We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Top techs want top technology. By giving them the best auto shop SMS, you eliminate many workplace hassles that lead them to consider quitting.
You cannot expect tech-savvy people to come aboard and adopt a paper-based system or one that has not adapted to 2022 standards. If you do, you leave the door open for them to shop around for a more progressive workplace.
This shop in Arizona hired a tech who came in as a customer. He was so impressed with their auto shop’s shop management system (SMS) transparency that he joined the staff! Don’t you wish every hire came along that effortlessly?
With a modern auto shop SMS, you create a seamless workflow for you and your techs. We are fixing cars for a generation – and by a generation – that grew up glued to the internet and living much of their day in the online world. By running a shop with a current SMS, you speak a language closer to one they know.
5 Ways a Modern Auto Shop SMS Boosts Technician Retention
How does the right customer-focused auto shop SMS keep your staff engaged and on your team? We can think of five ways:
1. Quickly integrates new hires into your shop.
When you bring a new person aboard, you want them to get into the workflow and fix cars as soon as possible. Having every tech sharing their preferred techniques leaves the newcomer confused or having to choose sides.
Having consistent processes via your auto shop SMS simplifies onboarding for everyone. Thanks to transparent reporting, errors are quickly corrected and the recent hire can settle in without any hassle.
2. Easily welcomes and implements new ideas through customization.
When staff members come up with a good idea or wish to track certain types of work, you can try it out by adding a customized report. You don’t need tech support to make Shop-Ware your own (but we’re here if you do).
A platform that you can tailor to your needs allows staff suggestions to be added and tested with less disruption. That way, your techs will feel heard and appreciated by your actions.
3. Quickly delegates work with clear expectations.
No one wants the boss hanging around the bay and asking for updates on an RO every 10 minutes. It eats up time and erodes morale at the same time. But how do you keep tabs on a job for an impatient or demanding customer?
Features, such as Capacity, open ROs with all customer communication attached with estimated hours included. By watching the gauges and green dots, you can see how far into a job a tech has gone and when it should be ready. Now, everyone can focus on the repair without any drama.
4. Openly shares individual and overall results.
Every person on your team contributes to your success – and your challenges. If one employee is dragging their feet, you can easily see the difference in productivity via the reports per tech and deal with the problem.
Visual dashboards show staff quickly how they use their time, with the option to compare to others or to show collective strengths or weaknesses. This allows you to coach a tech or offer training to bring them up to speed before they frustrate their coworkers – and you.
5. Saves time from phone calls or repeating processes.
How many times have you tried to explain a repair to a person who has never been under a hood? It’s frustrating to say the least. What if you could show them the problem via a photo or video, then come off as the hero who is about to fix it for them? That changes, and accelerates, the conversation, especially if you do so via live chat or text.
Showing damage or corrosion with photos and videos allows the customer to understand why a repair is needed with less explanation. The tech spends less time talking and more time fixing. That makes everyone’s day go more smoothly.
The right SMS helps you build loyalty, teamwork, and productivity. It makes it easier to reward your team when they go above and beyond and to fix gaps before they become problems. And they will stick around, saving you from going through another round of hiring.
In summary, using a SMS that makes the most of your team’s talents can lead to more profits for your shop. It’s a great investment that could pay off for you in terms of staffing stability.
About Shop-Ware
Shop-Ware, founded in 2013, is the automotive aftermarket’s premier enterprise-grade SaaS platform for auto shop management. The company recently closed its Series-A funding and is in growth mode. Their software provides cutting-edge solutions for the modern repair facility and is committed to developing sophisticated tools to help the aftermarket thrive and grow. Shop-Ware harnesses the best technologies available for the internet and mobile devices and puts them to work for independent small businesses. The cloud-based application helps automotive shops find seamless and intuitive solutions to increasing sell-through and customer satisfaction and allows for huge increases in efficiency and operating profit.
