The following article was published by Ratchet & Wrench magazine recently. It’s such a GREAT story from a very successful auto shop owner in Illinois — we just have to share here on the blog. Enjoy!
Information Makes the Best Repair
By todayโs digital repair standards, the past is laughable.
โWe started out with books!โ says Chuck Hartogh, president and co-founder of C & M Auto Care Inc., in Glenview, Ill. โWe had a wall of Mitchell manuals, and every six months or so, a salesperson would stop in and say, โHey, time to update the books.โ โ
Luckily, those days are behind him. Now, Hartogh and his team get all the data they need for any repair using the online and digital resources of Mitchell 1.
Mitchell 1 ProDemand & SureTrack
With each repair, the Mitchell 1 system is able to more effectively help C & M Auto Care.
โThey know what their shops are fixing,โ Hartogh says.
โThey go through the system, identify the makes and marques, the frequency of work. That info is worth a lot to me not to throw parts at something.โ
To Hartogh, the value is clear.
โInformation fixes cars, and the more info we have, the better. The easier it is to access that info, the more efficient we are,โ he says.
Mitchell 1 ProDemandย auto repair softwareย provides near real-time OEM information via technical service bulletins (TSBs) and other important details, whileย SureTrackย features what thousands of other shops have found successful regarding certain repairs. Hartogh is particularly adamant about the speed, efficiency, and sheer volume of data he receives for every car that comes through his shop.
โWe never had all that info before,โ he says.
Having access to current TSBs is also critical to his operation. TSBs from the manufacturer are uploaded and available soon after theyโre issued. He cites a 2004 Honda Accord, for example, with a check engine light and two codes stored. Now, he can look those codes up instantly, see what TSBs address the issue, and also check for a sound, real-world possibility of the exact repair needed. Service writers can order the part while the technician begins working on the car.
โIt creates an efficiency and a reasonable jumping-off point,โ Hartogh says.
Hartogh describes bringing up the TSB info on the invoice for easy customer transparency about how and why something had to be fixed or may have to be addressed in the future.
โUsing all that info, you can offer a complete diagnosis and foster return customers,โ he says, โand itโs enabled us to be more self-reliant.โ
SureTrack also features a comprehensive forum of technicians, owners and manufacturers who can offer even more help about certain fixes and maintenance. ProDemand also integrated seamlessly with Hartoghโs existing management software.
โItโs beautiful,โ he says, โand really easy. Other manuals involve copy-and-pasting VIN numbers, for example. Not with Mitchell 1. Itโs easier for technicians, and the easier it is, the more weโll use it.โ
1Search Plus & Eliminating โThe Lookโ
โWith car repair, some customers get that โdeer in the headlightsโ look, and you need to be able to explain why youโre doing something and what the cost is,โ Hartogh says.
โThe last thing you want is someone walking away not knowing what just happened.โ
Hartogh describes the believability threshold all shop owners seek to achieve with their clients. Modern tools allow you to reach that threshold so much faster, he says, โand that builds trust, and in our business, trust is everything.โ
Mitchell 1 products have enabled Hartogh to empower his technicians, increase clarity with his customers, and enjoy a more robust bottom line while working smarter, not harder.
In his shop, each bay has a computer, and he trusts his technicians to use them. In the shop, using theย 1Search Plusย feature in ProDemand is a breeze.
โItโs an estimating guide,โ Hartogh says.
โYou can type in a service code and it will give you the search results from their database for what could be the problem with the car. Itโs a digital filter for whatever may come through your door, and which types of fixes were successful, and how many times.โ
Hartogh knows OEMs have their own websites for repair, but to Hartogh, thatโs an inefficiency.
โThey also say OEM repair info is accessible via mobile, but I donโt want to look for repair info on that screen. Weโve laid out our shop and bays with computers to make it easy,โ he says. โWe want to empower the technicians to make money, and repair information is a big tool. We canโt do it without it.โ
For more information on Mitchell 1 shop tools, visitย the associated links below:
SureTrack real-world diagnostic info in ProDemand
Read the full article in Ratchet & Wrench
