mikerisich

Hi,

I just spoke to John and he said he's going to do a demo for you soon. Please let me know if you have questions, or need anything else.

Hi 328ijunkie,

That's great to hear! I hope my staff was able to help you and answer any questions you had. Please let me know if we can be of further assistance.

Insomniac,

You're in a difficult position for sure. I know taking vehicle condition photos will not help in this particular instance, but I would highly recommend taking them in the future. Shops have found photos to be helpful in instances where vehicles are dropped off with noticeable damage. This can help cover you should a customer claim the vehicle was damaged while at your shop.

Photos are also helpful to document which repairs are needed. If you'd like to learn more, please take a look at our blog: http://boltontechnology.com/photos-help-shops-sell-more-services/

Good luck to you.

M-Spec,

Yes, we integrate with RO Writer as well. Sorry for the omission.

I didn't care for the Google reviews for Auto Vital so I have spent all weekend looking for a different solution. Every one here seems to like Bolt On Technology so I am taking a hard look at them.

 

I currently use Omnique but I am bailing on them after 2 years because of errors and design flaws. Omnique has some big upgrade which will get rid of silver light which may help them but I can not wait.

 

I am moving to Maxx Traxx at midnight December 31, 2014 and I was wondering if Bolt on works with the Maxx Traxx system?

Hello, our software does not integrate with Maxx Traxx. That could change in the future, however there are no immediate plans to integrate with Maxx Traxx. At the moment, Bolt On Technology's software add-ons work with Mitchell1, NAPA TRACS, All Data, Shop Controller, Tasco, Pace and TCS. Please call if you have additional questions: 610-400-1019. Thanks and Happy New Year!

Xrac,

That's a shame all around. Would your employee's health or dental insurance cover a portion of the expense?

Wow! Blown away by that voice!!! Amazing!

Hi Kingwoodshell,

Have you tried posting your questions on the Mitchell Manager forum (http://www.managerforum.net/)? It's a great resource and other Mitchell users, as well as the forum administrators are quick to offer solutions whenever possible.

The key to remember when considering any type of shop management system add-on is whether or not the software truly integrates with your shop management system. Bolt On Technology's products fully integrate with shop management systems, meaning you do not need to re-enter the information back into your management system. Information auto populates into your management system following a VIN scan, license decode, etc., without any effort on your part. That is not the case in every instance with our competitors.

Thanks for all of your kind words and support. It's greatly appreciated.

Thanks everyone for the positive comments. Bolt On Technology has no plans to do its own shop management system. Instead, we are committed to improving upon the software solutions we have already developed.

mspecperformance,

Please let us know if we can answer any questions about Mobile Manager Pro or any other Bolt On Technology software solutions. We are always happy to help. Our team can be reached at 610-400-1019.

Thanks! And I have screenshots, but there doesn't seem to be a photo upload option for replies.

Hello,

I am trying to post an example of an inspection form created using our Report Pro software, but I am not seeing how to do that. Does anyone have any insight?

OK, great. Our software integrates with Alldata.

Our software does not integrate with Motoshop. Have you considered Mitchell1? Our software fully integrates with that shop management system, as well as some others. Please let me know if you need any additional information.

With advanced shop management system add-ons, techs can meet the customer at their vehicle and begin the process - without having to take down any information, or report back to the service advisor. A simple scan of a license plate with a tablet or Android device decodes the plate and populates fields for make, model, etc. without the need to write down this information.

Also, and perhaps best of all, Bolt On Technology's automotive software solutions integrate all data back into your shop management system, meaning it does not needed to be added back in at a later time.

Please let me know if I can answer any additional questions, or feel to reach out directly: 610-400-1019.

I recently read and enjoyed "Think Like a Freak."

Hello,

My company recently released the first-ever customer check-in kiosk for the automotive repair industry. It's called Welcome Station and it's similar to the self-check terminals at the grocery store, airports and used extensively in other industries. You can find more information here: http://www.autoshopowner.com/blog/7/entry-77-automotive-kiosk-aids-customer-check-in-saves-shops-time/ by visiting my Web site at www.boltontechnology.com, or calling 610-400-1019. Please let me know if I can provide any additional details.

Looks great!

These are great tips, Joe. I especially agree with the advice to advance schedule appointments. This assures future customer visits and a continuous revenue stream.

Before I start, I want to be clear that I own a company that offers this technology. In an effort to remain neutral, I’ll merely add to this topic with my thoughts on mobile/tablet digital-multi point technology.

For starters, you need a software solution that integrates automatically with your shop's management system, which eliminates the need to double enter information.

Furthermore, you should not settle for any company that doesn’t offer VIN scanning or license plate decoding as a standard feature. These features should then auto populate your inspection forms, estimates, or repair orders with the vehicle's make, model, year and more. This saves time by eliminating the need to write down and input information like you would with paper.

In addition to helping your shop save several minutes per customer and creating better overall efficiency, you need a solution that comes equipped with customizable invoices. These forms should be what you offer customers when printing out their vehicle summary. To elaborate, these forms should offer you the ability to offer vehicle-specific coupons, special discounts, a list of pending service recommendations, customer messages and more that shops can modify as needed.

In today's automotive repair industry, seeing is believing. Be sure your solution comes equipped with the ability to not only take customer vehicle photos, but to send them, along with inspections and ROs to your customers via text or email. Illustrating to the customers why specific repairs are necessary via photos has proven to increase ROs by as much as 30-60%, or in some instances, more. The ability to “see” recommended maintenance while scrolling images and work orders can be done from the convenience of the vehicle owner's home, office, meeting, etc. This increases the customer’s experience and allows your shop to avoid disrupting customers with over-the-phone explanations that rely strictly on the strength of verbal suggestions. This technology drastically changes this by sending your findings to vehicle owners then stepping away and letting them see for themselves why their brakes are failing, or battery should be replaced and so on.

As for ROI, we have customers who’ve seen a $20,000 increase in revenue after 2 months of using digital multi-point inspection tools.

Finally, as you shop around for this technology, be sure to ask if it has the ability to automate and automatically calculate future service appointments and send automatic appointment reminders with no effort on your part. This feature grants you increased upselling power.

We ourselves have seen average customer service approval times change from the national average of 1 hour and 17minutes to just 37 mins. Faster approval times mean shops can service more customers. In addition, shorter approval times make it less likely for vehicles to be removed from lifts only to be re-added hours later once customers are reached.

In an effort to not seem salesy, I’ll end this here. But, if you’d like more info on this type of technology or even details on our solution (Mobile Manager Pro), please call me at 610-400-1019.

Hope this helped.

I couldn't agree more! Customer service is the most important aspect of any business. It's vital for customers to be greeted in a timely and professional manner. During particularly busy periods, this may be more difficult to accomplish. To help in this effort, wireless kiosk technology that welcomes customers and offers up-sell opportunities based on current weather conditions is an asset for today's auto repair shops. Especially when business is at its peak, kiosks allow customers to check themselves in, update their address and/or vehicles and ultimately save service professionals time, allowing them to carry out other duties.

I recommend a software that does text and email reminders. It seems to get a quicker response and is more user-friendly. Some examples of these offerings include Lube Sticker Pro and SocialCRM.

Service reminders are a great idea. With everyone’s busy schedules, it helps to ensure that customers keep up with important vehicle services.

I would expand on just sending reminders at the three-month mark, though. Every driver has different driving habits; some drive 3000 miles in 3 months, others drive it in just a month and a half, and so on.

You need a means of recording and calculating reminders around each customer’s individual driving habits. For instance, software exists that does just that. As customers come to your shop, the software records and calculates the next likely service need, based on the specific driving habits involved. It then sends automatic reminders for you. The process is hands-off, allowing you to focus on other priorities.

Just like dentists, doctors and hair salons, vehicle maintenance can be predicted and arranged ahead of time.