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Posted

Do you use paper inspection or digital inspection? What system do you use and what is your cost? What is the average time to do a inspection using your method? Does it truly help you sale your jobs that you find when doing the inspections?

Posted

Digital is the way to go however the problem is the bugs and the blame. We subscribed to Bolt On for one quarter and our experience was allot of bugs and we were blamed for the incompatibility of the relationship. Unless I publicly complained, resolve times were non-existent. We even subscribed to a product that never worked out of the gate and the issue never got resolved. Upon discontinuing the relationship I was told the product that never got used couldn't be sold as new so I had to eat it as well as the setup costs that they couldn't complete either.

 

At the end, I'd believe pictures and videos will fill the gap of communicating to the customer and building trust. Its just a matter of a technology company with fewer "bugs and blames".

 

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

Posted

We've simply had the most simplicity and stability in techs taking pics and videos of the recommendations and sending them to the company email which we forward to the client.

 

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

Posted

What system did you end up using Totalautocare?

 

We've had the most simplicity and stability in techs taking pics and videos of the recommendations and sending them to the company email which we forward to the client.

 

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

 

 

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

Posted

Lakeside, there is another thread here that talks about this, as well: Do you use a Digital Inspection Process?

 

We still haven't chosen a process yet, and truthfully, we've begun talks with a company on the west coast to enlist the help of a development team to design one from scratch. I see the great value in using such a process, and I do believe that in the near enough future, it'll become a matter of staying competitive, even. (There are still shops that don't even have a computer in their building as a standard piece of business equipment)

 

If a piece of equipment cost $10,000, but all evidence & research about it's use suggests that you can see a return on your investment in a relatively short time, isn't it worth buying? Wouldn't you wonder why everyone didn't get one? On the other hand, if the same equipment cost $100,000, and was just as likely to see the return over time, can you agree that there would be fewer people in the same control group to pull the trigger? Afterall...isn't $100,000 a lot of money to consider?

 

I think that the "apps" that drive the software to perform digital inspections for us should offer more features than they do currently, and that it should be made possible, as an option, to purchase the software once for a fair price. There may be some legitimate reasons to need ongoing software support, etc....but these programs aren't exactly Microsoft Windows, or part of the Adobe Master Collection. $2400 a year forever is too much.

 

If I manage to see this project to fruition, I'll surely share it with Joe & the rest of you. Digital inspections in auto repair is only costly because the authors know the street value of their implementation. If they want that much of my money, they should open their own repair shops.

 

For the record, however, Autovitals has one of the most innovative platforms I've seen...if you want my opinion, Lakeside.

 

Just one man's 2 cents.

  • Like 1
Posted

We've simply had the most simplicity and stability in techs taking pics and videos of the recommendations and sending them to the company email which we forward to the client.

 

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

 

totalautocare, we've seen your type of system (of taking pics, uploading to a computer, then e-mailing clients) in many shops we've talked to.

 

Our product, Glovebox, could certainly accommodate a feature to ease that workflow for shops, as we continue to round out the offering within our app. I'd love to chat with you about how we might build a solution that is far more efficient (without the bugs) and an even better experience for your customers. If you're interested in chatting further, please let me know, and I'll get in touch.

 

Best!

Posted

Lakeside, there is another thread here that talks about this, as well: Do you use a Digital Inspection Process?

 

We still haven't chosen a process yet, and truthfully, we've begun talks with a company on the west coast to enlist the help of a development team to design one from scratch. I see the great value in using such a process, and I do believe that in the near enough future, it'll become a matter of staying competitive, even. (There are still shops that don't even have a computer in their building as a standard piece of business equipment)

 

If a piece of equipment cost $10,000, but all evidence & research about it's use suggests that you can see a return on your investment in a relatively short time, isn't it worth buying? Wouldn't you wonder why everyone didn't get one? On the other hand, if the same equipment cost $100,000, and was just as likely to see the return over time, can you agree that there would be fewer people in the same control group to pull the trigger? Afterall...isn't $100,000 a lot of money to consider?

 

I think that the "apps" that drive the software to perform digital inspections for us should offer more features than they do currently, and that it should be made possible, as an option, to purchase the software once for a fair price. There may be some legitimate reasons to need ongoing software support, etc....but these programs aren't exactly Microsoft Windows, or part of the Adobe Master Collection. $2400 a year forever is too much.

 

If I manage to see this project to fruition, I'll surely share it with Joe & the rest of you. Digital inspections in auto repair is only costly because the authors know the street value of their implementation. If they want that much of my money, they should open their own repair shops.

 

For the record, however, Autovitals has one of the most innovative platforms I've seen...if you want my opinion, Lakeside.

 

Just one man's 2 cents.

We've began creating our own on the side. Its simpler than many think. We're still in beta phases yet. Well said and very true.

 

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         0 comments
      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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