John Burkhauser
Forum Replies Created
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Ah. You folks are lucky, you had a chance to stop and talk to the customer before dealing with the vehicle issue. One day I was tagging a vehicle, which wasn’t that clean anyway but I’ve seen worse. I sat down in the driver’s seat to get a better view of the odometer and lo and behold the seat was wet. And at that moment I realized the smell of urine. Jumping out of the vehicle as fast as I humanly could, I stood there trying to avoid any skin contact with my now wet pants. Looking over to the customer I then noted that his pants were all wet on the back end but he didn’t seem to mind. I can tell you that day I was so happy that I always kept spare uniforms in my locker.
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Carm, I enjoyed this episode! I agree completely that the ASE test is more relevant than ever. I have seen some “book smart” individuals during my years in service that have perfect scores on tests but do not even know where to start when a vehicle is right in front of them—let alone how to properly use a wrench. I think certification is a good way to get and stay sharp on this.
Keep up the good work!
-JB from Bolt On
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Marketing Mavens tell us that a 3 – 5% return on any advertising, including mail, is great.
So you get 50 out of 1,000. From that 50 you need to pay for the campaign first, then what’s left is your “Icing on the Cake”.
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You may want to reexamine #3. It will take precedence over 1 and 2.
Personally I know of three lay offs so far this week. Most live pay check to paycheck and its gone.
They need to eat.
Assistance may be weeks away.
Use this time to increase your ability to recover from all of this. Clean, train and do things that you have been too busy to do. Now.
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First issue: Does the shop even have a website, Facebook page or other online presence?
Second: When was the last time they did anything with the online presence?
Third: Most online forms are sent to a third party who emails the contacts to the shop and everyone is too busy to look at them.
A integrated solution is needed that not only puts the appointment request in front of the staff immediately, it identifies your customer from your management system and allows the customer to up-sell themselves based on recommended services from previous visits and can be set to limit customer waiting appointments.
The solution exists. PM me if interested in more information
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All of the above are great ideas and points. Additionally I’d seek out a shop that is currently using the software you are considering. See it in Real action in a real environment.
There is no perfect solution. Find the on the fits you best.
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Bob,
There might be but I think that going in this deep about a concern is something that will only work with a one on one conversation. (That is until AI gets up to speed.) The reason I say this is similar to the symptom sheets we gave out at the dealership, most were pencil whipped and worthless. (Similarly I had the tablet experience recently at a doctor visit and I too was like overwhelmed by the questions asked.)
Another possible issue is that the customer will determine what they think is wrong and answer the questions the way they think they should be and not in an unbiased manner.
Despite these possible disadvantages, having a customer get all their basic info up to date in your system in addition to being able to choose from a menu of jobs will save time allowing for a more accurate interview with what the customer’s concern is.
It’s a tough question.
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Tablet or kiosk check in is here and has been for quite a while so the technology is not new. There is a shop in California that used a tablet check in over 19,000 times last I have heard.
As for info input, if the customer is current all they need is their phone number to look up their info. A few taps of the fingers will enter most needed info and chosen work. Any open text field can be typed in or use speech to text used to fill them out.
Non current customers will have their number compared against the online “white pages” and probably have their info automatically filled in for them. (Pretty accurately but not always.)
Welcome station creates an estimate in the management system that a service advisor edits and puts together a quote that is authorized by the customer.
Feel free to reach out to me for more in depth information.
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So out of the list of above steps that affect getting authorizations I feel this is the one that causes most delays.
“Trying to reach the customer. No voicemail, full voicemail, leaving a long messages. Waiting on call back.”
Mind you, it is not the only item we will consider.
If you haven’t noticed, the phone is no longer an effective tool. Did you know that?
The FCC says half the phone calls you get on your mobile device this year will be spam or spoof. People are now ignoring their phone calls and your shop is probably one of them.
It’s time to text….Why? check out these statistics!!
·Consumers are more likely to open text messages before any other form of mobile communication (OpenMarket Millennial Datasheet)
·Text message response rates are 209% higher than phone call response rates. (FranchiseHelp, Text Request)
·26 Billion Text messages are sent every day. (Statistic Brain)
Why are you not communicating with your customers they way they want to communicate?
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That’s great news that the “work” is already done in determining the issues shops face.
How many votes were used to tabulate these numbers?I suggest we look at each item, recognize the causes and see what can be done to eliminate them.
Authorizations at 23% is a leading issue causing shops to struggle.
Here are the processes that I see have an effect on getting authorizations. Please feel free to add any I missed.
1. Getting clear and accurate information from the technician. This includes copying and translating into your management system.
2. Sometimes having to speak with the tech and getting more information to fully understand what is needed.
3. Building the estimate. Includes putting together costs of labor, parts and such. Checking on ability of parts. Breaking the estimate down into “smaller” chunks that the customer maybe able to afford.
4. Trying to reach the customer. No voicemail, full voicemail, leaving a long messages. Waiting on call back.
5. Having reached the customer explaining the why of the recommendations and needs in a language that the customer needs to understand.
6. Transferring approved work to the repair order after finding it, adding to the management system.
7. Re-dispatching the job to the technician.What did I miss?
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True. Adoption happens quicker in “top shops”. But there are other shops that can become “top shops” by making the change.
The bottom line is making this change will change a shop for the better.
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And that is it. Technology.
If you are still doing it as you were 10, 20 years ago, you are living in the past and will continue to struggle and you don’t even realize it.
Technology and change are scary but well worth the out come if you can see beyond these things.
You have nothing to lose but inefficiency and everything to win like success.
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You also have an advantage. Coming from IT world you have a “fresh look” at the business. One thing that keeps many of these businesses from being totally successful is stepping back and taking a similar look. So they keep doing it like “they always have.”
To top it off, you have passion.
Keep doing your homework, dot the “I”s, cross those “T”s.
Good Luck
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The question is why? What requires so many hours of your week?
I think we need a poll along these lines.
What keeps you at your shop for extended hours?
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Do not let your ROI be a major part of your decision to purchase a unit. As was said, you get what you pay for.
Hunter is my preferred way to go having used them since the D111.
Remember you and your staff have control of how many alignments you do a day. So don’t set your goals low, set them higher.
And, like a courtesy inspection opens up all sorts of repair possibilities, so does an alignment. The ROI should take care of itself.
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Well worth considering! Everyone benefits!
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It’s coming!! Get it early and be ahead of the rest.
36 minutes well spent.
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When switching from any SMS to another, do your homework. Know that there is NO perfect SMS. It is a big change no matter which way you look at it. Also check on the ability of importing all your old data into the new system, many times it can be done but sometimes not perfectly.
When selecting your new SMS find out exactly what kind of training you will get to when starting out. My experience is that many times it is NIL. This makes the transition and future use of the software harder. In addition to the training, find out if they will set up all of the required basics such as categories and canned jobs.
Reach out to shops using the software you are considering. Get in contact with the software companies to see exactly what they will do and hold them to it. Do they lock you in with a contract or not?
Any questions? Ask the collective in this forum and others. Best of luck.
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I noticed it immediately. I think this is a great start. I think that many will appreciate it.
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It’s a shame you cannot get a VAT 40 anymore. But, I bet you there are still some sitting in the back of a shop covered in years of dust and dirt, that still work. Keep your eyes open. Last I checked parts of the carbon pile were still available.
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No matter which program you choose, the most important step is to choose wisely. Do your home work. See it work in demo and in shop. Look at the commitments you need to make to decide which one to choose. Know that there will always be some adjustments and learning. Realize that you need to make a commitment to the choice you make and really, really see if you are using it well and correctly. (Consider how well you use your current management system before making the choice.)
Bottom line is that you need to go digital. Each day you wait is money and customer satisfaction lost. Get searching.
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Redundancy can be eliminated by using tablet technology. Tablets can survive the shop environment.
Using a tablet, the tech can not only diagnose, he or she can document the tests and findings immediately. Tech notes and findings can be entered while all is time stamped immediately. Pictures or video can further tell the story of what the tech did and found. Recommendations can be added right into the management system by the technician.
No more translating writing, copying and re-entering any information since it is already entered into the SMS.
Further more, redundant writing can also be eliminated by the tablet and software by building canned jobs and findings into the inspection leaving spaces open for the results of any pinpoint tests.
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Well said Bill Pankiw
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I feel there is value in the ASE tests (As I, too, get ready to retest.)
I agree there should be some weight behind the certifications.
The tough part is that being a hands on industry converted to a test form isn’t going to work for everyone. On top of that, you get to take a slew of tests every five years with not testing in between.
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There are opportunities no matter how you look at this issue.
Those who see them and grab them will be the winners.
You need a plan. How to keep your current techs. How to grow your own techs. Where to look for the next generation of techs which maybe the key to it all.
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Educating customers is on a customer by customer basis.
As noted, some don’t care and some want the other extreme and want to know everything.
Ultimately educating customers prepares them for what they need to know and do to keep their vehicle running smoothly. Education shows that you have nothing to hide and builds trust. Trust brings them back.
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This is all well and good but ultimately noise issues are very subjective to a customer’s point of view. Having them demonstrate and point out the actual noise is your best practice.
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Invoices are customization. We have the solution check it out. Not only can you control parts numbers and prices being listed, you can set up your invoice to be a marketing tool.
