmetric.com/shopgenie.
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