Shop management tools are touted to be a must-have for auto repair shops in the 21st century. But why? Where’s the proof? Tristan Corrin joined the Amplify 2023 speaker panel to deliver an eye-opening session on the ROI that shops are enjoying with AutoLeap.Â
Tristan Corrin is Senior Sales Manager at AutoLeap. He helps demonstrate the usability and benefits of AutoLeap and has set hundreds of customers on their path to success with the tool.
Let’s have a look at the ROI that shops have been able to pull from AutoLeap and what new customers can expect if they were to come onboard.Â
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How do you measure software effectiveness?
The best way to understand whether you should opt for a shop tool is by looking at the return on investment you can derive from it. If it’s not giving you a positive return on investment, you’re just making matters worse for your shop.Â
With AutoLeap, most customers see the numbers move up after two or three months of use. We’ll explore this further.Â
What’s the main differentiator with AutoLeap?
There are a few differences that position AutoLeap to bring in greater profit compared to other shop tools.Â
A key here is the fact that the software is designed to improve several touchpoints of an auto shop’s workflows. You’re able to improve upon everything from technician workflows to customer communication and review generation.Â
An unbiased look at the impact
To get numbers we could confidently share with auto service professionals, we called in the big guns.Â
Hobson is a third-party evaluator that provides independent, objective, and unbiased feedback to businesses about the impact that their software, product, or solution is having on the end user. They work with hundreds of businesses in the U.S.
We asked Hobson to do the same for AutoLeap. Over the course of six months:
- AutoLeap shared expected benefits and our entire historical data with Hobson for analysis.
- Hobson reps interviewed our customers, collected their feedback, and analyzed the historical data.
- As a result, Hobson developed an in-depth ROI calculator that could show the impact each business can expect from AutoLeap.
- This model shows key metrics such as payback period, ROI in dollar amount, and key benefits to expect.
- The model was tested on existing customers to ensure the predicted numbers matched the real numbers. And they did!
Results from the Hobson report
The benefits came in two major categories:
- Improving operations
- Increasing profitability
When talking about improving efficiency, we’ve seen that several shops are using a legacy tool or no tool at all. When they shift to a cloud-based, easy to use solution such as AutoLeap, they’re able to get more time back and increase output.
On the profitability side, we’ve seen that AutoLeap just about pays for itself if any one of the following become true:
- You’re able to save at least 12 minutes a day
- You’re able to make at least $20 more a day
- You’re able to score one additional client a month (considering average repair order value is about $400 to $500)
These benchmarks are typically crossed by most of our clients after the two or three month mark and that’s where they start seeing their growth take off.Â
Streamlining operations
When you’ve got pen and paper tracking for your processes, you waste considerable time in putting data together from multiple sources, reading through guides, and checking parts information. Repair orders drawn through this process can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes to create.Â
Even parts ordering takes forever without an integrated digital solution. You have to look up providers and stores, place orders (sometimes only to find out they ran out of parts), and follow up on the deliveries. It’s a lot of valuable time sent down the drain.Â
Now, with AutoLeap, you’re able to cut this down by 60 to 70%. That’s 60 to 70% more time for working the wrench, finishing repairs, and even getting more clients.Â
AutoLeap also integrates with NextParts and PartsTech to make sure you don’t have to go anywhere else to order parts. These let you view all parts by multiple providers quickly. From this alone, you’ll see a 90% reduction in the time spent parts ordering (for most shops that do five to 10 cars a day).
That’s easily three to four hours back into your business everyday and more time to take on an additional vehicle.Â
Finally, we come to customer communication. With an automated system, you’re able to create digital vehicle inspections that show all the required work. This is shared with your client who can then approve it. No work is started before client approval, which means you never waste time.
Increasing profitability
There are three ways AutoLeap helps boost profitability:
- Reduce no-shows
- Profit margins and reporting
- Increased trust & brand loyalty
No shows are a major problem in this industry. Not only do you lose revenue from the missed appointment, you also lose the potential to book another client.Â
AutoLeap helps you reduce no-shows with an appointment scheduler and automated reminders.Â
Additionally, AutoLeap lets you track your finances and profits, all from one place. You’re able to see which customers are bringing in the most revenue and which areas offer the most opportunities for revenue growth.Â
Ultimately, the entire program helps boost loyalty and build a stronger brand. That’s free marketing from word-of-mouth and your Google reviews. All these lead to client growth and more new customers per month.Â
» Looking to transform your shop? Discover how AutoLeap can help.
Final thoughts
With AutoLeap, you’re able to bring both your employees and customers onto an easy-to-use software that streamlines operations at both ends. With impact at multiple fronts, you’re able to power a business that’s well on its way to growth.Â
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