Digital Vehicle Inspection Software Will Increase Your Shop's Average Repair Order

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November 24, 2022

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Read time: 3 min

Digital vehicle inspections software is one of the best way to show your customer exactly what's wrong with their vehicle. Instead of an old-school paper approach, Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVIS) are a core component of your shop's workflow, and let technicians quickly highlight existing and potential future issues, with evidence!

If a technician notices that the brakes are okay now but will need to be repaired in about three months, they can note that in the DVI report, or even attach a picture for the customer to see.

Even better, because digital vehicle inspection software let you send pictures and videos, track declined repairs, and even let your shop text findings directly to customers, you can help customers feel comfortable that they're making the right decision in approving that costly repair they may have otherwise put off.

With the right DIV features creating such a modern, seamless experience, you'll be the first shop they think of next time they need something fixed!

Digital Vehicle Inspection Software Features to Look For

1. Default Inspections

One of the biggest benefits of DVIs isn't just transparency, but speed and ease of use for your service managers and technicians. With default inspections, shops can set a standardized template for every vehicle inspection.

Service advisors won't have to spend as much time building repair orders, and technicians will have a default template to work off of every time.

This not only saves both your service advisors and technicians time, but it also helps to improve the accuracy of your inspection reports, which enables your shop to provide an exceptional customer experience built on a foundation of trust.

2. Attach Pictures and Videos

One of the easiest ways to help customers feel comfortable approving work is by directly showing them the problem. We all know a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about video?

Simply telling customers their ball joint is loose might leave them wondering why it matters if they can't feel the impact when driving. 

But showing them the massive play between components, torn boots, and dirty globs of grease will help them understand why the repair is worth the cost.

3. Text Inspection Findings to Customers

Customers want things fast, simple, and on their phone. When they're already texting their doctor, babysitter, or coworkers, why shouldn't they be able to text their shop when they drop off their car?

With just the click of a button, your shop can text or email inspection findings and repair estimates, with a link to approve the work right there, within seconds.

That means your shop can get to work sooner, complete the repair faster, and surprise your customers with a modern, seamless experience. 

4. Track Declined Jobs

Digital Vehicle Inspections aren't just better for your customers; DVIs are also better for your shop. With Declined Job History, your shop can keep track of every single declined job, anywhere from an oil change to a transmission fix.

Because you have a history of declined work, you can quickly and easily follow up with customers next time they stop by.

Or, better yet, integrate your shop system with some marketing tools and set up automatic email reminders to customers. For example, your shop can send an automated email three months after their previous visit, reminding them of the work they declined last time.

5. Create Custom Inspections

Shops should look to create custom inspection templates for any service they offer. Whether you're a repair shop doing frequent brake jobs and want an inspection template to ensure every vehicle is inspected along the same criteria.

Or, maybe as a performance shop, you frequently service a type of turbo-charged, flat-four engine that likes to blow its head gaskets. You can set up a custom inspection to use every time that model gets towed in.

Shops can then create and attach canned jobs to inspection tasks to efficiently transition from inspections to estimates to repair works with fewer clicks and less effort on your end.  

6. DVI Reporting

Because Digital Vehicle Inspections help your shop keep track of all the work you did -- from the inspection process to a completed repair -- shop owners and general managers can gain in-depth knowledge of how effective their shop's operations are.

For example, you can view high-level metrics and compare Average Repair Order values and Close Ratios both with and without inspections.

Or, you can drill down even further to look at completion rate, average inspection time, average findings, and cool details like many of your inspections sent to customers were actually viewed. That way you can fine-tune your process to not only make the most money on your shop's labor, but also make sure inspections are quicker, smoother, and more useful for customers.

Sell More Repair Work with Digital Vehicle Inspections

At the end of the day, running an independent auto repair shop is so much more than just fixing cars. As a shop owner, you're responsible for every aspect of shop operations, including shop management, customer experience, marketing, sales, and so much more.

And even with a team behind you, we know there's always room to make great shops even better. 

With the right digital vehicle inspection features, your shop can not only complete inspections with ease but also keep happy customers approving repair orders time and time again.

👉 Ready to grow your automotive business? [Book a personalized Tekmetric Demo Here]

FAQ

similar articles

Scaling your auto repair business requires moving beyond simple spreadsheets and paper repair orders. You need a robust shop management software that has enterprise-level features, centralized real-time reporting, and helps you provide a consistent customer experience across locations.

This guide breaks down the top enterprise software solutions for auto repair shops with 2+ locations.

Top 5 Enterprise Solutions for Shops With Multiple Locations

Finding the right software partner for your expanding shop is critical to your success. Below you will find our top overall picks for multi-shop operators (MSOs).

1. Tekmetric

Multi-shop owners love Tekmetric because they can run their entire business, across all locations, from one platform. Featuring an all-in-one shop management solution with centralized real-time reporting, marketing, payments, and 70+ integrations, Tekmetric makes it easier for you to manage multiple locations.
Why we picked Tekmetric:

  • Unified inventory & part management: See your entire inventory availability, order parts, and transfer parts across locations as needed.
  • All-in-one solution: Instead of switching between platforms, Tekmetric offers shop management, POS, and CRM in one place.
  • Company history: Built by a former shop owner, Tekmetric is often praised for ease of use, simple onboarding, reliable support, and listening to customer feedback.
  • Pricing: Starts at $179/mo (billed annually).

2. Shop-Ware

Shop-Ware is designed to help you maintain consistency across multiple locations with unified customer history, reporting, and employee management features.

Why we picked Shop-Ware:

  • Reporting: Find the metrics that matter the most to your business.
  • Customer experience: Standardize your customer experience across locations.
  • Employee management: Easily compare employee productivity and manage permission levels.
  • Pricing: Starts at $224/mo (billed annually).

3. Protractor

Protractor is a popular shop management system for shops with multiple locations or franchises. Protractor offers advanced reporting features and shop management features so you can run your shop confidently.

Why we picked Protractor:

  • Reporting: Performance tracking, insights, and employee productivity monitoring.
  • Accounting: Built-in accounting tools.
  • Integrations: Multiple integration partners.
  • Pricing: Starts at $359/mo (billed annually).

4. Fullbay

Fullbay specializes in heavy-duty truck and trailer repair shops. Most standard shop software struggles with the complexity of fleet maintenance, but Fullbay was built for it.

Why we picked Fullbay:

  • Centralized inventory: Track parts and inventory across all locations.
  • Integrations: Fullbay has plenty of industry interrogations to keep your shop running.
  • Cloud-based: Manage your shop from anywhere.
  • Pricing: Starting at $188/mo.

5. Garage360

If you are looking for a lighter software solution, Garage360 might be a good option for your shop. Supporting quick-lube, body/collision, and fleet, Garage360 can be used in a variety of shops.

Why we picked Garage360:

  • Versatile: Can be used in multiple shop types.
  • Permission control: Manage your employee permissions across locations.
  • Reporting: Pull the data you need to make informed decisions.
  • Pricing: Starting at $79/mo (billed annually).

Which software features should I look for when I manage multiple shops?

If you are comparing software options for your chain operations, these are the modern features to look for:

Centralized real-time reporting: Tired of trying to guess how each shop location is performing? Pick a software that can pull the data you need from any location or aggregate it across shop locations within a user-friendly dashboard.

Inventory/parts management: Tracking parts can be difficult as you expand. Find a solution that can track inventory levels and transfer parts as needed across locations.

Standardized workflows: Having standard workflows streamlines your shop operations. Select a software that can standardize your operations, prices, and procedures.

Employee permissions: Managing employee permissions is critical to ensuring the safety of your company data and holding employees accountable. Pick a software that keeps your business secure.

Customer communication: Modern customers expect a higher level of communication than they did 10 years ago. Find a shop management solution that provides online scheduling, DVIs, two-way texting, and other modern customer experience tools.

Single vs. Multi-Location Management: What are the differences?

Why can’t you just use a single-shop system? The difference lies in automation and control.

  • Standardization: In a multi-location setup, you need to ensure that technicians at every shop are following the same workflow and procedures so your customer experience is consistent.
  • Visibility: Single shop software may have reporting, but you need to be able to compare metrics between shops to make informed business decisions.
  • Security: Multi-shop software provides employee permission settings and typically comes with advanced data protection.
  • Pricing: Most single-shop software options will charge you per user or limit repair orders. Enterprise software will grow with you and charge based on the number of locations.

Final Thoughts

Choosing an enterprise-level auto repair shop software isn't just about features; it's about finding a partner that helps you maintain a consistent customer experience as you grow. Whether you prioritize inventory management, deep metrics, or standard procedures, ensure you find a solution that can grow with you.

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