Competition in the marketplace is the biggest challenge Eric Russo has faced in his 22 years of owning four greater Philadelphia area auto repair shops.
The biggest contender of all in his quest for higher profits and a larger customer base has been dealerships, Russo said.
But, Russo said he finally found a tool to not only even the playing field, but to make his shops “better than the
dealerships.”
In short, Russo and his employees are setting themselves apart from the competition
With thousands of exhibitors and countless products, it’s important to know which questions to ask AAPEX Show exhibitors.
In my last blog, I suggested that shops consider researching the exhibitors whose products or services align most closely to the shop’s main goals and map out a plan to make the most of the limited time available.
Now that you’ve decided which booths you will be visiting in Las Vegas Nov. 3-6, it’s time to think about what questions you might want to ask exh
Say good-bye to tedious customer check-ins with our latest automotive software solution, Welcome Station™, the first-ever self-check kiosk designed specifically for the automotive repair industry. With our tablet-powered tool, your shop can join airports, grocery and convenience stores, as well as restaurant chains in simplifying the customer experience.
Our touch screen kiosk delivers faster business results, better accuracy and increased up-selling and profit generation opportunities with eac
How To Attract Millennials to Your Shop Making auto repair shops profitable can seem like squeezing water from a rock... Some shops resort to raising prices, instead of increasing their customer base. We've created a Free eBook that tells you how to tap into the fastest growing customer base in the country; Millennials. The stereotype of the lazy Millennial (born 1980-1995) has caused many people to disregard this generation when it comes to trying to get their money. Do they all live in th
Facebook and Google are constantly changing its algorithms making it more difficult for auto repair shops to gain traction online. Direct mail can be expensive and traditional advertising nets little returns.
So, what’s a shop owner to do?
Use your shop’s customer invoice to market your business.
Compared to other ways of promoting your business, creating a unique, customized invoice is by far the least expensive, quickest and easiest method of sharing information about your repair s
Ian Hanson’s German auto repair shop Ingolstadt West has seen its average repair order increase so dramatically that he said it’s too “hard to measure.”
That was not the case with ClearMechanic, the software that the shop had used before switching to BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY in December 2014.
Based on 819 digital multi-point inspections in the seven months his California shop has been using BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY's Mobile Manager Pro, the shop’s ARO has jumped from $194.36 prior to inspections to
Follow these tips to become more efficient this summer and every day
Even the most hardworking technicians and service advisors can sometimes find it difficult to stay productive – particularly during the dog days of summer.
These productivity boosting tips can help your team make the most of their work day, which means extra time to service more vehicles and increase profit margins.
1. Keep cool
As much as possible, try to maintain a comfortable temperature in the bays
Mychael Althouse had a record-breaking month of sales at his auto repair shop, United Tire & Service in Feasterville, Pa., in April 2014. [see the video here]
The Philadelphia suburban eight-bay shop serviced 12 to 15 cars per day as it has since Althouse took over the 30-year business three years ago.
“We gained probably about $20,000 in total sales that month,” Althouse said. “That month was the best month in my company’s history of owning the shop.”
Not coincidentally, April
It’s been said that one of the most difficult things for an auto repair shop to do is to increase car count.
With that being the case for many businesses, shop owners are left with pretty much one option to boost revenue: Generate additional income from the existing pool of customers. While some shops may view this as a challenge, in reality it’s an opportunity to maximize spending from a shop’s existing customer base.
Since your customers aren’t coming in more frequently, you have to make eve
We’re excited to join the Automotive Service Association of Arizona at its Automotive Training & Expo in Arizona Father’s Day weekend.
Mike and Frank will be on hand demonstrating to ASA Arizona members our auto repair software during the expo, which will be held at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino in Chandler, Arizona.
What’s in it for you?
Our team will offer an interactive presentation of all of our software solutions. Shops will be able to test drive our products, which ful
The automotive software solutions provider will demonstrate its Welcome Station customer check-in touchscreen tool during the show.
Are you heading to the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) on Nov. 4-6 in Las Vegas, Nevada?
In addition to expanding your knowledge base through various Webinars and educational offerings, be sure to stop by the BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY booth (#2983) to learn about the many proven benefits of our mobile technology. We would love to meet you and to de
BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY™ is committed to passing the ‘V’ – are you?
The greater Philadelphia area developer of more than a dozen wireless solutions to simplify automotive repair shop operations is supporting the V Foundation.
Spurred by support from Bolt on Technology Director of National Sales and Corporate Sponsorships Frank Dragoni, a local youth baseball coach, the company is backing the altruistic efforts of the 21-year-old foundation.
Dragoni, who’s been fundraising for the V Founda
Thousands of Shops Can Be Wrong
Over 100 of the most used service categories
Hundreds of pre-built jobs, service descriptions & labor notes
The most accurate reporting possible
More effective appointment scheduling
More accurate estimates
Your shop needs a powerful management system to produce the level of efficiency and accuracy necessary for growth. To achieve this the old manual way, you need considerable time and patience when learnin
Ratchet+Wrench featured our customer, 405 Auto, in its June 2015 issue.
A BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY customer since January 2013, 405 Auto is a power user of our Mobile Manager Pro auto repair software and our Welcome Station kiosk. In the article, the magazine dubbed 405 Auto a ‘Shop of Tomorrow’ for its heavy use of technology, both for tablet-toting technicians working in the bays; and at the front counter where customers are encouraged to use our automotive kiosk to check in for service.
Tec
Following the massive recall of more than 6 million Firestone tires in 2000, federal law mandated that tire retailers take steps to notify customers of a tire recall.
Until recently, that meant bookmarking each tire manufacturer’s Web site, navigating there and inputting the customer and tire information, according to Tom Gebbie of Lansdale, Pa.-based Gebbie’s AutoCare.
A self-described “good typer,” Gebbie, who sells 1,000 to 1,200 tires a year, said he was able to carry out the registr
BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY customers who use the Pro Pack suite of automotive software solutions, which includes Lube Sticker Pro, Report Pro and Message Manager software modules, can now take advantage of new features. The software add-on solutions have been upgraded for Mitchell1 and NAPA TRACS shop management systems.
Lube Sticker Pro, which, in addition to printing lube stickers and key tags and advance scheduling maintenance appointments based on customers’ driving habits, mileage milestones a
Would you like help building fully customizable multi-point inspection reports? Or how about insight on harnessing the power of mobile technology to digitize your vehicle inspection process, all while saving time, increasing upsell opportunities and boosting your average repair order by 60 percent or more?
BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY™ can help with all of those things and more during the Mitchell 1 Shop Management Super Workshop in San Diego, Calif. at the Hotel Solamar July 17-19.
Representative
Overwhelmingly, auto repair shops are removing the guesswork from handwritten vehicle inspections, repair orders and service recommendations through the use of automotive software designed to simplify processes, save time and boost productivity.
Below are seven fool-proof tips for using vehicle maintenance software to improve overall shop operations.
1. Scan VINs
Jotting down a vehicle identification number (VIN) is easy, right?
Sure. Getting each and every letter and number correct – a
BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY will exhibit at the show, which is set for Nov. 3-6 in Las Vegas.
In a matter of weeks, thousands of exhibitors will fill 1 million square feet of the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX).
Businesses, particularly automotive repair shops, have much to gain from the vast educational offerings, as well as the latest and most innovative products and business solutions on display Nov. 3-6.
How can you see and do i
The automotive software solutions provider will demonstrate its Mobile Manager Pro tool during the show.
Are you heading to the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) on Nov. 4-6 in Las Vegas, Nevada?
In addition to expanding your knowledge base through various Webinars and educational offerings, be sure to stop by the BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY booth (#2983) to learn about the many proven benefits of our mobile technology. We would love to meet you and to demonstrate how our fully dig
With the latest Report Pro requested feature addition, shops can more easily identify the status of vehicles being serviced.
BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY’s latest auto repair software release – which is available for Mitchell 1 customers – uses color-coded easy-to-read blocks showing vehicles that are unassigned, complete, in progress, waiting for parts and orders involving customers who are waiting.
Dubbed the WorkFlow Manager, the Report Pro upgrade takes Mitchell 1’s Work In Progress screen
With summer still very much in force, fall is already shaping up to be busy as our team prepares to meet you - and your repair shop staff - at five tradeshows in the coming weeks and months.
Of those, four shows will be happening within the span of eight days.
Here’s an overview of where we will be and what you can expect. Be on the lookout for more detailed information as events get closer:
1. From Sept. 24 through Sept. 26, Frank Dragoni, our Director of National Sales and Corporat
BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY’s digital multi-point inspection software was selected as an innovator in the computers and software category of the Professional Tools & Equipment News (PTEN) magazine annual Innovation Awards.
Mobile Manager Pro auto repair software was chosen from a pool of 117 product nominations. In all, the magazine chose 26 products from 21 companies as innovation award winners for 2015.
Nominees were evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of technician and auto repair shop owne
At Bud Wildman’s Germantown, Md., shop, Precision Auto and Tire Center, digital multi-point inspections have replaced the previous paper and pencil versions. The paperless vehicle inspections are much more thorough, consisting of 10 vehicle condition photos, an in-depth color-coded report and a $525 average repair order.
“Would you rather slip through 20 cars and sell an ARO of $150 or go through five cars and sell an ARO of $600 each?” Wildman asked. “It takes more time to present the repor
Bolt On Technology, LLC has been selected for the 2014 Best of Downingtown Award in the Software Company category by the Downingtown Award Program.
Each year, the Downingtown Award Program identifies companies that it determines have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. According to the Downingtown Award Program, winners are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
