CAR_AutoReports

14 hours ago, newport5 said:

What a great series of insightful posts. SO forward looking!

 

Maybe a bit off topic … but …

 

Can you please elaborate on: “by year 7 I started to adapt my selling to advising.” I never liked the idea of “selling” the customer (on value and safety) re a recommended repair or maintenance item. It either needs it or it doesn’t. I take the “advising” one step further. I TELL them what they need – what they need now, what they need in the future and “advise” them on things they could do now or in a month or 2 or more.

 

Nobody likes to be sold.  And they don’t want to make more decisions in their lives.  If you give them 2 or 3 reasons to encourage them to say yes to 5 items, that’s 10 to 15 things to think about. I believe the trusted service advisor/friend practically makes that decision for them.

 

So advising is a lot like being a friend, or at least how we've adopted the principle.

I sit down with people and ask them really hard questions. 

How long are you planning on keeping the car?

How much money have you spent on this car since you've owned it? If it hasn't been serviced with us.

Are you looking for short term solutions or long term solutions?

Based on the answers I get from each customer, I will then put together a package for the services they need that fits their budget.  This has lead to some insanely creative estimate building.  Each customer budget and their plan for their vehicle will help determine that quality of parts I use and where I order them from.  What we've noticed is that this approach completely disarms every single person that we sit with.  Their approach is no longer, "Why is this so expensive?" it flips to "Thank you so much for taking the time out to help me see this clearly.".

We have a running joke at the shop, roughly 1 out of 3 times we tell a customer to not fix a car... they actually will.  We also find that when taking that approach most customers will develop a plan to come in every few months and get each line item addressed, exactly as we discussed it.

Just some food for thought, we are encountering all of the same problems as a shop as have been outlined all over this thread about "fighting" to get customers in the door and keeping them in the door.  But using this approach, we have more of them returning and with positive attitudes about how we handle things here.  Which in turn has positive effects when it comes to referrals.

In short, we don't sell anything.  People pay us for a service and we take it seriously.  Using our auto software we educate and inform our customers, using our people skills we teach them how to make better decisions.  The combination has lead to a great shop attitude overall, better customer relationships and a reputation that starts to break the mold that society has given this industry for generations.

3 minutes ago, ScottSpec said:

Ricardo,

Try Volvo Repair Rockville, BMW Repair Rockville, Audi Repair Rockville, MINI Repair Rockville, or VW Repair Rockville. We'll come up on the first page for all of them. These are the vehicles we want in our shop. Having said that, I stopped chasing SEO a year ago. I found no measurable benefit to our business being on the first page. The direct mail has been most effective advertising for us, which is why I have committed such a large portion of our advertising budget to it. Before we started 3 years ago, I thought direct mail was dead. In the those 3 years, direct mail has generated $250,000 in sales. I guess it shows what works for some doesn't necessarily work for others,

Scott    

Ok that makes a lot more sense.  Direct mailers definitely work, but it's chasing the wrong customer personally speaking anyway.  You're getting a customer that comes in because you are offering a price point they want.  I'm sure I can get mailers here and they would be effective, but the $1,000 a month are better off spent trying to build a brand through online portals and advertising.  I don't even look at mail at home unless it's from an attorney, utilities or an insurance provider.

If you want to reach me, I have to be able to search for you.

Speaking of search... you do rank up for those keywords you mentioned... problem is... not many people are using them but you.  At least according to this.

There's  A LOT to take in there.  I'm going to leave you with some food for thought.  I opened a new private window and searched for "auto repair rockville maryland"... the results don't list you on the front page.  See attached file 2018-12-06_12-04-03.png

I then did a search for "auto repair linden nj" which is where I am located.  Our shop is the 3 listing.  See attached file 2018-12-06_12-04-54.png

Personally speaking, you're doing amazing things at your shop with the way you handle the technology, don't stop.  You're spending all of your marketing and advertising budget on the wrong form of advertising.  I've never done a mailer in my life, I've built this business on SEO and word of mouth.  I bet we can turn your business into a machine diverting your budget.

1 minute ago, Old and Tired said:

I hate to sound optimistic haha but they've been predicting the end of the independent shop since the invention of H.E.I. Every step of the way shops have figured out a way to repair things and adapt. I dont miss the unprofessional mechanics and I dont miss grease up to my shoulders at the end if the day. Maybe there will be less volume but maybe the average ticket will make up for it. I've noticed alot more respect from people as time goes by and with respect comes the willingness to pay for what we do. 

 

A lot of that comes with how we treat people... if you have that happening... you're doing something right.

8 minutes ago, ScottSpec said:

Ricardo,

I don't think the industry will go away overnight. but if your sales drop a few % every year, which is what I am hearing from most of the shop owners I talk with, how long will it be before you are no longer profitable? 

I also replied to your private message.

Scott

Sent you an email Scott, in an effort to keep this thread on topic.

Sales are dropping because we don't have the marketing teams that larger facilities have to keep getting customers in the door.  Dealers and larger facilities (think 10 employees plus), have a much larger machine that can absorb an employee for marketing, community outreach and advertising.  With that, they've been able to take business away from the smaller players, creating a vacuum that forces a dangerous cycle where smaller players are forced to adapt or close.

In order to keep getting business in the door, EVERY business must have the following:

1. Strong web presence
2. Strong social presence
3. Community support
4. Advertising

That's just not in the cards for a lot of the smaller guys who work on cars themselves. The guys in between are working 80 hours a week trying to crack these codes to keep business moving... or they are paying $1,000+ a month for companies that do it for them.  I opt for the 80 hour weeks, but the lessons I've learned are slowly starting to pay off.

The next generation of auto technicians, will be computer technicians... that work on computers with wheels.  I've actually noticed manufacturers are now making parts with predictable time frames for failure, this isn't an accident.  They want to make sure they can survive as well.

9 minutes ago, ScottSpec said:

Ricardo,

Looking for ways to get out of this business, I created some shop management software about 5 years ago. It was the first web based system created. It never really caught on, so I closed it off to new users. There are still about 50 of us using it. I've put my business up for sale a few times with the plan of getting into IT. I've done some consulting, and I can make more money at home with a computer than I can with my shop, probably twice as much; without all the headaches. The shop does allow me more freedom though. I was committed to selling it at the end of last year, then I invented a new consumer product that has the potential to make me more money than my shop ever has. So I'm now using the business structure and assets to develop and market the product. If you are interested in see the product, you can check it out at https://www.tubeanew.com    

I hate sounding pessimistic, but the truth is that the automotive repair business is dying. It has been for many years. More reliable cars, longer service intervals, and cars by subscription. Most of the "gravy" work is going away, being replaced with more advanced diagnostic work, and repairs that require us to purchase subscriptions to download software every time a module is replaced. Quite often you have to update your own computer with the manufacture's latest software to do those downloads adding another hour or so to the job. You keep your fingers crossed that the download doesn't fail leaving you with a bricked module, and when their system doesn't work correctly, tech support is quite often lacking. I did a X3 a couple weeks ago using a pass through. After 5 days it was at 50% complete. Once I switched to the BMW ICOM, it was much faster, about 4 hours. However, even after that the system wanted a release code for the new rack that was installed. Even though it was BMW's system asking for the code, BMW support had no idea how to provide one, and said the system should have done it automatically. So it ended up having to go to the dealer for the code.  

We've had a couple of Tesla's in the shop recently. More and more cars will be EV's and HV's. In 2 years all Volvo's will be, and they are 60% of our business. EV's and HV's will never need brakes. The steering racks will never leak. EV's will never need oil changes, transmission flushes, power steering flushes, air filters, spark plugs etc. There will be no more engine, transmission, differential or fuel system repairs.       

What is your software product?   

Scott

Hey Scott,

Have sent you a message for us to have a conversation offline.  

Would love to hear more about what you have done in the past.

Our product is www.completeautoreports.com

I don't think we as an industry can go away that fast, there's simply too many cars to be serviced.  What I see happening is that the tech shortage will have to lead to a price increase and the technology gap will push many people to get educated or look for a new job.

10 hours ago, ScottSpec said:

Ricardo,

I feel a little unpatriotic when I say this, but that number would actually increase our profit by about $13,000 because that amount would no longer be going to sales tax. I could even just start paying sales tax on everything I buy and stop having to collect and report it myself. Interesting conversation. 

Scott

There's nothing unpatriotic about making things better at your business and not having to hire a fancy accountant to help you keep more of your money.

I'd say this has been a great conversation with good insight for us to really think about the direction of our businesses.

8 hours ago, Old and Tired said:

I was just curious. I didn't mean it to sound like I thought you were naive. It's been 30 years for me too and I cant see such a dramatic change at this point but that doesnt mean you dont have a genius idea. 

I'm curious about how long you guys have been in business?

I have 20 years left of this, 10 if I'm lucky.  Change, is my only way to survive. 

I have been trying to think of how to separate myself from the pack since about year 3 on my own. By year 6 I started the software company to compliment my ideas about customer engagement and transparency, by year 7 I started to adapt my selling to advising.  By year 8, I questioned everything....  But now, I see things pretty clearly and I think I left most of the rocky road behind me.  Or I hope so anyway.

7 minutes ago, Old and Tired said:

I was just curious. I didn't mean it to sound like I thought you were naive. It's been 30 years for me too and I cant see such a dramatic change at this point but that doesnt mean you dont have a genius idea. 

I'm curious about how long you guys have been in business?

This must be the 30 year club. 

Family started the business in April 1989, I took over alone in April 2008. 

15 minutes ago, ScottSpec said:

Ricardo,

If we stopped worrying about parts margins, this business would be much easier to evaluate, predict, and make a profit. The current model, which most of us are still using, me included really leaves a lot to chance in this business. I could sit down in a few minutes and calculate how much each bay cost me, how much each tech cost me, and how many hours at what rate I need to charge to make sure I am profitable. While we use a standard markup, it is very difficult to know what dollar amount I am going to sell in parts. Think about this for a moment. You have an A tech that spends 6 hours removing a dash to replace a $80 blend door motor which also requires calibration with a scan tool that cost him a few thousand dollars, or as I like to say $200 a month. Next to him, you have a B tech who spends 6 hours replacing 6 sets of brake pads. The B tech generated the same amount of labor, but ~$400 more in parts, and probably makes half of what you paid the A tech. Is your business really doing better because you made sure you made your $40 on the blend door motor. If you sold the parts at cost, assuming you had a 50% margin, you would only need to raise your labor rate $20 to come out ahead. I just ran some numbers from last out of curiosity. If I raised my labor rate $55 and stopped marking up parts, I would be ahead of the game.   

We all talk about how important it is to charge for diagnostic time, and it is. However, it's the most cost intensive work we do, and since there are no parts sales to go along with it, it's also the lowest sales generator per hour.

Scott

 

Scott, 

You just said it all right there.  You can sell parts at cost and raise your labor rate $55 an hour to make the same money you do, with 0 headaches of worrying about part margin.  Now imagine when you translate that to the consumer who will never have to look up a parts price and is paying you a fair rate for your work.  The customer has a good feeling about you and how he's been treated. 

Personally, that's priceless.

Thank you for doing the calculations and bringing that exact number to the table.  That helps show that it's not that hard and arguably, can be a much easier sell when you tell customers... I don't mark up parts.  You pay for the service we provide and the quality / care with which we treat your vehicle.

Appreciate the conversation!

Ricardo

16 hours ago, ScottSpec said:

CAR,

What are your suggestions? I have long considered just selling parts at my cost and adjusting my labor, or some other fee to compensate. I've suggested it here on AutoShopOwner before. It would reduce work load, eliminate a more and more harmful data point for customers to judge our pricing, and eliminate the need to explain to customer's why we need a margin on parts. As if customers really care about why we charge a markup at all. As shop owners we continually search for the best price on everything. From parts, supplies, tools, rent, insurance, etc.. We shop on Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, etc., but we get frustrated with customers when they do the same thing. If there is anyone here that pays supplier B more money for parts than supplier A because supplier B needs to make a higher margin to pay his bills, I would love to hear from them. 

Having said all that, I have just not been able to get myself to do it. It's a radical change and we would need to make sure we have a labor formula that works.

Scott   

Scott, 

Please call me  Ricardo, as I'm likely the one posting on this account.  I've been giving this some thought for a while now and I think I finally have a solution that I'm going to slowly implement.  So there's one caveat, I use our software to track real time and hold my guys accountable to use the timer system on jobs.  It's been an adjustment period, but all I had to do was show them one job where we would have lost a lot of money without it, and they saw the light.

So our plan is to gradually raise the labor rate, next month we are going up just over 10%.  We plan on adjusting accordingly throughout the year.  So we are picking a baseline to start from based on expenses and projected decline in parts revenue.  Higher labor is an easier sell when you have a good relationship with your customers and you can tell them, your parts are reasonably priced and show them if need be the comparison.  An example would be, my best selling avenue at the shop for tires is showing people... look, here's the price on TireRack, this is what I can do for you today.  When we do that, their defenses are usually immediately disarmed, because we showed them they are getting a fair deal.

With parts, the same logic is going to be applied.  The second I am questioned on a price, I can show them what it costs online and say... "It's just a bit more, and we get it locally and it's fully warrantied by us now." Going on the tested theory that no one will cry at 30% mark up & value your service by showing them, you're getting a really fair deal.  After all, this is all about perception.  If you charge $200 for a service and $100 is parts and $100 is labor, and the guy down the street charges $200 and $150 for parts and $50 for labor... the price isn't different.  How it's billed is.  But the perception that you provide when people pay for the quality you provide, is what turns customer defense off.  Because now they go home and check the part and they see, ok, he didn't really gouge me.  They can't go verify labor, because the guy on the other side of town might have a cheaper labor rate, but who knows if his quality is any good.

It's really a delicate balance that we are testing and figuring out as we go along.

In addition, we are still exploring how to implement a "Membership" like strategy, where we become a member service that looks out for it's members with a pledge like, parts plus 25% and a set labor rate.  Although this will have to be more thought out and will have to go through some trial runs with current customers.  I'm thinking membership would be something along the lines of a fee that includes 2 basic services for your vehicle for a year and because you signed on, you now get the perks of fair parts pricing and stable labor pricing.

But please don't hesitate to share your thoughts on this plan or your own thoughts.

Ricardo

On 12/2/2018 at 8:05 PM, Old and Tired said:

Why would any of you feel ashamed or the need to make excuses for making a profit off of parts ?Every business makes money off of the product they sell.  How is it possible that everyone on here understands the shortage of qualified mechanics yet act like theres a surplus? 

What I've told people us that every bay in my shop is like a machine in a factory. It has to make me money. I have bills to pay. Not only am I giving away profit but what happens when the part is wrong? Now that car is trying up a bay (my machine) while I wait for them to get off of work, pick up their wrong part, fix THEIR mistake, bring (hopefully) the correct part back the next day or so, and then we can finish the job. Who's going to pay for the downtime for my machine? Are they willing to pay me for 1 1/2 days of idleness just so they can save $50? No. They only want to use you. After this, theyll be on to the next chump. Dont be that chump. 

I can't speak for everyone, but I can tell you I am not ashamed to make a profit.  This is business and the way to survive is to adapt.  If you can name one industry that has not adapted to consumer behavior and survived, I would be very happy to hear about it.  Consumers have long treated this industry as if we are all thieves.  Before the internet, they had no recourse.  With the internet, they can put you out of business in 30 days time, if not sooner.

The medium here for discussion is how we all thrive in an environment that is turning every industry upside down, not just this one.  Part of that comes with providing a streamline experience where people pay for your experience and not your parts.  If we, as a group, adapted the mentality of my labor is where I make money, and not my parts... there would be less ability for the consumer to create havoc in our environment.  As long as we sell parts for multiples of what we are paying for them, while our consumers can research prices on their own... is as long as we'll have the mentality that's made this industry the last one to transform and shake the horrid reputation we have with the general public.

If you buy anything at a national chain, from the groceries in your house, to the device you are likely typing this on... you are a consumer.  Put yourself in their shoes and realize we provide the worst experience known to man.  There are no trades left where parts have such an influence on business, like this trade.  If you work on fleets, ask their owners how their business is going and what challenges they are facing.  Most of the fleets we service, make less than 20% on parts and all of their meaningful revenue is generated by labor.  Why?  Because the consumer can go to Home Depot and buy everything for the same price they can.  The consumer just can't install it, they realized that... adapted to it and are now seeing the benefit of not worrying about how much money to make on parts and focus on labor costs and managing them.

7 minutes ago, Tyno said:

Sure, I would like to hear more.

Hi Tyno, we will reach out to you shortly.  Thanks for your interest.

1 minute ago, RollingsAutomotive said:

Hello and Yes,

Very interested, your dash is easy on my brain! I like it a lot. What now?

James.

Appreciate the compliment Mike.  I am sending you a message now.

On 11/11/2018 at 5:48 PM, BOBBYK said:

I’m sure it been said before but I look as it that we are in the Auto Repair industry not the hang your parts business. The only person that we makes out is the customer when they bring in there own parts is the customer. Why would anyone give up there profit and open themselves up to a problem if the customer has a problem with the work. In Maryland you must honor the warranty even if the customer supplied the parts.  We do not install customer parts at all. Also you will never get this person as a customer that will just go to the lowest priced shop they can find.  Is that really a good business model for our industry. 

Here's a new way to look this trend.

Imagine you're the customer and you walk into a computer store to get your computer fixed.

The store clerk tells you that you need a new motherboard and the cost of the motherboard is $500 and the labor is $200.

Now you go home and find the EXACT same motherboard available for sale @ $200 retail and shipped to your house within 2 days.  You're a little upset aren't you?  You feel like you've been taken advantage of.  Because that's the feeling we get when we're the consumer.

Is this fair? Not in the least.  Everyone but the manufacturer and the guy selling it to you for $200, is having a really hard time dealing with this.  But the manufacturer doesn't care, because he sells his product and the guy at online terminal doesn't care, you helped him keep the lights on.  But the poor soul at the retail outlet is going to get his ear chewed off because he "ripped you off".  Meanwhile he probably paid $325 for the same part because got it locally.

Here's the way to eliminate that angst and customer anxiety.

You walk into a computer store to get your computer fixed.

The store clerk tells you that you need a new motherboard and the cost of the motherboard is $250, the labor is $400. 

Now you think the labor is a little high, so you call around and get similar labor quotes.  Maybe you can find someone to do it for $350, maybe you get quotes for $450.  But ultimately, the price of labor will reflect the facility, employees, and level of service you want to pay for.

The internet (Especially Amazon) has completely ruined the price matrix on parts but what it will never do, is ruin local labor and skills prices.  Why do you think Costco is so successful?  Their entire model presents significant value to the end consumer, our model does not.  We would better serve ourselves by standardizing pricing on parts like @bstewart mentions the HD industry does.  Because then we don't rely on parts prices to make up the gaps, there are no gaps.  Each facility prices according to overhead and service and the consumer experience becomes very streamline.

Happy customers mean returning customers and referring customers.

13 hours ago, Wheelingauto said:

I think a lot of shops are falling behind very quickly. I will take the difficult cars, if they have symptoms we will figure it out. Yes, I might loose a few dollars along the way but I would rather do that and show the customer I am the shop to go to and keep my guys sharp. I am also getting in most cases paid along the way. The most important part of this is to let the customer decide how they wish to proceed and keep them in control of the dollars they spend. Stop, get more money until they don't wish to proceed.

 

Keep in mind my shop is viewed as more of an upscale place, we do not quote prices over the phone and have no menu pricing of any kind, we run no specials so we get very few shoppers though our doors. They are usually scared off by the up front testing/inspection fees. If someone has a problem they truly want to figure out we will certainly help them try to accomplish that.

Sounds like our shop... Are you hiding in the closet somewhere??

The real problem is your haggler is comparing apples to oranges.

He talks about how much of a professional he is in comparison to you, and then uses the most ridiculous job to do it with.  Cleanings.  Cleanings for the automotive industry is the equivalent to getting your car washed and vacuumed, not even a detail wash and vacuum.  To truly compare apples to apples, he should compare when someone comes in and says their tooth hurts.  Then, diagnosing has to be done.  Albeit, light in most circumstances.

1. Xrays have to be done.
2. Patient has to go in the chair and physically get inspected.
3. Sometimes it's not easily visible on the Xray or in the visual inspection and he has to actually do something else.

A professional in this field has to start with the basics each and every time.

1. Interview the customer about the problem.
2. Perform all the basic checks on the vehicle. 
3. Then perform basic checks based on the symptom.
4. Then check for codes stored.
5. Evaluate all of the above.
6. Formulate a test plan.
7. Execute said test plan.

Mind you.... we haven't even started testing yet and at least 30 minutes have gone by, our non disposable scan tool was used, along with years of experience.

As the auto industry moves on into the modern age, repair centers all around the country are experiencing pressure with the tech world and our world colliding.

We are all trailing nationwide franchises and dealerships that have endless resources working at their disposal. For most smaller auto repair businesses there isn’t enough time, money, or energy to attempt to constantly and actively secure the new business. We’re mostly worried about attempting to maintain the existing business we have, which has newer cars and increasing demands. Most of our time is now spent adjusting to the learning curve of advanced vehicle systems. However, that’s just a shop problem. The front office of your shop has its own issues to contend with that didn’t exist 15 years ago. Make no mistake about it, our industry is in the middle of a revolution and with 3D printing knocking at the door… the amount of balls to juggle are going to be considerable and it's all just getting started.

Today’s auto repair businesses need to worry about the following:

• Location – Securing a proper location and the authorization to conduct business there over the long term ensures survival.
• Tools – Without the proper tools, we just can’t work on today’s vehicles.
• Training – Without the proper training, we put ourselves and our customers at high risk.
• Employee Engagement – Keeping your employees as interested in your success as you are is critical to the elements that keep people returning and employees from leaving.
• Employee Advancement – Providing an environment where employees know they can grow with your business, whether financially or moving up within the organization, is the key to keeping and securing talent.
• Marketing – This is the most complicated element in today’s world. It involves a mix of a strong web presence, good advertising ethics, social media profile, and following up with customers.
• Advertising – Can be expensive and very confusing. The best method to start is to get your feet wet with small budgets that keep your name in front of your potential customers, constantly.
• Software – Without good software, it is difficult to run any business. Good software is and always has been subjective. Our experiences indicate that good software saves you time and builds trust with your customers. Most importantly, it should work for you and not against you.

This article originally published in CAR's News Section

View full article

2 minutes ago, Wheelingauto said:

There is at least one very successful shop I know of who marks up parts minimally and charges for actual labor times taken. I would assume the rate is higher than the traditional model. The problem with allowing customers to bring in their own parts is parts quality period. They dont know what is good and what is not. If it becomes that big a problem offer to supply parts at near cost (obviously you could negotiate a little back end money) and just raise the labor rate to account for it. In the end, same dollars, same level of service just different model.

Could not agree more!

In addition, most shops may not know that they are actually personally liable for installing those parts!  There is precedent where the court will rule in favor of the customer and not the shop.

The logic of the court is, "You are the professional, you installed it... you take responsibility."  Even if the customer signs away their rights on the invoice...

We are strongly considering the Costco model at our shop.  Just trying to figure out the right way to make it work and not upset our already existing base.

We've had life long customers start to request to buy their own parts online, at an alarming rate.

They will come in and get a quote, leave... call back in a month when they want to do the service.  When they call, they indicate that they would like to bring their parts in and only pay for labor.  It puts everyone in a really difficult position.

In addition, we are also having fleet accounts price shop online and complain about our prices.  In many instances, we have had to show customers our purchase receipts to assure them, we are not "overcharging".

I personally, have been making noise about this for over 5 years and everyone generally brushes me off as an anomaly.  Yet, here we are... all becoming anomalies.  Our vision for parts in this industry is a little scary initially, but overall we think the outcome will just lead to much higher labor rates and parts at a 15% above cost model.  Welcome to the Costco model for Auto Repair.

You can add videos to our platform and send them to your customers, right through our app.

Videos and photos are a great selling point and help customers understand what is really going on.

Hi Junior,

We're here.  Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

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.

• 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.