PRODUCT: DrewTech RAP2 Cost: $49.95 per month, $125 per flash Website: drewtech.com Training: Online videos
The Reviewer:
Jon Bockman is the owner of Bockman’s Auto Care located in Sycamore, Ill. Bockman is a second-generation owner of the business, and tends to day-to-day operations of the shop. Bockman was looking for a product that could assist with vehicle programming as the shop’s mobile technician’s schedule wasn’t consistent with the shop.
The Shop:
Bockman’s Auto Care currently has a staff of 10 that work inside the shop’s 10,000-square-foot building. In addition to auto repair, the shop also sells tires, and was named 2018 Best NAPA AutoCare Shop in the Midwest Division by NAPA Auto Parts.
How It Works:
The new DrewTech RAP2 is a remote-assist program for vehicle programming. The program allows users to connect directly with DrewTech representatives who can assist with programming for both Asian and domestic vehicles.
The RAP2 kit includes the following items: windows tablet PC, an additional hard drive for further change as new OEs are added, the same J2534 device from the original RAP kit, 4G modem for fast wireless Internet access, OEM subscriptions, a subscription to Diagnostic Network, and a 90-amp battery maintainer that can handle European amperage requirements.
Customers simply call DrewTech to choose a time for the repair, plug in the RAP kit 30 minutes prior to the scheduled time, turn the tablet on and complete screen instructions, and wait for the call from DrewTech.
“Sometimes it can be an hour or two wait, but they really seem like they can get back to you at a decent time,” Bockman says.
The Review:
When Bockman’s mobile technician, who handled vehicle programming, worked at another job, it made the process difficult for customers, Bockman says.
“Our biggest problem and concern was that he wasn’t always around when we needed him,” Bockman says. “It was really hard to tell our customers that this is the expectation we have with our guy and hopefully we’ll have this done by the end of the day.
“It was just sometimes hard to say we can get [a customer’s vehicle] in.”
After discussing his concerns, Bockman asked his mobile technician for any program recommendations and then he found DrewTech.
“This was the one that I came across and I liked,” Bockman says. “They give you the equipment and they charge you $20 per month and that price is really inexpensive.”
The product has been in the shop for roughly seven months and was easy to implement, Bockman says.
“They [DrewTech] run you through it and there’s some online videos,” Bockman says. “Really it’s just plug in and play.
“It’s a great way to test it out.”
The ROI:
In the past, when a programming issue needed to be worked on at the shop, Bockman would assign the task to his mobile technician, who wasn’t always at the business. Being able to offer clients service on the spot has made a huge difference at the shop, Bockman says.
“It’s easy for us now,” Bockman says. “When we give a customer an estimate on time, we’re right there. The last thing you want to do is put down a client.”
According to Bockman, DrewTech RAP2 has been used at least once or twice per month in the shop. While it’s not a product that is part of daily life in the shop, having a product that is ready to go at the shop has saved the shop a tremendous amount in time.
“It makes a huge difference,” Bockman says. “It can save anywhere from six hours to two days.”
