FAQs from the Accelerate Profitability Webinar for ProDemand and ShopKey Pro
Recently Mitchell 1 held a free three-part virtual workshop series called Accelerate Profitability in an effort to help independent repair shops increase their profitability and plan for long term success! Hosted by industry leaders, these workshops provided insights, education and software tips that shops can use in conjunction with Mitchell 1 software tools.
The following are some of the post-workshop questions that attendees had and the answers our industry leaders were able to provide. Enjoy!
Q1) How can I set up different labor costs for various customers in ProDemand?
A) In the upper right hand corner of ProDemand automotive repair software, you have a menu called “Shop Settings” to adjust the labor times. Simply click on Shop Settings option and a box will appear.
Under the Rates & Taxes tab you can enter in your customized rates per hour.
Q2) Is it possible to provide customers labor only estimates in ProDemand?
A) In ProDemand you can utilize the QUOTE Module to generate a labor only ‘quick quote’ for a customer. If you happen to also have Mitchell 1’s Manager SE auto shop manager software, you can create a more robust quick quote, allowing for more details if desired. Whichever method you choose, both will provide an adequate quick and simple labor only estimate.
Q3) Are there any recommendations on how to search multi codes?
A) Using ProDemand’s 1Search, you can enter multiple codes into the search field; but once you get to the results page, you can only select a single code. Go ahead and select just one of the codes, then open the “causes and fixes” card. Once opened, the Causes and Fixes card gives you options for multiple codes, based on real-world instances that we’ve actually seen in auto repair shops. This should help you when figuring out your diagnostic strategy.
Example of a Causes and Fixes card in ProDemand
Q4) Are labor times provided for testing of all specific vehicle systems?
A) We do provide diagnostic and testing times within the ProDemand car repair estimator and it is included in our basic coverage as well. Basic coverage includes estimates for maintenance and wearable items (e.g. brakes) that will be in the shops prior to warranty expiring on the vehicle. We attempt to provide basic coverage on all models to allow the shops to still create estimates if a newer vehicle comes in for service.
Example of a Fuel Injection System Diagnostics page in Estimator
Q5) When should you use the warranty times vs. the estimated time on a repair?
A) The warranty time is what the OEM will pay out for a particular job. This takes into consideration factors such as technician experience, dealer v. non-dealer technician, familiarity with the vehicle and issue, and having all factory tools available on hand. Aftermarket auto shops usually do not have the same luxuries afforded to them and therefore we build labor times based on what would be applicable to the aftermarket.
Below are two additional sources with more in-depth information on warranty and Mitchell 1 labor times:
https://mitchell1.com/shopconnection/warranty-times-faq/
https://mitchell1.com/resources/wp- content/uploads/sites/43/2017/03/Mitchell1_LaborTimes_FAQs.pdf
Q6) Why is there a significant variance in labor times between Mitchell 1 and other companies?
A) Every year, the Mitchell 1 team conducts product reviews and compares random lookups in Mitchell 1 vs. competitive products. When we look at hundreds of labor times, we always find both products within percentages of one another on the aggregate. Sometimes Mitchell 1 is higher, sometimes the competition is higher, but on average overall, we don’t see a trend that one product is consistently higher than the other. With that being said, we independently create the labor times in Mitchell 1’s products, with the goal being to always provide the most accurate times possible. If times are too low, then the repair shop is not being properly paid for their time. If times are too high, then a shop might be over-charging, which will ultimately hurt the business in the long term.
For more information on labor times, please go to: https://mitchell1.com/resources/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2017/03/Mitchell1_LaborTimes_FAQs.pdf
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