Tips to Future-Proof Your Service Department

Busy seasons come and go, and the periods in between are valuable opportunities to strategize for the future and proactively implement problem-solving systems. Earlier this year, we shared three tips to digitalize the customer experience, and now we want to focus on digital tools that can help you future-proof your service department specifically.

Busy seasons can be hectic, especially if you are training new team members or your team has various levels of expertise. Consider implementing tools and services that encourage uniformity and excellence across your team.

Business Management Software

A flexible business management system can simplify a lot of your daily business operations while maintaining a high standard of service. Business software that’s tailored to your store could streamline any or all of the following:

• Customized workflows and order validations to ensure consistency across your team
• Dynamic, fully integrated appointment calendar with color-coded appointment statuses
• Increased cross-sell opportunities by quickly generating a list of recommended services
• Automatically process and register warranty information and validate the DOT number in real time
• Easily recommend follow-up appointments for the current vehicle and any other vehicles in the household

Fully Integrated Business Software 

To streamline every aspect of your operations and provide unrivaled customer service at every stage, add a complete software solution to your tire business. For example, here are some tasks that a fully integrated business software could provide:

• Fast, easy access to customer information, including history
• Tracker for daily store activities such as pending transactions
• Pricing system to maintain a consistent pricing strategy
• Payment processing platform to create a payment trail and avoid double entries
• Tire estimator tool for quick quotes and inventory searches
• Electronic signature capture for work orders, invoices and credit cards
• License number lookup feature to collect vehicle information quickly

Wholesale Shopping Solutions

Wholesale software aligns your e-commerce with your in-store processes to create a complete solution for your team. With a comprehensive view of how your online and in-store operations align, you can:

• Synchronize your inventory items, quantities and pricing on your website with your in-store operations so that shoppers find consistent information no matter where they look
• Automate data entry to eliminate the need to manually enter work orders
• Allow customers to search for tires by vehicle to ensure they find the right tire fit
• Give shoppers the ability to perform side-by-side tire comparisons
• Leverage built-in advertising tools to highlight offers, specials and hot items
• Analyze numbers and trends of customer searches so you can adjust your strategy to what your shoppers are looking for

Digital Inspections

Replace time-sensitive and costly paper inspections with a digital inspection tool that simplifies the process and enhances communication between the customer and your team. With a digital inspection tool, your team can:

• Create standard inspection steps and customize inspections to each vehicle
• Ensure prospect inspection procedures are followed every time
• Capture notes, photos and videos in the digital inspection to help customers understand the need for repairs
• Easily text or email inspection results to your customers – eliminate the worry of a missed phone call

Would you like to connect with tire experts who can advise you on the best possible digital options to future-proof your service center? Connect with TCS today!