From mobile wallets to SMS mobile payments, the ability to pay directly from smart devices has major advantages for both customers and business owners. Whereas traditional methods of payment require dipping a card in the same terminal as other customers or the hand-to-hand exchange of cash or check, the ability to pay by text message through SMS mobile payments takes the complexity and headaches out of the payment process for owners, service writers, and guests alike.
A text-to-pay solution dedicated to the auto repair industry should make life easy for your guests and service advisors. It should save you time, money, and headaches by integrating directly with your cloud-based shop management system. It should streamline the guest experience but also free up service advisors from having to do a bunch of data entry, giving them more time to help other guests. A new auto repair mobile payment solution called Tekmerchant is doing just that.
If you are not already using mobile payment solutions, here’s an example of how a proper platform can enhance efficiency while strengthening the relationship you have with your guests at each step of the process.
Step 1: Complete the Repair Order and Send the Invoice
By connecting your shop management system to your payment processing system, you can set up your service advisors to quickly review the invoices of completed work and simply click a button to text the invoice to the guest. If your shop management system automatically generates invoices from the repair order, the service advisor can reduce the time they would usually spend writing invoices.
Step 2: Collect Payment
The most effective auto repair text-to-pay solutions give service advisors the ability to send both an invoice and a link to pay directly to the guest. From there, the guest can review the work that was completed and make their payment, prompting them to input their billing information. The customer inputs their card information, including their billing address. You may want to make sure the system you use uses an AVS (address verification system) to further protect your business from chargebacks.
At this point, all the service writer has to do is make sure that the payment has been approved and that everything checks out.
Pro Tip: Enhance Guest Service with a Call or Personal Text
Because service advisors and guests both have access to a digital invoice, it gives service advisors the opportunity to add a human touch to the payment process without the guest coming into the shop.
Consider having service advisors give guests a call or send a personal text message at this part of the process. While this may seem like an extra step, it gives service advisors a chance to check-in with the guest to ensure all approved work was completed, which is a big step towards avoiding chargebacks. Calling the guest is also a good chance to remind them of any maintenance that may need to be taken care of in the future and any upcoming deals or events. If the guest is too busy to take a call, text-to-pay can give them the freedom to pay whenever they have time. If everything looks good on the invoice, the guest can easily pay and move on with their day. You get paid fast and the guest is able to pay at their convenience.
Step 3: Return Vehicle to Customer
Once the payment has been processed, all that’s left to do is to return the vehicle.
Pro Tip: Add a Key Drop-Box for Convenience
Some auto repair shops use a key drop-box or locker to make vehicle returns more convenient for their guests and service advisors. Most contactless drop boxes use programmable codes, so you can put the guest’s keys in a locker, send them the code, and let them pick up their car whenever they’re ready. With a key drop-box, everyone wins: service advisors don’t have to worry about staying late; shop owners don’t have to worry about paying a service writer over time, and your guests don’t have to feel rushed to make it back to the repair shop before closing time.
Receive a free competitive payment processing rate quote today at tekmetric.com/tekmerchant.
