5 essential apps for car mechanics and auto repair shops

The pandemic was a challenge for all kinds of small businesses–especially mechanics, repair shops, and other automotive businesses. After all, you can’t work on a car remotely. Automotive business owners had to figure out how to keep employees and customers safe–and deal with the many supply chain issues that have cropped up since.

Even as the pandemic fades in the rear-view mirror, automotive businesses are still dealing with supply chain issues and longer-term changes in how cars are built now. Today’s cars are far more technologically complex than the cars many of us grew up driving. And the shift to electric vehicles (EVs)–with their accompanying service needs–is only accelerating change.

Don’t let these changes leave your shop in the dust. Here are 5 business management apps for car mechanics and automotive technicians that can help keep your auto repair shop running smoothly:

1. Thrive Inventory

Managing supply chain issues and keeping crucial parts on hand means you need a clear view of your available inventory and the cost of parts. Thrive Inventory is an analytics platform that reports profitability per item (or part), category, and more. That means you get a big-picture view that can help increase part sales, manage inventory, and even reduce your costs.

2. Pay Bills by Melio

Paying bills can be time-consuming and confusing–especially for business owners. Now, there’s Pay Bills by Melio. This app lets you pay business expenses–like rent, utilities, taxes, suppliers, contractors, and more–from a centralized dashboard within your Clover account. That can mean less time chasing bills and more time growing your business.

3. Memberships & Card-on-File by Loyalzoo

Membership subscriptions are quickly becoming the ultimate in customer loyalty. Loyalzoo’s Memberships & Recurring Payments can help create a subscription-based loyalty program, suited to your business. For instance, you can set up membership tiers that offer member discounts on regular maintenance services, parts, or repairs–and store cards on file for members–making payments quicker and easier for your most loyal customers. And, you can sell memberships online through your website–all directly integrated with your Clover account.

4. Promos by Clover

Part of the Clover Customer Engagement Suite, the Clover Promos app helps you build interest–and sales–with ongoing promotions from text, email, social media–and even receipts. Now, you can rev up slower periods with more traffic, or reach out to customers you haven’t seen for a while. The Promos app is simple to use and comes free with your Clover POS system.

5. Time Clock by Homebase

A robust scheduling, payroll, and team management app, Time Clock by Homebase streamlines scheduling, allows employees to switch shifts when they need to, and automatically calculates paychecks and files payroll taxes. It’s also a team communication tool, so you can easily message all your employees about training they might need or changes in store policies.

Rev up your business with Clover

The automotive industry is changing, but auto repair is still a hands-on, person-to-person business. Don’t let outdated technology hold your shop back–get the up-to-date tools you need to streamline employee scheduling, payment processing, and customer relationship management, so you can focus on what matters: providing excellent service to your customers.

To learn more about our POS systems for mechanics and auto repair shops, contact a Clover Business Consultant today.