All About Digital Vehicle Inspection (for Beginners)

Utilizing paper forms to inspect and report on vehicles can be time consuming and costly, making the inspection process all the more complex for large fleets with geographically dispersed drivers.

Improved Customer Service

DVI is the next generation in shop technology, but like anything new there will be an initial learning curve. Once all technicians and service advisors are on board with it you will notice immediate benefits from using this tool.

With digital car inspection software solutions, your technician can take pictures and record videos directly from their mobile phone while completing a digital inspection checklist. This bridges the gap between your shop and customer to eliminate misunderstandings and help build trust; for instance if John notices his front rotors are damaged, your technician can explain to him why and how repairs will be performed before John approves them without fearing additional repairs down the road.

Customers who are properly informed about their vehicle needs are more likely to accept upsell and cross-sell recommendations during one visit, leading to higher average repair orders resulting in increased revenue for your business. If someone sees their brake pads are worn, for instance, they might opt for upgraded premium pads while having their vehicle serviced, making for happy, loyal customers while increasing revenue at your shop.

Increased Up-Sell & Cross-Sell Approvals

Car inspections were traditionally completed using paper documents that can easily become misplaced or destroyed during inspection, creating issues for businesses requiring customers to be present at inspection time such as car leasing, rental cars and used car sales. One of the main benefits of a digital vehicle inspection is that it provides an alternative that allows your team to create inspection reports at your shop. It also will allow them to share them instantly with their customer and then share a digital version directly through social media platforms.

This allows customers to review the entire document at their leisure and approve repairs at their own convenience. Furthermore, this reduces turnaround time on vehicle repairs, so customers receive their vehicle sooner while also increasing your company’s profits from each job.

Digital inspections offer more thorough assessments than their paper counterparts, with photos and thorough explanations for every checkpoint ensuring customer trust and approval of repairs being proposed. Digital inspections not only reduce customer skepticism but can help increase approved repair jobs as well.

Increased Efficiency

DVI software ensures your shop operates solely on a computer system instead of stacks of paper that are easily misplaced, giving technicians more freedom and saving time by eliminating manual writing of every piece of work performed by each technician. Not only is this beneficial to both technicians and service advisors but it’s also invaluable for customers as the entire experience becomes much smoother and clearer for everyone involved.

DVI increases efficiency by shortening customer wait times. According to this forum – your technicians can use digital inspection technology to deliver instantaneous inspection results via email or text, giving the customer time to review them and approve or decline additional work as soon as they arrive home from their visit. Not only does this save waiting time but it empowers the customer to make decisions based on accurate information regarding repair needs.

DVIs were an invaluable asset to service centers during the pandemic, helping them keep providing services despite difficult conditions and maintain customer base growth and revenue increases. Utilizing this method meant your shop could keep serving customers even in poor weather or during national emergencies.

Recent AAA research indicated that two-thirds of drivers don’t trust auto repair shops and often feel overcharged for needed repairs. An effective DVI process can break this trend and enable customers to trust the recommendations given from technicians – for instance if a customer visits for alignment due to sway, technicians can show them video footage showing worn out axles that could be contributing to this problem.

Increased Revenue

DVIs offer more productivity than paper records, enabling your shop to serve more customers per day. By using software to capture and report on inspection results, DVIs offer increased revenue streams while increasing customer base growth. Plus, DVIs establish your brand in ways that enable you to charge premium fees for services while drawing in new clients.

Customers who view the result of their inspection on screen are more likely to approve all jobs included in their estimate, since they can easily witness damage and understand how repairing it will keep their car safe. Furthermore, they are less likely to reject additional work recommended by service advisors.

Technicians using DVI tools to present their findings can use it to explain every item included in their estimate and justify why each item should be there. This is important because many customers lack an in-depth knowledge of auto mechanics (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/automotive-service-technicians-and-mechanics.htm); due to this void in knowledge, customers often feel as though they’ve been overcharged when paying their repair bill.

Techs can use DVIs to cross-sell and upsell customers by showing them additional repairs that should be addressed immediately before it’s too late. This empowers them to take control of their auto repair budget by making informed decisions about which repairs must be addressed immediately, and which can wait.