The digital revolution has had an impact on countless industries, and the auto maintenance field is no exception. By using digital services in your day-to-day operations, you can enjoy enhanced efficiency and a boost in profits. But the benefits of using modern technology go even further than that implies. These days, this is also what your customers are looking for!
When you make a point of adding digital processes to your auto shop’s workflow (both internally and externally), your clients will take notice. Making this change will allow you to offer higher-caliber service, naturally increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty along the way. Keep reading to learn more about why today’s auto shop customers prefer digital car service.
In the traditional style of service, auto techs and service advisors have to work on a vehicle while juggling pen-and-paper bookkeeping, inspection checklists, and other paperwork. With a digital platform, however, your team can tap updates or notes into a tablet or mobile device. This streamlines the process, allowing them to spend less time on paperwork and more energy on their work.
Fortunately, the digital car service model presents an easier way to handle this situation. It may be impossible to eliminate paperwork completely, but using a tablet or mobile device makes it easy for your team to jot down updates or notes while on the job. That way, they’ll be able to spend less time on paperwork and more time working on customers’ vehicles.
This is far from the only way digital platforms can benefit your turnaround time. When techs can log their progress digitally, they can keep other mechanics, service advisors, and customers in the loop. That improved communication and elimination of unnecessary confusion can help you get jobs done faster, as well.
When following a paper checklist, it’s easy to miss inspection items or even perform an inspection component improperly. Digital vehicle inspections, however, can guide techs through the steps of a particular process, ensuring that they don’t miss essential repairs or maintenance that customers need. You (and your customers) can have the peace of mind knowing your techs won’t miss a single step on their inspections.
Once the service is completed, an auto shop platform allows everyone to remain on the same page and view digital car service updates in real-time. And when customers come back for service in the future, you’ll be able to find their information with a quick search instead of rifling through a dusty file cabinet.
It’s no exaggeration to say that digital car service is the future. Still, transforming your shop to live up to modern-day consumer expectations goes beyond rethinking your services. Research consistently shows that people (especially people in younger generations) now prefer booking appointments online to scheduling services over the phone.
With online booking systems like AutoVitals, customers can also opt in to receive SMS reminders and updates about their service. This helps customers remember to show up to their appointment and makes it easy to reschedule when necessary.
That said, online appointment booking doesn’t just make life easier for your customers. Since it allows clients to set their own times for auto service, this system can reduce your team’s workload by reducing time spent scheduling appointments on the phone.
No matter how big or small your auto shop is, you need to document issues with client vehicles and your recommended services for dealing with these issues. Naturally, the way you handle this documentation matters. When you use digital services to keep track of your documentation, your customers can easily access the info they need to make truly informed decisions.
With digital car service inspection tools like AutoVitals, you can easily send photos and videos to customers to explain what your technicians found during the inspection. The software includes a built-in photo editor, allowing you to add arrows and annotations to vehicle photos and educate clients about mechanical issues. This level of transparency reassures customers that the services you recommend are truly needed rather than something your shop tacked on to turn extra profit.
The end result is one of transparency and trust. Both your team and your clients are kept in the know of what’s happening with their vehicles and what needs to be done.
Improving customer experience is one of the best ways to future-proof your business. While you can’t always guarantee the lowest prices, you can certainly guarantee that your team will provide unparalleled digital car service that keeps them in the loop.
AutoVitals is a Complete Shop Success Solution that includes everything your auto repair shop needs to go digital. With the digital vehicle inspections, workflow automation, and digital marketing AutoVitals is known for, you’ll benefit from enhanced efficiency and revenue while also building trust and improving the experience for your customers. Get a demo today to see the AutoVitals difference for yourself!