Auto repair management software is a great tool for any auto repair shop, but it can be difficult to know which one to buy. There are so many choices on the market today that your head may start spinning just thinking about all of them.
To help you navigate this new world, we have created this guide with 5 things you should know before buying auto repair software.
Pricing
Not all auto repair software is created equal. Some offer a wide range of features but can break your bank. Others offer very few features at a low price point.
Before you choose an auto repair management software, it is important to know what your budget looks like and how many features you need to make the most of your money.
You definitely don’t need enterprise-level software if you have a small car repair business. If you are just starting out, it is important to find something to grow with your business.
If you have a big budget, don’t think about the price too much and go for enterprise-level software. It can be helpful to talk with other users of various products because they may share which features were worth it in their opinion.
Features
Make a list of features you need from the software. Do you want to create quick and detailed estimates? Or perhaps you are looking for superfast invoicing? Knowing what you want will make it easy to choose a solution.
The solution should have a way to add new customers and vendors. It is essential that you can create quotes, invoices or work orders from these contacts in one click. You will be able to view all your past transactions with every customer, so the software must have this feature too.
You definitely don’t want to pay for features that you won’t use. This is why you should look for auto repair software that offers a customized workflow. This way, you can easily modify the software to fit your needs.
Quick Invoicing – create invoices with a single click.
Online Payments – 2 way SMS and email invoices to customers, allowing them to pay from any location.
Quick Estimates will help you generate accurate estimates of parts used, labor hours, and other details.
Integrations
Integrations are the name of the game when it comes to auto repair software. You’ll want software that can integrate with your accounting platform, CRM and email marketing service.
For example, if you’re using QuickBooks and Xero for accounting, the auto repair software should offer integration with this program, so it’s easy to add all invoices and receipts to QB.
You will also need integration between your customer relationship management system. This helps you import customer data.
You will also want to integrate with your email marketing service. This way, you can automatically send a reminder when it’s time for another car checkup.
Last but not least, it should have an integration with Google Analytics so that you can track all website visitors and how they interact with the site.
In short, look for software that offers a variety of integrations. You’ll be happy you did!
Moreover, look for auto repair software that provides you a VIN decoder that automatically does things for you.
Unlike traditional garage owners that used to take manual notes of 17 digit VINs manually. Get yourself a software by that you can easily look up car details and history.
Entering data manually creates a lot of errors because the slight mistake can create problems for your records. Still, with the help of these features, you can even steer clear of stolen vehicles, and you can look up the vehicle identification numbers (VIN’s) using a VIN decoder, or you can search by their license plate.
For having easy communication with your customers, use software that provides you 2-way SMS service, gives you chance to interact with your customers anywhere easily– from emails to text messages, video calls to phone calls– perform all these tasks under a single platform by using Twilio app.
Contracts
Don’t get stressed with annual and monthly contract subscriptions plans. Always choose software that don’t have any contracts, so you can stop using them whenever you want without any extra charges.
Don’t bound yourself in contracts because you never know when you want to switch to different software.
The ideal auto shop management software for you meets your requirements without paying for things you won’t use. To choose which platform will best suit you, think about your current demands as well as your immediate and long-term ambitions.
Payment Method
Your shop can receive payment seamless way and streamline accounting, choose software for you that provides your customers multiple options for the payments.
Customer satisfaction should be a priority, and their inconvenience can be too risky for your business because they won’t be returning to you when they will face any inconvenience in the first place.
Customers always have options to choose better services for them. Your payment methods should be meeting your customer needs and supporting all card types like (Mastercard, VISA, AMEX, UnionPay, Discover & JCB).
It’s usually better to have a choice of options. So choose the software that can help you with this, and make sure they are not charging any hidden fees because that can be a financial strain for you.
Use software that charges less per transaction and supports contactless payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay & Samsung Pay)
Customers don’t usually like to wait so long. Make your method of payments faster because It’s time to embrace quicker online payments methods for your customers.
If you use online invoicing to speed up the payment process, you’ll have a lot more cash on hand in no time.
Conclusion
If you’re a garage shop owner, then try choosing software that generates more revenue for your business and doesn’t break your wallet and supports you with multiple payment methods, so it will make your customers stay more at ease.
