Modern auto repair shops face a customer base that expects the same digital convenience from their local mechanic that they get from Amazon or Uber. If your shop is still relying on phone calls to schedule service appointments, you're likely leaving revenue on the table.
Choosing the right automotive scheduling software isn’t just about putting a date on a calendar; it’s about choosing a management system that makes your shop more efficient, provides a better customer experience, and maximizes your revenue.
Why does my shop need automotive scheduling software?
With automotive repair scheduling software, you and your team gain more control over your shop’s time. Instead of slow updates from around the shop, all employees can check the status of each repair at the same time.
Another advantage of appointment booking software is that your auto shop will make fewer mistakes when it comes to giving customers status updates about their vehicles. Before contacting a customer, a team member can check the system to have a more accurate estimate of how much time is left on a repair.
Going a step further, can your customers book appointments after hours and over the weekend? If not, appointment scheduling software can allow them to book online without having to talk to your employees first. This leads to more customers, fuller bays, and a better customer experience.
Best automotive service scheduling software options
Tekmetric is our top pick because it offers an all-in-one solution with a full scheduling software solution. Offering online scheduling, marketing, payments, and shop management all under one hood, Tekmetric is hard to beat.
- Best for: Single or multi-location shops that want their scheduling, payments, CRM, and shop management all in one place.
- Tekmetric features: Online scheduling, automated reminders, POS, marketing, DVIs, two-way texting, real-time reporting, mobile app, and a book online button for your Google My Business profile.
AutoOps is a specialized tool designed to sit on top of your existing shop management system. While it does not offer an all-in-one solution, it can be a powerful integration into your workflow.
- Best for: Shops that already have a shop management system and want to upgrade their scheduler.
- AutoOps features: Online scheduling, calendar, text reminders, book online button for your Google My Business profile.
EZauto Scheduler is a cost-effective, cloud-based way to handle your shop scheduling. Similar to AutoOps, EZauto is a dedicated scheduling software with modern features.
- Best for: Shops looking to save money but want something better than a basic Google calendar.
- EZauto Scheduler features: Online scheduling, two-way texting, reporting, and mobile access.
Setmore is a general-purpose booking tool used by everyone from barbers to automotive shops. Setmore is not an all-in-one solution, but it is one of the lowest-priced options on the market.
- Best for: Small shops or mobile mechanics on a tight budget.
- Setmore features: Online scheduling, calendar, payments, and text reminders.
Owned by Squarespace, Acuity is a modern scheduling tool used in a variety of industries. You will need to integrate with a shop management system to run your shop, but Acuity can handle your scheduling.
- Best for: Small - medium sized shops looking for a modern scheduler that already have a shop management software.
- Acuity features: Scheduling, payments, reminder emails, calendar and mobile app.
What features should I look for in a mechanic scheduling software?
When it comes to auto repair scheduling software, there are a lot of options on the market, which can make it tricky to find the right one for your shop. However, these are the modern features you should look for in a scheduling software:
1. Cloud-Based
Say you need to take the day off to take your child to the doctor. Or perhaps your shop is expanding to a second location, and you’re in back-to-back meetings to iron out the details.
Managing your shop with cloud-based service scheduling software, you can do all of those things without losing sight of what’s happening at your shop!
Tekmetric user Andrew Minkler of Bavarian Motor Repairs loves that flexibility. As he puts it, “As we expand, it’s critical that we have a cloud-based system that seamlessly grows with us. I can attend a twenty-group, meet with my business coach, spend time with my family, and still have access to my shop from my phone. Anywhere access gives me the confidence to let my staff grow into their roles.”
2. Integrations
You likely use a variety of tools to propel your shop forward. If your automotive scheduling software integrates with these other types of solutions, you’ll be able to manage everything from one place, creating a streamlined process for juggling all of these various tools.
3. Customer communication
It’s important to reach your customers how they want to be reached. When researching any automotive scheduling software, check for the following features so you can streamline customer communication:
These features build trust with customers by keeping them in the loop throughout the repair process. They’ll see that your shop cares about making sure they’re informed every step of the way.
4. Trackable repair notes
Every customer is unique. For example, one customer might always prefer dropping off their car in the morning whenever they need routine maintenance.
Another customer might be busy during the middle of the day and doesn’t appreciate being called on the phone during that time. By tracking these preferences in your system, you can ensure that you’re providing excellent customer service to each customer.
5. Customer support
A strong support and customer success team can:
- Resolve questions you might have about a feature in a quick manner, so you and your colleagues don’t have to spend precious time figuring it out on your own.
- Listen to your feedback about existing features and evaluate what updates need to be made to improve the user experience.
- Help you with data migrations, as data migrations to a new system can be tricky.
Fine-tuning your service scheduling process
Once you have your automotive scheduling software and basic appointment scheduling process in place, you can make additional adjustments to enhance your shop’s efficiency and reach new heights.
Add more staff and resources
As you navigate through scheduling cycles, you might find that business is rolling—and to meet those higher demands, you’ll likely need to make adjustments to your staff and resources.
You might even decide to extend your shop’s working hours to accommodate the uptick in business. An additional hour of being open can go a long way for customers.
Streamline customer communication and payment
It’s no surprise that the majority of your customers are in a rush. Squeezing in a repair can be tough on their schedule, as they need their car to get to work, make it to that parent-teacher conference, and more. That’s why it’s essential that your shop has streamlined ways of communicating with customers via true two-way texting, text-to-pay, automated follow-ups, and digital vehicle inspections.
Gather customer feedback
Customer feedback can help you address people’s pain points with your shop, and as a result, take your shop to new heights. For instance, most of your customers could be annoyed that your shop is taking a bit longer than promised on each repair, and this could soon create a negative perception of your shop.
Unless you survey customers on a regular basis, you’d have no way of knowing this. Don’t leave your shop’s reputation and growth to chance. Be proactive, not reactive, by creating a customer feedback system and fixing gaps in the customer experience.
Final thoughts
The shift to digital automotive scheduling software is no longer optional for shops that want to thrive in the modern automotive industry. Shop customers are expecting more and more, and these solutions are here to help you stay relevant. Whichever option you choose, focus on providing the best customer experience and making it easier for customers to book with you.
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