If a small local garage owner was to tell you they have increased business by a fifth, stands to reason you would want to know how they achieved it and whether it was something you could replicate in your own business.
A Welsh Motors, located in Basingstoke, implemented a simple customer relationship management or CRM system almost a year ago with tremendous results. With very little effort, the company’s service receptionist Lorna Mosely launched an MOT and service reminder system which has had a dramatic impact, increasing business by 20% in the past year.
For many garages, operating a reminder system would mean having to look back 11 months using last year’s diary and identifying all those vehicles which came into the business for an MOT or service and matching the job to the customer on a spreadsheet which acts as a database. With so many other demands in the business, little wonder, reminding your customers to book an MOT or service requires too much time.
Yet this simple mechanism can drum up the kind of footfall which can make a real difference to the bottom line.
As the face and the frontline of the business, Lorna would be the first to acknowledge the extra work makes a reminder system unworkable, despite the impact and potential it has for the business’ turnover. In fact, Lorna only implemented a reminder system when she had the right tools in place to undertake without it taking up vast amounts of her time.
A Welsh Motors were among the first to take on the cloud-based garage management system CarVue, which enables owners to run their accounts package, parts ordering, CRM system and vehicle management in one place. The added advantages of working in the cloud include always working in the latest version, having the highest level security arrangements in place and being able to access the business’ operating system anywhere, any time and from any device as long as an internet connection is available.
As well as transforming the business from an old-fashioned paper-based company into a slick, streamlined and technologically advanced operation, it has enabled Lorna to launch a service and MOT reminder system which has seen a 20% increase in business. Lorna simply keys in a few commands and runs a report to generate the names of customers and their vehicle details whose vehicles received an MOT or service 11 months previously. She prints out a personal but standard letter and every week she sends out around 20 reminders. With a whopping nine out of ten responding to make a booking, Lorna has seen an immediate and dramatic impact on the business.
Commented Lorna: “We estimate the MOT and service reminders alone have resulted in an increase in business of around 20%. We did not expect something as simple as MOT and service reminders to have such a result and it is CarVue which has given us the means to make such strides.”
A full garage management system, CarVue’s functionality is wide-ranging including the ability to track a car’s progress through the workshop providing all employees with the means to update its progress plus the capability to add information for future reference. When a customer calls the business, there is no need to put them on hold and walk into the workshop and find out information directly from the mechanic. Other tools include a straightforward invoicing system incorporating essential business reporting for a complete overview of performance and productivity as well as being able to see any gaps in the workshop’s bookings.
As a cloud based system, there no hardware installation, training or maintenance required. Employees simply log onto the system to make a record of the work undertaken on the vehicle whilst it is also possible for mechanics to upload information using a handheld device when working on the car in the workshop. From the information uploaded, an invoice can also be generated created a joined-up audit trail. Technological advances are also automatically incorporated, no expensive upgrades are necessary and since all the information is in the cloud, the audit trail is automated making it easy, safe and secure to track.
CarVue is a revolutionary new cloud-based application for independent workshops, garages and mechanics. It’s a simple and smart app that removes the need for expensive servers, software upgrades or training to run an automotive business. With a simple web browser a workshop can be managed from any device, any time and from anywhere. Find out much more and sign up for an obligation free trial today at http://www.carvue.com/
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