What Digital Vehicle Inspection Software Is Right for Your Shop?

The clipboard hanging on your technician’s toolbox or the default inspection software in your shop management system is costing you money.

Every day, shops like yours are losing customers and leaving money on the table because of bad inspections. The good news is that the right software can change that. The bad news? There are dozens of options out there, and picking the wrong one can be just as bad as sticking with paper.

This guide will help you figure out what your shop actually needs and how to pick software that works for you.

What Problem Are You Trying to Fix?

Before you look at any software, you need to know what’s broken in your shop.

Think about what happens every day in your shop. Do you see any of these scenarios playing out?

Your techs find problems, but customers say “no thanks” because they don’t believe it’s really that bad
You lose money because customers only approve the bare minimum repairs
Your service advisors can’t explain what the tech found because they weren’t under the car
Techs waste time writing the same things over and over
You have no idea which customers are due for service because their records are scattered
You don’t know for sure if your techs are performing “good” inspections

Do any of this sound familiar? You’re not alone.

Figure Out YOUR Biggest Problem

Every shop is different, but it seems like we all face similar problems. Ask yourself these questions:

Do customers turn down your recommendations more than half the time?
Are your techs and service advisors constantly miscommunicating?
Do customers go to the dealer or another shop because you “seem outdated”?
Do you wish you knew what your techs were actually finding during inspections?
Do customers argue with you about what really needs to be fixed?

Whatever problem bugs you the most is what needs to be solved first. Don’t just buy software because everyone else is using the same thing. Buy it to fix something specific in your shop.

What Should You Get Out of Digital Vehicle Inspection Software?

Good digital inspection software does more than replace your clipboard. Here’s what it should actually do for you.

More money per repair order. When customers see photos and videos of what’s wrong, they say yes more often. Most shops see their average ticket go up by 20-40%. That’s real money.

Customers actually approve your recommendations. A picture is worth a thousand words. Show someone their worn brake pads instead of just telling them, and watch what happens.

Faster inspections. Your techs stop writing the same things over and over. They tap a few buttons, snap some photos, and they’re done.

Customers trust you more. When you show them exactly what you found, they stop thinking you’re trying to rip them off.

You build a history for every car. Next time Mrs. Johnson comes in, you know exactly what you told her six months ago.

You stand out from other shops. When customers can see their inspection on their phone while they’re sitting at home, you look professional.

You attract younger customers. People under 40 expect this kind of technology. If you don’t have it, they’ll go somewhere that does.

Your whole team does things the same way. No more guessing what the last guy did or didn’t check.

You can actually see what’s happening in your bays. Who’s finding the most work? Which services get declined the most? You’ll know.

Will It Actually Pay for Itself?

Every purchase in your shop should be compared against the return that it is going to provide back to you. Don’t purchase a product or service just because it is the next shiny thing. Spend your hard-earned money with intent to make you more money.

Here’s a simple way to think about it:

If you do 10 cars a day and digital inspections help you sell just one extra $200 repair per day, that’s $1,000 a week. That’s $52,000 a year. Digital inspection software costs way less than that.

Plus, your techs save time. Time equals more money from your bays.

What Features Actually Matter?

Don’t get distracted by features you’ll never use. Focus on the problems you are trying to solve in your shop and what features provide that benefit.

Here is a checklist as you evaluate your options:

☐ Easy to use on a phone or tablet. If your techs can’t figure it out in 5 minutes, they won’t use it.

☐ Take photos and videos. This is the whole point. Customers need to see what’s wrong.

☐ Photo editing & markup. The ability to make notes and circle issues helps focus your customers on what you are trying to communicate.

☐ Red, yellow, and green colors. Customers understand traffic lights. Red = urgent, yellow = soon, green = good.

☐ Voice to text notes. Save technician time but allowing them to speak their inspection notes instead of typing them out.

☐ Send inspections to customers by text or email. Customers don’t want to come back to the shop to see their inspection.

☐ Works with your shop management system. If it doesn’t talk to your existing software, you’ll do double the work.

☐ Pre-made inspection checklists. So your techs don’t have to type everything from scratch.

☐ Customizable inspections. Can you create multiple custom inspection templates to accommodate quick inspection lists, pre-purchase, comprehensive, etc.

☐ Text back and forth with customers. Some systems let customers reply with questions.

☐ Prior inspection results. The ability for your technicians to quickly see what the prior inspection results for a vehicle were without having to navigate to another screen ensures that prior issues aren’t overlooked and maintains consistent communication with customers

☐ Reports and data. See trends in what you’re finding and selling.

☐ Works in the cloud. Access your data from anywhere.

☐ How hard is it to learn? If it takes two weeks to train your team, that’s two weeks of lost productivity.

☐ Support. Are you able to reach support quickly and easily if you have problems. Support after you buy is just as important as the product itself.

Make A Decision

Remember, the best digital inspection software is the one your team will actually use. If it’s too complicated or doesn’t fit your workflow you’re just wasting your money.

Start by talking to your team. Getting buy-in from everyone in the shop will give you a much higher chance of success with your new digital inspection software. Prioritize what features are most important to your shop to ensure that you are fixing the problems that you identified. Then schedule demos to see the software in action.

Repair Shop Solutions is the industry leading DVI software leading to better inspections, higher sales and safer cars. Schedule a demo or contact us today to see how quality digital inspection software can transform your shop.