As a shop owner, you know the crucial need to be ahead of the curve with the newest technology in any car.

 

But for the successful shop owner, being ahead of the technology curve doesn’t end with the car itself. In the 21st century, that curve is accelerating at a breakneck speed. The shop owner needs to not just keep up but embrace all the new technology management tools available for today’s successful business. They need to know that if the correct management technology is put in place at their shop, they will see the rewards today, next month and next year.

It Doesn’t End

That’s right. After implementing the right DVI (Digital Vehicle Inspection) system for your shop, as an example, doesn’t mean that you’ll never have to re-examine that software. As the business owner, you need to commit yourself to always investigate new offerings in the market. It may mean just updating your present systems software, but it may also mean looking at a brand-new company that just released the newest and much improved DVI platform.

That includes training. If you have the latest technology in your shop but your team doesn’t know how to use it, or they don’t understand the full extent of what it can do, it’s a pointless investment on your part. As the owner, you need to ensure your crew receives continual training. If the systems you are buying don’t include training, you should look for another company. If you’ve invested in them, they need to invest in you as a customer.

 

 

“As business owners, we need to be smarter and more precise every day. It’s important that we continually push ourselves and our team, to understand each platform we have in the shop on an on-going basis.” –

Peyton Knight, AAA Top Shop Winner & DRIVE Client,

Owner of Knight’s Automotive Repair, Ledgewood, New Jersey

Listen and Learn

This is brought up with all areas of owning a successful repair shop (and, really, any business) but networking and listening to both your fellow shop owners plus industry experts is key. As the shop owner, you need to be in the loop when new systems are released. Attend industry events. Talk to other shop owners. Develop relationships with industry leaders. Hearing about the latest technology available and getting that direct feedback from other owners is invaluable.

 

You’re in the People Business

You may have opened up your business originally because you were great at fixing cars, but as a business owner, you’re servicing your customers. They come to you, confident that you will take care of their vehicle efficiently at a fair price. They need to know their car is safe. And that’s your responsibility. To make that customer happy. The best technology impacts your customers. If you’re able to text them with reminders about upcoming appointments, if you can send them photos quickly and clearly showing the issue that needs to be taken care of, that customer will feel confident that you will take care of their car – and them. Good customer service and technology go hand-in-hand.

 

“Being able to efficiently text customers is a win/win for everyone. It’s terrific for me as a business owner and my customers love the
immediate communications.” –
Peyton Knight, AAA Top Shop Winner & DRIVE Client, Owner of
Knight’s Automotive Repair, Ledgewood, New Jersey

 

 

 

The Money is in the Details

The decisions the owner makes effects the bottom line. Their family, plus the families of the team members, rely on that for continued growth and success. And that goes for all technology decisions. The right choices here will be seen in the P&L of the shop. If all of the management software of a business is integrated correctly and the team is using each to its full advantage, a higher production and efficiency rate will be the outcome.

 

Marketing is King

You need to get the word out to both existing and new customers. But that word, or words, need to be the right message. That includes not just the graphics or the look of an email blast to customers, but also the mechanisms to deliver it. A business owner requires a powerful way to track, analyze, plan – and use any and all data to better communicate with customers. The drill-down on this data and how it can serve the business owner to increase sales is vast. This is too vast to rely on your gut about what your overall Marketing plan and mission should be. The power of a great CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool is essential for a business owner in today’s environment. There are too many social media platforms, too many possible messages and too many ways it could be delivered incorrectly to not have a best-in-class CRM in your arsenal of shop technology software.

“It’s imperative that you stay in communication with not just your customers but that next new customer that may be moving into your area. A sophisticated CRM is the only way a shop will achieve true and continued growth in today’s world.” –

Peyton Knight, AAA Top Shop Winner & DRIVE Client, Owner of
Knight’s Automotive Repair, Ledgewood, New Jersey

 

To own an auto repair shop today is not like it was 20, 10 or even 5 years ago. You need to be the CEO of your business and, to do that, you need to have the best available technology on your side.

 

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