5 Valuable Tips for Your Auto Repair Shop from Broadly

Life as we know it has changed since 2020. During that time, auto repair shops have pushed to find new ways to do business. For many shop owners, those new habits are paying off in unexpected ways.

Over the past two years, Broadly has spoken with thousands of core service providers, from grocery store clerks to mechanics. They all wonder, “How can I open safely and still provide a great experience for my customers?”

The answer lies in shop management software.

Tip #1: Keep your customers & staff healthy

To do this, shops:

• Reduced the number of times items – like pens and keys – pass between staff and customers
• Disinfected point-of-sale stations, keys and inside cars
• Gave out hand sanitizer for all
• Taught staff best practices

Ask employees to stay home if they are feeling sick or have family members who are sick. It will help keep you, your customers and other workers healthy in the long run.

Sharing these practices via signs and social media inspire confidence and show you care about others. They’ll know you took their health concerns seriously and will appreciate it.

Tip #2: Update auto repair shop hours across all channels

Keep your online profiles updated. If your customer or prospect shows up at your auto repair shop only to find it closed, it creates a lasting bad impression.

Update hours on your website, Google My Business listing and Facebook
Update phone greetings and other channels
Use social media to tell customers when you are open for business on special holidays

Keeping your community updated connects you with your customers. You want to make it easy for them.

Tip #3: Talk with auto repair shop clients online

Those personal ties are priceless. Remember, opening up more channels will help make your business stand out. While every shop has a phone number, why not use social media and live chats between you and your customers? (Shop-Ware’s DVX platform makes it super easy!)

Above all, respond as quickly as you can. No one likes to be left waiting too long or getting no reply at all.

Tip #4: Respond to Reviews

Although many things have changed, word of mouth is still the core of local business success. Folks still rely on their friends and neighbors to find services, such as which auto shop they can trust.

With platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp, its easier for customers to share their best (and worst) stories. Now, more than ever before, online reviews have become today’s word-of-mouth marketing.

As a result, they can help you achieve your short and long-term business goals. Asking for reviews will help boost your ranking and reach your goals.

Screen capture of steps to repair a car's fan with Show Off How Great You Are written below

Tip #5: Get auto shop software to work together

What we can control today will impact our tomorrow. For example, the breaks during the past two years may have given you more time to fine-tune your shop.

Like many other auto repair shops, you are likely running more than one software solution. During lockdowns, a lot of shop owners have asked themselves, “How many of them work well for me?” Often, the answer depends on how well they work in unison.

You are likely using a shop management system, such as Shop-Ware, plus some backend accounting software. How about a marketing software? Website CMS? Online chat tool? And a different appointment scheduling system? Dang, that’s a lot of software.

Ideally, you want all of these systems to work together seamlessly. For example, can you close an order, process payment, ask for customer feedback and generate reviews with a single flow? If not, then you could run your shop more efficiently. Right now, assess those software programs to get them to work as one.

In short, if you can rely on an auto repair shop software that brings all these uses at once, life is more simple. Find out more about how Shop-Ware’s DVX delivers on that promise.

These days, we all are trying to bounce back from a time of global change and business disruption. Hopefully, these tips can help you assess what your business may need to recover and be stronger than ever.

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