The use of technology can be a powerful differentiating factor in any business. In the automotive repair business technological capabilities can be leveraged to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Two key areas this pertains to are customer interaction and technological repair capabilities.
A key part of the automotive repair process for the customer is the process of getting the vehicle to the shop for service and picking it up after service is complete. The use of technology to ease the process for the customer can be a big plus. Capabilities such as an automated vehicle check in process, speech recognition for documenting diagnostic requirements, digital signature capture for estimate authorization and the use of a kiosk type arrangement can all be factors in making the check in process easier for the customer. Vehicle delivery can also be impacted by the use of technology. Integrated credit card processing and digital signature capture for invoice approval can be leveraged to simplify and expedite the vehicle delivery process.
The use of technology in the repair process can be a powerful differentiating factor. When a shop promotes technological capabilities in diagnostic and repair equipment customers view this as a major strength. Use of the most current technology provides the vehicle owner with confidence that their car is in good hands.
