How Automated Scheduling Can Boost Your Auto Repair Business

22 March, 2016

Your auto repair business has so much potential now that technology has ushered in so many advancements. Today, you can focus on the important areas of your business as you make the move to paperless solutions. The deluge of mobile apps in the market provides you with the perfect reason to automate those parts of your business that are currently causing bottlenecks in your workflow.

 

Why Automate?

There are many reasons why you should go paperless and automate your systems. When it comes to auto repair, customers want and value fast, efficient service. No one wants to leave their car in the shop for too lo Customers want to drive in today and drive out the next day, the same day even, if possible. However, fixing many cars at a time requires skilled mechanics who can work fast and work well under pressure. You need to provide the equipment, as well as the skilled staff, in order to meet your customers’ needs.

 

How Automation Works

Automation makes workflows faster and more efficient because it removes the inefficient paperwork that goes with your old system. By implementing automation and going paperless, you enhance your existing systems and improve your staff’s performance.

 

Here’s how it works:

1. Automate scheduling
Now you can schedule your customers as soon as their order comes in. Every time a customer drives into your auto repair shop, you can provide the services they require or schedule them in the coming week, and then schedule them for their next check-up or repair. Advance scheduling makes work so much easier for you and your mechanics and also offers convenience for your customers as they can avail of much-needed service in a timely manner.

2. Automate jobs dispatch
Preparing your schedule ahead of time means you can send out new jobs to your mechanics, quick and easy. Once you’ve sent out the jobs, your staff can attend to the work at hand and provide fast and efficient service to your customers. Plus, you can track your personnel and stay in the loop so you’ll know who’s doing what and track their progress.

3. Automate customer data collection
When new customers come in, you can collect data from them – what car they drive, what problems they are experiencing, what solutions you can recommend, etc. Your mechanics can use mobile forms to gather the information and store this in the forms using any smartphone or tablet. You will find it easy to handle returning customers, as their information is already stored in your management portal, ready for you to use and update.

When you automate your processes, you improve your systems and workflow. Starting with jobs dispatch, you can use mobile forms to send out new jobs to your mechanics. You can automate scheduling so that you no longer have to worry about new jobs anymore. You can even ask your customers to come back after, say, 3 months for another check up. Listing this down in your calendar enables you to assign the job to one of your mechanics, as well as prepare a reminder for your assistant to send out an email or SMS reminder to your customer a few days prior to their schedule. This way, no one misses a check-up and your mechanics can stay up-to-date with their tasks.

Now that you’ve got automated scheduling, you will find it easier to use the data that you already have. Plus, it will also improve your workflow and existing systems as you integrate various processes into the new paperless solution. Formitize your paperwork. Explore how you can use the most advanced paperless technology with your existing system and experience this wonderful transformation in your auto repair business.