What Tasks Should Auto Shops Automate Today to Save Time Tomorrow

Do you know why repair shop managers are always looking for ways to save time and boost productivity? ‘Cause the quicker you can repair and inspect the vehicle, the more cash will flow. So, whether it’s filtering complaint emails from booking confirmation emails to tracking assets in the warehouse, there are tons of tasks to be done. But coordinating for manual tasks feels like a waste of time for the most part. 

Thanks to advanced technologies, like automation, you can now take care of such tasks rather easily. Automation has upped the game for the automotive industry, where processes and customer satisfaction matter the most. 

Customers looking to repair high-end cars rely on such service businesses that are fast, efficient, and provide two-way communication with customers. So, if you want to reduce recurring tasks and boost sales for your auto repair garage, you need to automate tasks to improve productivity and time efficiency. 

High-impact Tasks to Automate in Auto Shops 

In the long term, only 92% of the businesses plan to invest in automation for their daily operations. The key is to find the right blend of tasks and tools that align with your auto shop business. For your ease, here we have listed manual tasks that can be easily automated that have a high impact on operational processes. 

Track All Orders and Reorders 

There are times when you are understocked. Although it feels like you tracked the assets correctly, but sadly miscalculated and are now understocked at the last hour. Automating asset tracking makes it easier for you to set alerts for low stock. 

The best part of real-time inventory management is that it automatically updates the orders when stock hits a low(at a specific number). Your system will flag it and share an alert. Urgent calls to suppliers can be avoided. 

This way, you save at least 3 to 5 hours a week, which otherwise would be spent on inventory checks. With inventory management eliminating delays in jobs are easily highlighted due to the missing parts otherwise. 

Take Care of the Emails 

For some workers, email management can be a bane of their productivity. Scheduling appointments manually is a hefty task when your location serves a larger area, therefore, the influx of customers will be higher. 

Businesses are now opting for automated tools, such as auto repair appointment scheduling software, to better manage their schedules and maintain their calendars. Such a platform is considered to be a guaranteed option to reduce time otherwise spent on confirmation and ‘thank you’ emails. 

The manager only needs to automate the client’s list once, and that’s it. You can set an automated response for the email and set a reminder to reply within a specified time. Moreover, the scheduling software for auto repair businesses enables owners and managers to overbook or double-book appointments. 

This way, you can better manage a technician’s schedule so that they are not burned out either. In case of unavailability of the technician (or any other reason), the appointment is canceled, and then customers can be notified in a timely manner with a rescheduled email. 

Onboarding the Task Force 

Training apprentices takes time and effort. When skilled professionals are available onsite, they can shift the workload to their newly assigned apprentices to get the job done. However, hiring them is not as easy as it sounds. 

If you want to hire a skilled technician, it can take weeks before pinpointing the right person. Without a standard process for onboarding, the senior technicians are pulled away to guide every step of the new joiner. 

Mercifully, it is possible to digitize the onboarding of the new hire. It can include training modules, SOPs, task checklists, and workflows to better manage the onboarding process. You can include training, videos, documentation, and even some tests in the onboarding process. Built-in task automation can align them to complete each stage and provide feedback to learn things better. 

Repair Order 

As a manager, you are aware of the fact that customers are often reluctant to make a comeback. They try to avoid it, which can further lead to major issues. It is hard to keep track of follow-up appointments, but with the automated system, you can set a protocol based on the real-time data for appointments and follow-ups. 

So when an appointment is booked, the repair order is auto-created according to the vehicle’s data. Previous labor hours, auto-estimated time, and suggested part repair are added in detail.  

These inspection findings are shared with the customer, generated as a report, via email, highlighting the need for a comeback. Hence, it is also helpful in reducing any billing mistakes while improving a technician’s efficiency to perform the desired repair on time. 

Why Automation Matters 

Automation is one way of evolving your service business towards the next stage. Expected ROI is almost immediate, which businesses are always looking for. Using advanced tools allows auto shop owners to streamline their workflow, despite the size of the shop, and focus on their workforce in a better way while building trust and transparency with their customers.