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Thinking of switching repair information provider


Repair Information  

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I am thinking of leaving Alldata for Identifix. They are now carrying all of the repair information, and their other services have always been great, I just had a hard time to justify having two programs at once as they can be expensive for me to run both. But it now looks like identifix could replace alldata completly. Looking for input guys, thanks. I would continue to use alldata for my management program only.

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We use Alldata, identifix, and Motologic. Definitely don't need all three. I like motologic and if I just cancelled Alldata the guys would learn to navigate motologic. There biggest complaint is they have a harder time finding the information they need in Motologic. I think it's more of we have always used Alldata so that's what they are accustomed to. I find it hard to justify the almost $400 for Alldata vs the $110 for Motologic. I do think you need at least two.

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We use Motologic, Identifix and just signed up for ProDemand. The Motologic is really nice. Genuine OE service data. It isn't reformatted at all. Their wiring diagrams are also really slick. And it's affordable. But I might drop it. Just signed up for Mitchell1 Team Works with Manager SE and ProDemand due to the fact that they are all integrated. I'll work with ProDemand for a bit to get used to it and may drop Motologic in the future. Identifix is a no brainer, couldn't live without it. Also really like iATN.

 

AJ

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We use Mitchell manager as the POS system, the estimator is fast and easy. It comes with prodemand which IMO is too slow to navigate. Identifix and iatn are invaluable as diag helpers! Because we are a true general repair shop there's no way we can be experts on every make and model, identifix gets us up to speed fast. Iatn helps when we are desperate, its tough to get past the users personalities.

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I enjoyed a free 3 month trial of Identifix when I bought my generic scantool. It was pretty good, but there were holes in specific brands/models. Very user friendly interface though, and direct hit is gold.

 

Once my free trial ended, I went back to my typical stuff. OEM tech sites.

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Oh I forgot to add that their info request is a complete joke. Supposedly, what they don't have available right on the website, they can attain through their "archives" and email to you. That's great, the problem is the ppl who fetch you the info are NOT mechanically inclined, or savvy. Identifix claims these are industry professionals, but that is inaccurate. They are just call center CSR.

 

I once had an oddball job: my associate's sister's car a 00 Rodeo. I needed diagrams of the intake water plumbing. The guy sent me fuel injection diagrams, and transmission cooler diagrams. After going back and forth with the guy, he was only able to fetch me radiator, and radiator hose diagrams, and told me there was nothing under the intake water related. Well I tore it apart, and quite the contrary.

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We have Mitchell Manager, use Alldata and Identifix. Did a recent trial of On Demand 5 and neither myself or our 2 techs found it to be useful. Harder to navigate and find info. It is less $ per month than Alldata but the lost time looking for what we need costs alot more $.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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