Quantcast
Jump to content

Free Simple Shop Management Software


Recommended Posts

Hey Everyone,

I'm Ricardo from Complete Auto Reports.  You may have heard about the shop management software that we made at a shop in Linden NJ. 

We've been really busy over the last year trying to refine the process at a shop through the software.  We have come up with something we think that people can and will benefit from.  We want to start with smaller auto repair facilities who are looking for something to transition out of paper and pen, as well as word documents and/or excel spreadsheets.  

We've taken our software and made a free package that allows the following from any device with a updated and functional browser:

  • Take appointments from your customers
  • Digital Vehicle Inspections - Included in every service request and sent to each customer if performed
  • Workflow - Pending, Under Process, Awaiting Approval, Approval Completed, Work In Progress, Completed
  • Ratings - Customers can communicate ratings directly to you
  • Messages - You can communicate with customers through the platform
  • Customer App - All service history available, can schedule appointments with the app, transfer vehicle records to new owners
  • Sales Reports

100% mobile - Works on everything from your 5inch iPhone to your desktop. 

You can presently upload all of your customer information: name, address, phone numbers, email.

Paid for versions offer parts ordering through PartsTech.com and Employeement modules that track employee time on jobs.

Are there members here who are interested in trying the free platform to see if it's a fit for their business? Anyone interested in the paid for versions, can also get 60 days of free use and discounted rates available from our SEMA promotions.

2018-10-17_15-35-09.png

 

Our 3 plans can be broken down into these simple differences:
 
  • Free:  No inventory, no online parts ordering through PartsTech, only one photo/video per service request, one login, no employee management
  • $50 per month (also have yearly options to save $): Includes online parts ordering through PartsTech and includes inventory, one login, no employee management
  • $100 per month (also have yearly options to save $): includes everything with 5 logins to access the system.

We often get asked, "What use can a bigger shop possibly get from the free plan?"

With the free plan, you can take appointments digitally from your customers and then upload a copy of their receipt from your existing system to their profile in CAR. Reducing paper waste and creating a digital record for your customer to always have.  You can also use the free plan to send your customers a video or photo of the services you are performing, complete with billing the customer through the free plan at the end of the service.  These are all features that you pay for with add on systems, they are all available for free with us as you learn to adapt to smarter, more efficient technology.

Data:

The data you enter is yours, we do not have any agreements presently to share it with anyone and we certainly will never be sharing any personally identifying information with anyone.  Majority of the data we are interested in is to build better features to serve you better.

Should you ever decide you no longer want to use our platform, your account will be available to you for free for one year at minimum.  In addition to that, we can and will provide you a complete data dump of all of your records within 72 hours of the request.  These companies that make it impossible to recover YOUR data is the reason for our open policy.  We want everyone to change their practices and we're leading by example.

Cancellation:

If you decide to cancel your subscription for any reason, all of your data can and will be exported and delivered to you via a USB stick you provide or through email in the way of an Excel file(s).  Additionally, you can access ALL OF YOUR information on our server for one year without any interference from anyone at CAR.  Most of you may not know, but I actually own a shop and if it's one thing I can not stand behind, it's these companies getting access to all of our information for secretive reasons or keeping us from having the very data that belongs to us in the first place.  You will never encounter this experience with us.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...


  • 3 weeks later...
6 hours ago, CAR_AutoReports said:

Hi Sam,

We will reach out to you today and learn about how you do things and how we can help.  Thanks for your interest.

 

Thanks! You can give me a call @ (608)632-3544 if that would be easiest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

To anyone who has been following our progress, we've been really hard at work getting things moving:

 

In the last month these are the features and changes we've made:

On The Lot.
 
You can now mark a vehicle "On The Lot" and it's to be treated as... "In My Possession".  It helps unclutter the service request que considerably and allows you to quickly wrap your head around what's going on at the moment.  We are still ironing this out, but the time is saves everyone at the shop here is noticeable to say the least.
 
Inventory is now live. 
 
Inventory comes complete with the ability for you to import and export all of your parts through it's own uploading system.  In addition to that, parts that are ordered through PartsTech are automatically entered into your inventory and start to count towards monthly totals that help you establish trends in parts you use the most.  There's also a functional return que.  So if you order a part through PartsTech and remove it from an invoice, the system asks you if you are keeping it in inventory of if you are putting it in the "Return Que", aka the return shelf.  This also has it's own ability for you to mark parts as returned to a particular vendor, even allows for you to upload a photo of the return ticket the vendor leaves you with.
 
Inventory also comes with a "tagging" system.  The tagging system will allows you to basically organize your inventory according to your business.  So you can label your shelves like, "A2B".  Shelf A, Row 2, Column B.  Maybe you have a particular high priced part in your office.  You can tag it with "Office".  The possibilities are literally endless and it's a simple system to implement.
 
Employee management is enhanced.
 
We have built in some features to better control employee timers and control the session of each individual who is working on filling out tickets.
 
Reduced repetitive steps.
 
We have added functionality that auto fills the state, timezone and customer type for each customer as well as the vehicle license plate state.  Saving you a few seconds each time from having to select them.
 
Consolidated closing of service requests.
 
A work in progress to help speed up some of the quicker/shorter service requests.  There are other additions to this coming this month as well.
 
On the docket for this month is:
  • Price Matrix - Linear
  • Plate To Vehicle Information
  • Diagnostic Time Option When There Are Rejected Jobs
  • Learn While You Use - A help feature is being built in to help you accomplish basic steps to help you adjust to a new system.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/10/2019 at 9:49 AM, autoguy said:

Any other parts integrations outside of partstech? Nexpart, IAP direct or any parts suppliers portals directly like worldpac? partstech is just a third party software that uses connectivity from systems like a nexpart or IAP to connect. 

We have plans to expand the integrations later on this year.  Since our approach has been unique from the start, we focused on making the process as seamless as possible first, then the integrations second.  

A lot of those companies aren't very helpful with their integrations and we tried to work to get them on board initially.  But after being continually ignored we focused our energy on the core product.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

J Larry,

Thank you very much for that.  We have ideas for integrations and Zapier has crossed out path.  However, since we want to be able to guarantee security and through native integrations, things start to get tricky when you are passing information across several layers.  So we noted that we could potentially use third party integrations, but shelfed it temporarily to work on Inventory & Matrix.  As the first quarter finishes up, we will be back into integration focus, starting with Payment providers and moving back into other parts ordering systems.

 

Ricardo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

This Month's Progress:

  • Plate To Vehicle Information - Fully functional
  • Reporting now exports: Year, Make, Model, License Plate.  Benefits if this allow you to use excel to understand your customer base a little better.  Will eventually be built into our reporting tab, but giving raw data access for now.

Here is one set of statistics you can perform with this data:

1322162312_WhatsAppImage2019-02-16at19_04_23.thumb.jpeg.d3d2e3b9af8b232388fc85d0660fe7fd.jpeg

  • $0 balance is auto marked as paid
  • System updates refresh cache through a message when logging in.

Still Working Through:

  • Price Matrix - Linear - Expected by end of this month.  Delayed by some parts and inventory tasks to enhance operation.
  • Diagnostic Time Option When There Are Rejected Jobs. Currently testing, live likely within 14 days.
  • Learn While You Use - 3 out of 6 walk through tutorials in testing phases.

Other Current Enhancements:

  • Parts redundancy elimination -  We're working on several items that really help shops control their parts information.  Working to: group exact parts together & eliminate double+ part numbers.

Vendor | Sponsor Enhancements:

  • We are building a portal that will allow vendors or sponsors to reach their customers through our portal in an efficient and elegant manner.  This is something completely new to this arena and was driven by a partnership we are presently working on.  However, it's going to be a game changer when it comes to Vendors or Sponsors with features they want their customers to have access to through their Shop Management System.

We've also got a lot of surprises up our sleeves from user generated suggestions.  All things we are working on for 2019 as it continues to move through.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hey everyone, an update on April Fools that isn't foolish.

This Month's Progress:

  • Purchase Order Numbers: The CAR ID now transfers to vendor invoices done through PartsTech as the PO number.  Making items very easy to identify when ordered through the platform and they show up at the door.
  • Diagnostic Time Option When There Are Rejected Jobs. When closing out a service request that has rejected jobs, the system prompts you to add diagnostic time.  The choice is yours ultimately, but it does two things.  Acts as a reminder to actually get paid for your time spent, adds the diagnostic time without you having to go back in an edit the ticket.
  • Smart Batches.  So we are finishing this, but the premise is live.  You can take a batch of parts that are interchangeable and make a smart batch out of them.  The easiest way to explain this is through an oil filter.  There are a myriad of oil filters that are interchangeable, or sometimes it's the same oil filter with a different part number.  Like PF47 vs PF47E.  So we designed a system to allow you to tie in the interchangeable parts to work with local inventory.  In the photo below, all of those oil filters act as a PF47 when adding then to a service request.  So if you added the Motorcraft FL321 and didn't have any in stock, it will tell you that you have the 72 132WS Bosch Filter in stock that is the direct equivalent. 
  • Duplicate Part Number Reduction.  When adding parts to the local database, it autofills now, so there are less opportunities of entering in duplicate part numbers.  Like entering in a part number, 28113-2S000 with the dash vs 28113 2S000 or 281132S000.  Just a method to keep the data cleaner, which saves everyone time and money.

Minor Fixes:

Reduced the size of the "snack bar" to enhance desktop and mobile experience.

Currently In Beta:

Parts Price Matrix.  This has an element included in it that was provided to us by someone who believes in our product and process.  This individual provided a mathematical calculation that completely eliminates the sharp drops from Price Ranges.  We are so happy with his assistance here, that we can't wait to show you the curve CAR will provide your business in profit, versus the jagged edge drops.

Future Development:

As we continually close the gaps of features we are missing for larger scale facilities, we are approaching crossroads where we are enabling features based on data that no one can presently do.  So we are working on A LOT of things we can't necessarily talk about.  What I can say, is that in about 3 months time... you'll be able to replicate a complete service invoice... from your cell phone... while checking in a vehicle... in less than 60 seconds.

What we can talk about:

We are working on a method to open www.repairlinkshop.com within CAR and submit orders and pull back parts data. We expect to be in beta around June with this.

We are working on a method to open repair information within CAR, from Identifix to start.  This is a slower moving boat because of the lack of cooperation from data providers in the industry.  But we have found some ways to at least get the ball moving with Identifix for now.

 

2019-04-01_9-24-50.png

2019-04-01_10-19-54.png

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hi everyone, have a bunch of updates to share with everyone today.

So this month we have:

  • Price Matrix: Fully enabled and functioning.
  • On The Lot shortcut in the left menu: Quickly filter search results by vehicles marked "On The Lot".
  • Smart Batch: Now have the ability to see what items meet smart batch criteria.  See if you have any in stock, and replace a current part on the service request with a smart batch part.
  • Search Filters:  Can now filter search results through all service requests.  Search Filters are: Business Name, Customer Email, Customer Name, License Plate, Part (by part number) Request ID, Title, Vehicle, VIN
  • Photos & Videos Are Now Live Updated:  As you fill out recommendations and the service request, any photos or videos taken are now automatically updated to the customer as they are uploaded on your end.  That way, if a customer logs in, they can see what you're doing as you're doing it... without waiting for you to send it to them.  It allows you to mitigate phone calls like, "Well can you tell me what's going on?".  Sure, if you login to CAR, you can see exactly what we're doing and as soon as we determine the root cause, we will provide you with the estimate to review.
  • Print Tech Work Sheet:  By demand, many customers have asked to be able to print out work sheets they can leave on the vehicles so technicians can grab and go, we have now enabled that.
  • Exclude Labor Tax Only:  Some states only have tax on labor only, while others have parts and labor.  We have allowed a function to eliminate any tax calculations based on labor.
  • Quick Start Guide:  Want to tinker on your own time?  We have now made an 8 step guide on how you can get started on your own., with CAR.  We are also incorporating this into the system dashboard along with other tutorials to help you get started doing things and training employees with minimal downtime.

Repair Link Access is available through our console for members who ask for it.  We can NOT pull information back, but you can build estimates in Repairlinkshop.com right from the service request and submit orders.  For the time being, you need to then manually enter the parts if they are already not in the database.

Future Development:

We have some items coming up in the next few weeks that will further enhance the system and it's use.  Among them, prevention of duplicate tickets being created and the ability to copy a job.  As we button those feature sets down, we will be sure to let the community know. Copy jobs will really shine with parts searching capabilities.  We are also working out plans for Quick Quoting features and many other minor features that will really simplify the process and continually shave seconds of time that will add up to hours and days at the end of each month.

Want to try with no commitment?

We are offering free upgrades for any plan we have for up to 3 months to any shop that is willing to learn how seeking customer authorization in a structured fashion, which will lead to a serious increase in approvals.  We have grown our business by 50% in revenue with this software, in just under 3 years.  All because we let the process dictate how the business runs.  This isn't a gimmick, this is how to conduct business in the 21st century.  Limit your liability and wow your customer with professionalism.  Only with CAR.

2019-05-06_11-08-14.png

2019-05-06_11-08-56.png

2019-05-06_11-10-38.png

2019-05-06_11-11-40.png

2019-05-06_11-14-37.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

We have some more updates coming this week, but for now... we have made a 2 and 1/2 minute video showcasing just how much information you can get access to from our Service Request page.  This page helps you get complete access to all necessary customer and vehicle information without having to leave.  It also showcases the importance of capturing accurate information once, so it saves you time with each repeat service.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

So am I correct, this is cloud based software?  Why?

The problem with cloud based systems is that the owner of the server owns the data, NOT the customer/user who created the data.  And as the owner of the server and the data that entity can do with the data as it wishes regardless of any "privacy" policy/statement to the contrary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you’re basing the nature of your assumptions on that of other experiences. Yes we are a cloud based software and yes, we do host and hold all of your “data”. As a shop owner, this element carries a little more responsibility with me than it may with most. 

I am not interested in your customer data. I am interested in how to make the platform better for you and everyone else after or before you.

How many desktop applications actually give you your data to access it and do anything with it, in a legible format. Not some secret database format. 

We at least make the promise to always export your data in a legible format so it can be plugged into a different system. 

 

You’re also a little mistaken on privacy policy. They are mandated for a reason. If we use your data without your consent in the policy, or worse... use an inkling of identifiable data.... the show’s over. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/26/2019 at 9:10 PM, TheTrustedMechanic said:

So am I correct, this is cloud based software?  Why?

The problem with cloud based systems is that the owner of the server owns the data, NOT the customer/user who created the data.  And as the owner of the server and the data that entity can do with the data as it wishes regardless of any "privacy" policy/statement to the contrary. 

Interesting trivia....   Canada has laws that mandate cloud data ownership back to you.   USA does not, so you are left to what your contract says - this applies to both ownership and privacy.  Many companies will adopt user-friendly data policies and some prey on those that don't read the fine print.    In general, the minute someone else owns my data, it's a no-go for me.   Further, (wearing my software development hat), I'm especially opposed to two different software systems both having data and "working together", such as overlay programs that change work-flow.   Since I know not to trust computers, in addition to the backups being done by my software provider, I archive all of my data monthly in clear text (not DB backups).    They are responsible for the daily backups.   I also have a safety net.

One challenge with the cloud is that you can't run over, kick the server out of spite, then reboot it and bring it back online.   You are dependent on the cloud provider to do the needful.   It can be trying when you are down.  You will want to ask about their support and response times.   (IMO, this is why you want to pay for your software.  You need tech support to be available all of the time.  I'm not saying anything about CAR as I don't know them.  At some point, it would be reasonable for them to charge for technical support and you would be wise to want to pay for it).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/28/2019 at 1:51 PM, bantar said:

One challenge with the cloud is that you can't run over, kick the server out of spite, then reboot it and bring it back online.   You are dependent on the cloud provider to do the needful.   It can be trying when you are down.  You will want to ask about their support and response times.   (IMO, this is why you want to pay for your software.  You need tech support to be available all of the time.  I'm not saying anything about CAR as I don't know them.  At some point, it would be reasonable for them to charge for technical support and you would be wise to want to pay for it).

Cloud based software doesn't require you to kick the server, or even reboot it often...  if and when there are scenarios that require immediate attention, there are sequences of events that happen to try to ensure the least amount of downtime is had.  Like, performing major updates on late Saturday evenings for example.  In addition, if a cloud based product is having a problem... it is very likely that everyone using it is having the same problem.  So it's rarely just one outage.

Without delving into specific systems, its impossible to really outline why cloud based computing is beneficial vs the alternative.  But if you've ever used Mitchell, All Data or RO Writer... think about any time you required tech support and the hours you spent on the phone dealing with local computer issues that lead to the issues you were having.  That doesn't generally happen good cloud based systems. 

There are many benefits to using cloud based software among them:

  • Being able to use inexpensive but reliable hardware - Since we run off of a web browser, all you need is solid device with Chrome. We regularly buy $300-$600 machines when necessary and run them for 2-3 years.
  • Mobility - Access your business from anywhere there is an internet connection and a fully functional web browser.
  • Cost of entry - Inexpensive to start
  • Scale - Inexpensive to scale your business according to your needs
  • Ability to choose features you need - Part of what lead me on this endeavor was the lack of choice available.  You had to buy the house just to get access to two rooms.  Want a garage?  That's an add on that costs another $500.  With cloud based systems, a modular build allows you to choose the options that you need and pay for them accordingly.

 The largest drawback to cloud based systems from extensive research, is the data element. 

That's why I stand behind the commitment wholeheartedly and this will NOT change as long as I'm in charge.  At CAR, your data is YOUR data.  Upon request, what you can't manually export from the system yourself, will be exported by us within 48 hours of request.  Our privacy policy outlines that we may use your data to help us build services, which we do.  Copy Jobs is something that will only be enhanced with more user data, other enhancements will come from similar data sets. 

 

We are not interested in anything other than data to identify trends of bad parts,  build better service writing capabilities, and serve your customers better so they keep returning to you.

 

Anyone is welcome to visit me at my personal shop or schedule a call to speak about this.  I do not take this subject lightly and data agreements with other companies are the largest reason I have taken the stance outlined above. 

 

Additionally, if you want a server all to yourself to use CAR... that is an available option.  It's something we are negotiating with larger chain facilities and fleets.  It just changes the price considerably, dependent on use.  Then your data will still be in the cloud, but it'll be "your" cloud because you're paying for it.  Although, we would still be cheaper than some brand name "mobility" services and legacy providers cost presently, per month.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

@CAR_AutoReports Looks good, thanks for keeping everyone updated on new features of your SMS. Personally, I always feel there should be a way to export your data automatically as a backup locally or a secondary location like Amazon AWS or other, an account set up by the user where the software just dumps a data file in sql, csv, excel, or other non proprietary format.  Just gives a warm and fuzzy feeling to owning your data..😉

So if I use an SMS system, create my own Amazon AWS account, maybe the SMS has some sort of export/backup section where I enter my AWS, S3 details, bucket, etc. and automatically I get a file dump daily of my data. Just an idea.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/8/2019 at 10:14 PM, Alex said:

@CAR_AutoReports Looks good, thanks for keeping everyone updated on new features of your SMS. Personally, I always feel there should be a way to export your data automatically as a backup locally or a secondary location like Amazon AWS or other, an account set up by the user where the software just dumps a data file in sql, csv, excel, or other non proprietary format.  Just gives a warm and fuzzy feeling to owning your data..😉

So if I use an SMS system, create my own Amazon AWS account, maybe the SMS has some sort of export/backup section where I enter my AWS, S3 details, bucket, etc. and automatically I get a file dump daily of my data. Just an idea.

 

Hi Alex, 

Thanks for the words of encouragement and advice.  As we evolve, methods of exporting your data will evolve with the system.  We will be exploring full methods to export to the system(s) that you choose.  At this time, you can download each and every transaction at any point in time without any help from us.  The export will include, customer, date, service performed, total cost, total cost minus tax, year, make, model of vehicle and license plate.  As we continue to build, we will work on ways to export line items and jobs into the same file.  The customer information can be exported to MailChimp or we can export it for you and send it over.  The vehicle information with customer data attached to it, has to be manually requested at this time.

We will also be working on ways to allow the daily dumps to be emailed to you so that they are auto sent without any interaction from the user and just becomes a daily, weekly or monthly exercise based on the options chosen.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So towards the end of May, we had another round of updates that we pushed live, some items we feel will really allow shop owners to use our system and make their process much faster and efficient.

 

End of May updates:

  • Check for existing service requests When opening a service request, you will now be prompted with a notification that lets you know if this particular vehicle already has open service requests! You will received a pop-up like this one:

spacer.png

You can hover over any CAR ID on that list and it becomes click-able.  Upon clicking, it will open a new tab with that service request for you to review.

spacer.png

Additionally, when ignoring those prompts, it will provide the full customer balance when pressing submit, like so:

spacer.png

  • Edit Title, Notes and Mileage from the Fill Recommendation Page This one is pretty self explanatory.  There is now a "red pencil" next to these data fields, clicking on any of them, bring up the following pop-up.  Allowing you to make changes without having to do the "Edit Page".

spacer.png

  • Copy Jobs We are particularly excited about this update, which is the first of many to debut over the next 90 days, helping you save significant time.  You can now go to ANY previous service request and copy an entire job and paste it into a new request. The easiest example is, let's assume you do an oil change.  If, you  build out the service request once with the correct oil filter, oil and quantity, as well as labor and other charges... you never have to type it out again.  In order test this functionality, search for a previous service by license plate or part number.  From the results list, pick a service request that contains the service you are now performing again. Open that service request, copy the job to the clipboard. Navigate to the new service request and paste it in.

copy_jobs.gif

  • Request Categories Added We are working on custom options for categories, however for the time being we are filling the missing elements based on user feedback. We have recently added:
    1. Heating & Air Conditioning - Heater Core
    2. Brakes & Traction Control - Hydraulic System - Master Cylinder
    3. Steering & Suspension - Steering - Steering Damper
    4. Steering & Suspension - Steering - Inner Tie Rod
    5. Steering & Suspension - Steering - Outer Tie Rod
    6. Engine, Cooling & Exhaust - Engine - Valve Cover
    7. Engine, Cooling & Exhaust - Engine - Valve Cover Gasket
    8. Steering & Suspension - Suspension - Front Lower Control Arm
    9. Steering & Suspension - Suspension - Front Upper Control Arm
    10. Steering & Suspension - Suspension - Rear Lower Control Arm
    11. Steering & Suspension - Suspension - Rear Upper Control Arm
    12. Steering & Suspension - Suspension - Trailing Arm
    13. Powertrain Management - Emission Control Systems - Mass  Air Flow Sensor
    14. #16 - Sway Bar - Front
    15. #16 - Sway Bar - Rear
    16. #8 Drive Shaft - Front
    17. #8 Drive Shaft - Rear
    18. #8 Universal Joint - Front
    19. #8 Universal Joint - Rear
    20. #18 Transmission Line
  • Info Details Picture Access : When clicking on a photo in the vehicle details pop-up, the photo is now displayed.

info_details_picture_access1.gif

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We feel that we are reaching a point where our system really helps you perform your daily duties, faster and in a more efficient process all while "WOW"ing your customer without having to perform extra work.  In this video, we are checking in a vehicle and adding a rejected service to the request and ordering parts in one fluid motion from our iPhone in 91 seconds!  

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Happy Monday Everyone!  Hope everyone got a chance to rest up this past weekend.  It's certainly been a crazy year thus far.

Below are out updates that went live in July.

  • Fleet Dashboard - For all of our Fleet customers, we have added the Fleet dashboard to accommodate your day-to-day needs. From here you have the ability to add "Preferred Contacts" that you can easily convert from your Business account. Fleet dashboard is an add on that is not included in our standard subscription.

spacer.png

  • Minor Dashboard Adjustment - Small change in the "Under Process" tile. The tile now reads "Awaited", "Authorized", and then "Work in Progress".

spacer.png

  • Access to Identifix.com from Service Request Page - Pretty self explanatory.  Not included in our standard subscription.

access_identifix_from_car_service_reques

  • Dashboard Tiles added to Mobile View - Enhance the mobile view to make the cell phone experience a little better.

car_fleet_display_mobile.png

car_dashboard_mobile_tiles_hidden.png

  • Help Guide - We understand learning a new software can be challenging. We have made this adjustment easier with the "Help Guide" readily accessible on each CAR account.  With our built-in tutorials, you and your team can get up to speed quickly and easily as you start using the platform.  You can easily start a tutorial from any screen in CAR and minimize it to help you perform the tasks as you learn.

car_help_guide.gif

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hey everyone, sorry for the delay.  August was a little crazy for us.  We've had several updates come live over the last 45 days so we will combine them here for one round of updates.

Customer App V2: 

We've upgraded our customer facing app.  Feel free to check it out here for iOS and here for Android.

This is what your customers see when working with your shop if you use our business platform.

1923071038_2019-09-0309_34_29.thumb.png.6aa31652deb8063ee0353b8ffc014405.png

 

Status Enhancements:

  1. On The Lot - Added a triple filter. Checked shows all "On The Lot", Dash shows all open tickets that are not "On The Lot".
  2. Waiting For Parts - Also a triple filter, we think the name is rather obvious in it's function.
  3. Accountant Verified - Also a triple filter.  This status was a request from a subscriber who has an bookkeeper verify each and every Service Request.  They wanted their bookkeeper/accountant to be able to mark off which Service Requests had been completely verified.  This feature is available, but it is a special request module that is not included in our standard pricing.

Internal Notes:

Send notes to your team members, complete with notification reminders.  Assign it to the appropriate team members and have everyone on the same page. 

Desktop Display:

2019-09-03_9-41-46.thumb.png.12f4f523d98b850ba3a9a440e54c8e39.png

Mobile Display:

2019-09-03_9-42-37.thumb.png.b44bcac2a732c06f859c6e34a29a5925.png

 

This feature is available, but it is a special request module that is not included in our standard pricing.

Service Request Notes:

In addition to "Internal Notes", we now have a similar feature that will allow you to write notes for any Service Request.  The notes will also function as reminders and can be assigned to anyone on your team.

Desktop Display:

Service_request_notes.thumb.gif.0fa9d085eb3844b034ad1836e6234b4a.gif

Mobile Display:

Service_request_notes_mobile.thumb.gif.f2f2e9f290d3b689f0f71b451af3f082.gif

This feature is available, but it is a special request module that is not included in our standard pricing.

We have enhanced our Dashboard Display overall:

Desktop Display:

2019-09-03_9-58-45.thumb.png.6553201fee81819984c47cdb677f6cca.png

Mobile Display:

2019-09-03_10-04-06.thumb.png.d131dedb9c2d6acfe5dc9f95e1e34d91.png

Mobile_Dashboard.thumb.gif.b7293561db946f0376b3f05410258579.gif

 

We are also working on a partnership with a highly sought after vendor. 

We can not release any more information at this time, but this relationship will truly help us provide a better service to all of our subscribers.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

We've been busy working on several specific features and enhancements over the last month.  We have a few items that will be released between now and Mid-November.  Looking forward to sharing that with everyone.

 

We are also removing the free plan.  If you signed up for the free plan, it will still be available to you.  However we will not be allowing new accounts to use the free plan.

 

We are working with a few members on getting their accounts setup and moving into the platform.  With that has come months of use and product training that we have provided to them.  So anyone who is seriously interested, we are able to provide you with several months for free as we prepare you to switch over.

 

We are grateful for the members that have given us a chance here, even if you didn't sign on.  Every relationship has proven invaluable in fine tuning our product for the better.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hello everyone,

 

We've been really crunching hard on our platform and haven't had time to share many updates, even though we've had a lot of progress recently.

 

One of our latest additions is a module called Quick Quote. 

Quick Quote is in it's infancy, but is a system that is designed to help you capture a tire kicker and turn them into a customer.  Although in it's infancy, we have seen some interesting capabilities with it at our facility.  Converting one customer the first few days we used it in a test environment.

If a facility would be interested in using Quick Quote, we would work out how to best extract value from this unique feature, together.

2019-11-27_9-13-39.png.5f4233932396fb741285384e0cfb9f37.png

New Request Categories:

We added several items to our main listing page as well as specialized categories for ADAS services.

2019-11-27_9-10-01.png.3bd4b3341d71ae81dbb574293d87303e.png

Additional:

Powertrain Management -> Computers & Control Systems -> FICM Fuel Injector Control Module
Powertrain Management -> Fuel Delivery & Air Induction -> Turbo
Engine, Cooling & Exhaust -> Engine -> Oil Pump
Engine, Cooling & Exhaust -> Engine -> Oil Cooler

Vehicle Profile Fields:

We have enhanced the vehicle profile with fields you actually need.  In addition we also have the ability to allow any facility to make custom fields for vehicles they service.

Fields Added:

  • Inspection Expiration Date
  • Transmission
  • Brake
  • Driveline
  • GVWR
  • Wheel Base
  • Tire Size
  • Wheel Lock Location
  • California Emissions
  • Other Labels - Photos for other labels such as Engine Label, RPO label, etc...

For instance, if you need to track a specific Asset number for a vehicle, you can now do that with CAR.

2019-11-27_9-18-34.thumb.png.6341ff5837ee801cb9b90b4594e3741f.png

Employee Permissions Header Sticky:

Small, but nice when setting up permissions.  Making it slightly easier and faster.

2019-11-27_9-42-16.thumb.png.0dd1b975d976c0cae7622fde4d662501.png

Reporting Enhancement:

We are working on enhancing our statistical overview of your business.  We have started with  a Parts section and have plenty more slated for the near future.

2019-11-27_9-44-54.thumb.png.2c2e617bac114d680bb3ad38e3537523.png

 

For anyone really interested in changing their business for the better, we welcome you to explore a real alternative to business consistency.  One that automates customer service as a part of it's process and helps increase accountability and reduce liability with every transaction.

 

As for transactions, we recently found that prior to using CAR, we were at $360 ARO (credit card transaction), the last two months we have seen our numbers push beyond the $800 mark in ARO (credit card transaction).  We did this with small doses of advertising till recently and most importantly.... we stopped selling.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Just a quick update for this month:

We have now had three solid months of ARO exceeding $750 (credit card transactions).  Which usually means, this wasn't an accident. 

Our business is reacting to the changes we built into it.

As for CAR, we had some minor program fixes and recently added a feature to help you get your customer back in the door.

Our system has always allowed you to input Registration and Insurance expiration dates.  This system would send the customers reminders to renew their documents and it would notify you, upon check-in, if they were expired.  With the recent addition of Inspection Expiration, we have a feature built in that will allow you to search for expiration coming up and connect with that customer to just say "Hi ABC Customer, friendly reminder about your insurance and/or registration" or if your state warrants... "Hi, ABC customer.  We noticed your inspection is coming up.  Would you like to schedule your state or DOT inspection today?"

2019-12-09_16-13-22.thumb.png.29348ba06c0c1100a818979a0a940a86.png

 

As our product closely resembles a fully formed management system at this point, we are working with subscribers to build features to help them each tackle specific problems they are facing.  We have some interesting surprises planned for the first half of 2020, where we were given exclusive access to certain systems in addition to problem solving features you just won't find anywhere else.

 

We look forward to continually building within the community and even expanding across other areas of this industry.

 

As this may be our last update for the calendar year, we thank everyone who gave us an opportunity and the forum for allowing us to have open conversations about what we are doing to transform businesses and customer relationships.  We are excited about what 2020 will bring and look forward to sharing it with you.

 

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Hello everyone.  First and foremost, we hope that you, your family, your team members and your business are doing as well as one can expect in this new reality that is taking us down an unbelievably difficult time in our history.

We have some updates and some news we want to share with you.

News:

While the world has come to a halt, we have certainly felt the change in direction at our facility in Linden NJ.  However, the average RO numbers we are seeing, are nothing short of remarkable for the work we have put into this endeavor.

We are the least expensive system that offers the ability to invoice customers (Digitally and Paper) with a full DVI system attached to it.

Our plans start at $69.99 and $119.99 for a 5 team member facility.  You will not find a better value anywhere in the industry for shop management than what we offer with one system.

 

Updates:

Removal of Completed / Completed & Paid From Plain View: 

 

When you press the dashboard icon, you may notice that you are missing a bunch of Service Requests.
 
You're not missing them, they have been hidden from plain view and can easily be brought back.
 
Notice anything new, like that red line of text?
 
Note: This list EXCLUDES Completed service requests.
 
CAR_SR_List.thumb.png.51f671635e0ef218ae28d11478c2bcf4.png
 

Clicking on it will cause it to turn green and read:

 

Note: This list now INCLUDES Completed Service Requests.

CAR_SR_List_01.thumb.png.02ba03cd34919e4258ee894324e382d3.png

 

Hours & Minutes: 

 

Jobs that run over 24 hours, no longer display "Days" that correspond to hours.

CAR_Timer.png.b723fd02f9e47ef994906a10be26ad0a.png

 

Easy Check - Add New Customer: 

 

In an on going effort to improve our process, we have added "Add New Customer" to the "Easy Check In" flow.  This will allow you to add anyone not on the platform, and then proceed to add their vehicle and start a service request or make a future appointment.

 

CAR_Add_New_Customer_01.thumb.png.bf0a6ebecc8f647c3f2de6ff5ef1ce6c.png

 

CAR_Add_New_Customer_02.thumb.png.dfe18926db409b6f25929a11c21cdca9.png

 

Administrators Can Now Delete & Reopen Service Requests: 

 

Based on learning more about how we each function every day in our facilities, we have decided to add the ability to soft delete service requests from appearing in the list that employees see.  With that also comes the ability to to correct a mistake on an invoice, without reaching out to us.  A snapshot of the service request is taken prior to being reopened. 

 

unnamed.png.f78821111991f74e2e213a9367a38128.png

 

CAR Mobile Display:

 

We've been working really hard on our mobile display as well.

 

There are no pages that should require you to pan right anymore.  Everything should be contained within the window you are in on your mobile device.

 

CAR_Mobile_View_01.thumb.png.7901c3c4b86a4bea396f8dc605f8b54c.png

 

We are continuing to make significant strides in our product, through your crucial feedback.  We appreciate every bit of advice you give us on how to make CAR better for you and the community overall.  Please don't hesitate to share with us.

CAR_Mobile_View_02.png

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Updates for May 2020:

We are continuing to work on some industry integrations that will help our members perform their services faster and more efficiently.  We will likely have news regarding completed integrations towards the end of this quarter.

Additionally we are working on a few things we can talk about.

  • Quickbooks Online Syncing - CAR will sync to Quickbooks Online in the near future.  Presently sales files will sync to Quickbooks Desktop version.
  • Texting & Other Customer Communication - We are working on ways to integrate texting into our platform alongside of our native customer communication that is already built into our process.
  • Mobile Payments - We are working on ways to automate deposits on services, as well as payments overall through the platform.

Recent changes and updates:

Added new categories to our hierarchy based on customer requests.

Video uploads have been updated to allow for videos that are 250mb in size. Test driving vehicles with ADAS made this a necessary evil for the time being.

Hide Prices from customer view.  Some customers have indicated that they share their screen with customers who are in the service facility, so we have added a button to hide cost prices from view by pressing the "H" in the Service Request View Page.

2020-05-06_11-21-02.thumb.png.b0568ea988d307b15db5590afba0d2cb.png

 

Action Menu in a Service Request has been enhanced with payments and tech assignment functions.

2020-05-06_11-25-41.png.69cb3c1d3ad3181cdeb9d03d75a8f013.png

 

Service Request List Enhancements

You now have the ability to change the headings on our Service Request List.

You can make quick changes to help sort while working:

2020-05-06_11-46-07.png.5298cc865210df45df54fc717baf3bf7.png

 

Or you can permanently change the headings to suit your workflow style more appropriately, in this print screen the Request ID and Estimated Delivery Date are omitted from view.

2020-05-06_11-49-43.thumb.png.d8ccbe0646f624e9679e92ad1234a5f6.png

 

We have made numerous mobile fixes that enhance the use of our platform from any mobile device available on the market today.

A reminder that we are the only platform on the market today that was designed for mobile use and touchless service. 

This wasn't an afterthought, we have been building towards this goal for over 5 years.

Complete Auto Reports allows you to:

👉 Check in a customer
👉 Create a vehicle profile
👉 Look up and order parts (through Partstech for now, other integrations coming.)
👉 Send the estimate to your customer
👉 Get customer approval digitally
👉 Let your customer know the vehicle is ready.

All without making a single phone call.

 

You will not find a system that offers more value and better customer integration that what we offer.

Our revenue is up 25% from our best year two years ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         3 comments
      Got your attention? Good. The truth is, there is no such thing as the perfect technician pay plan. There are countless ways to create any pay plan. I’ve heard all the claims and opinions, and to be honest, it’s getting a little frustrating. Claims that an hourly paid pay plan cannot motivate. That flat rate is the only way to truly get the most production from your technicians. And then there’s the hybrid performance-based pay plan that many claim is the best.
      At a recent industry event, a shop owner from the Midwest boasted about his flat-rate techs and insisted that this pay plan should be adopted by all shops across the country. When I informed him that in states like New York, you cannot pay flat-rate, he was shocked. “Then how do you motivate your techs” he asked me.
      I remember the day in 1986 when I hired the best technician who ever worked for me in my 41 years as an automotive shop owner. We’ll call him Hal. When Hal reviewed my pay plan for him, and the incentive bonus document, he stared at it for a minute, looked up, and said, “Joe, this looks good, but here’s what I want.” He then wrote on top of the document the weekly salary he wanted. It was a BIG number. He went on to say, “Joe, I need to take home a certain amount of money. I have a home, a wife, two kids, and my Harly Davidson. I will work hard and produce for you. I don’t need an incentive bonus to do my work.” And he did, for the next 30 years, until the day he retired.
      Everyone is entitled to their opinion. So, here’s mine. Money is a motivator, but not the only motivator, and not the best motivator either. We have all heard this scenario, “She quit ABC Auto Center, to get a job at XYZ Auto Repair, and she’s making less money now at XYZ!” We all know that people don’t leave companies, they leave the people they work for or work with.
      With all this said, I do believe that an incentive-based pay plan can work. However, I also believe that a technician must be paid a very good base wage that is commensurate with their ability, experience, and certifications. I also believe that in addition to money, there needs to be a great benefits package. But the icing on the cake in any pay plan is the culture, mission, and vision of the company, which takes strong leadership. And let’s not forget that motivation also comes from praise, recognition, respect, and when technicians know that their work matters.
      Rather than looking for that elusive perfect pay plan, sit down with your technician. Find out what motivates them. What their goals are. Why do they get out of bed in the morning? When you tie their goals with your goals, you will have one powerful pay plan.
  • Similar Topics

    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By carmcapriotto
      Recorded Live at MACS (Mobile Air Climate Systems) 2024 Training Event & Trade Show, Adam Kimmel discusses the refrigerant and thermal management industry. He highlights the significance of air conditioning technology in vehicles, the essential use of fluorine in refrigerants, and the evolution of refrigerants for environmental safety. Adam Kimmel, Koura, [email protected] Show Notes
      The importance of air conditioning (00:00:01) Discussing the significance of air conditioning in vehicles and homes and the commitment of industry professionals. Understanding fluorine in refrigerants (00:01:53) Evolution of refrigerants (00:05:16) Future challenges and developments (00:10:19) Regulations and alternatives (00:14:18) Safety and handling precautions (00:16:10) Engineer training and transparency (00:17:11) Understanding refrigerant nomenclature (00:19:47) Efficiency and GWP (00:25:38) Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX and NAPA TRACS Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2024. Mark your calendar now … November 5th-7th, 2024. AAPEX - Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at http://AAPEXSHOW.COM/WEBINAR NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Connect with the Podcast: -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 -Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections            
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By carmcapriotto
      Matt Fanslow explores the analogy between running a repair shop and the world of dating. He shares insights on first impressions, trust-building, and the value of substance over style in both customer relationships and shop management. Matt emphasizes the need for repair shops to maintain high standards of service and to view customer feedback as opportunities for growth.
      Show Notes
      Dating in Modern Times (00:01:15) Comparison of modern dating to historical dating and personal experiences with initial interactions. Physical Attractiveness and Shop Appearance (00:02:25) Reflections on interactions with physically attractive individuals, similar to the importance of a shop's appearance. Importance of Customer Reviews (00:04:54) Discussion on the significance of customer reviews, the impact of negative reviews, and the importance of backing up a shop's exterior with quality service. NAPA Auto Tech Training Sponsorship (00:11:34) Information about NAPA Auto Tech Training and its benefits for technicians and shop profitability. Constant Improvement in Customer and Employee Interactions (00:13:42) Emphasis on the importance of constant improvement in customer interactions and the parallels with employee relationships. Long-Term Relationships and Continued Accreditation (00:17:06) Discussion on the importance of continued accreditation and constant improvement to maintain long-term relationships with customers and employees. Shop Relationship Parallels (00:18:13) Drawing parallels between shop hiring and dating, emphasizing the importance of attracting and maintaining long-term relationships with employees. Attracting Talent (00:19:16) Encouraging self-reflection on what attracts and separates a shop from competitors, and the importance of perpetuating long-term relationships with employees. Promoting Training (00:20:20) Advocating for the importance of training.  
      Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech napaautotech.com
       
      Email Matt: [email protected]
      Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel HERE
      Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/
       
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By carmcapriotto
      One of the most misunderstood types of marketing is geofencing. People often don’t know what it is, but they know they want it. It’s new, it’s sexy, it’s cool. But what is it? And will it work for an auto repair shop? Join Brian as he interviews Mary Ann Pruitt from Mosaic.
      Thank you to RepairPal for sponsoring The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast. Learn more about RepairPal at https://repairpal.com/shops
      How To Get In Touch
      Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
      Website - shopmarketingpros.com 
      Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros 
      Get the Book - shopmarketingpros.com/book
      Instagram - @shopmarketingpros 
      Questions/Ideas - [email protected]
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio


  • Our Sponsors

×
×
  • Create New...