Which Features Matter the Most in CRM Software for Auto Repair?

Like any auto shop knows, delivering a positive, memorable customer experience is what keeps customers coming back. Sixty-one percent of all customers will pay at least five percent higher rates when top-notch service is guaranteed. On the other hand, a whopping 86 percent of customers are willing to leave brands behind after just two negative experiences.

A simple way to enhance your auto shop’s customer experiences while boosting client retention is by purchasing customer relationship management (CRM) software. But just like any other auto shop software, your CRM program should include a few key features to help you stay competitive. Here, you’ll find a complete list of the features your CRM auto repair program needs.

Ongoing Marketing

Nowadays, the most effective auto shop marketing doesn’t happen on TV or in newspapers. Instead, the best way to connect with new and existing customers is through the devices they use every day. Still, you shouldn’t attempt to implement a digital marketing strategy by manually sending out promotions from your work email. The right CRM software has those features built in.

Although it will vary between CRM platforms, the best ones will include a wide range of marketing features. With these programs, you can easily send emails and texts to individual customers or your complete mailing list. Whether you plan to promote your services, offer discounts, or send out newsletters, make sure your CRM software can handle the job.

Automation

When your technicians, service advisors, and other employees are already dealing with the duties included in their job descriptions, the last thing they need is extra work. Tasks such as answering questions, scheduling appointments, or reminding customers about upcoming services can quickly eat into a service advisor’s workday. 

With CRM auto repair software, you can resolve this issue by automating:

• Responses to customer questions
• Calendar booking system
• Scheduled appointment reminders
• Welcome emails for new mailing list members

With cutting-edge CRM software, you’ll even be able to track your customers’ service needs automatically. When it’s time for them to set up an appointment, you won’t need to remind them. Instead, your CRM program will do it for you!

Loyalty Programs

CRM isn’t just crucial in the short term—it also plays a vital role in building customer loyalty. Since competition in the auto repair industry has seemingly hit an all-time high, focusing on loyalty is a great way to gain an advantage over other local auto shops. And while people like to keep visiting repair shops where they’ve already had positive experiences, it’s wise to give them a solid reason to return.

As you might expect, rewards programs are the perfect way to maximize your customer loyalty. With these programs, you can give customers points, punch cards, or other rewards whenever they visit your auto shop. But loyalty programs are challenging to implement manually, so double-check the features included with your CRM auto repair software to ensure it can help you run one of these programs.

Tracking Multiple Vehicles

A good CRM auto repair program will let you link a customer’s car to their record, but a great program will allow you to connect multiple vehicles to the same account. 

There are countless reasons why you might need to do this: a customer could be responsible for multiple cars in their family or could just enjoy collecting vehicles. In these situations and others, your CRM program needs to be up to the task at hand.

As a side note, scenarios like these are why your CRM software needs to be explicitly designed for use by auto shops. Yes, a “generic” CRM program could deliver many of the other features on this list. But without features created specifically for auto repair businesses, your shop won’t get the flexibility it deserves from its customer relationship management software.

Data Tracking

In the 21st century, businesses need to be data-driven to survive and thrive. The more information your shop has at its disposal, the more informed your decisions will be. Conversely, not keeping close track of your customer data could leave you at a loss when it’s time to make big choices about your shop’s overall direction.

If you choose the right CRM program, you’ll be able to track customer phone calls, perform lead funnel analysis, and get at-a-glance readouts of your most important statistics. That should make it easy for you to decide whether your marketing strategies are working or if they need to be adjusted.

User-Friendly Interface

Your customers will benefit from your CRM program, but they’re not the people who will use this software on a daily basis—that would be your staff members. And no matter how tech-savvy your employees are, it’s best to find customer experience software that offers an intuitive user interface.

If it’s easy for your workers to use your CRM software, they won’t need to spend too much time using it. A well-designed CRM program will maximize efficiency among your current employees. At the same time, newcomers will be able to learn the ropes right away.

Get All The CRM Features You Need

Software shopping can be a difficult task due to the sheer number of options on the market. That’s definitely the case for something as important as your customer relationship management software. Even so, focusing on the features included in this article will help you find great CRM auto repair software for your independent garage.

At AutoVitals, we pride ourselves on offering the Complete Shop Success Solution. With that in mind, it should be no surprise to learn that our software provides robust CRM capabilities. Along with the features listed above, you’ll be able to integrate your CRM with DVI and workflow automation tools. For more information on enhancing your customer experience with AutoVitals, set up a demo today!