What are value-added assets to your tire and auto services business
Are they the office supplies you need at the front desk? No. What about the mop and bucket and cleaning supplies you may use to tidy up after hours? Probably not.
You know the assets that drive your tire and auto services business are the tools that deliver quality service that keep your customers coming back for more. The alignment rack, for example, the air compressor, or your oil caddy — these are the essential tools for your business that drive sales. But it’s not just that you have them, it’s what you do with them that matters. Everyone has technicians, but not all have expert technicians.
The same is true of your shop management software. Buying ASA software won’t necessarily give you the competitive advantage. It’s how you use it that brings the value. Like the tools you use to go under the hood, the software that drives your business only gives you the edge over the competition if it’s maintained and that your staff is trained properly on how to use it. You need to make sure you have reps and service technicians who know every feature of the software as they do the on-site machinery that gives new life to your customers’ vehicles.
What differentiates the winning tire dealer or repair shop from the competition is not that they have assets, but that they know how to use them to strengthen the bottom line. For example, ASA software goes beyond basic shop management control. If trained properly, your reps and service writers can handle all Point of Sale (POS), accounting and inventory data in the same program and get real-time visibility into your company data to improve inventory turns, margins and sales ratios. They can connect to major tire manufacturers to simplify claims submissions, schedule and track jobs effortlessly, connect with customers through text messaging, and generate detailed mobile inspection reports for your customers complete with technician notes, images, and more. Not many tire and auto service software companies can do so much.
The bottom line is that to make the shop management software work for you, you need to approach it as a tool that will deliver dividends and satisfy customers to such an extent they’ll go nowhere else. It’s not just about getting the most cost-effective solution. For your tire and auto services business, it’s more about getting the solution that will generate a return on your investment.
But you need to take advantage of how the shop management software can help you. Otherwise it would just be another expense item, like shop towels or seat slipcovers. It’s what you do with the software that counts. Approaching your shop management software more for the value it can bring to your business than just an interface for you to input an order is the direct path to profitability. You just need to utilize the value that’s there in order to reap the rewards.