CarCareCONNECT has been around the web and back, and we’re here to bring you the best tools out there for auto repair shops. We’ve rounded up the best tools on the web today that any automotive business owner can benefit from. All of these tools are CarCareCONNECT tested and approved!

Customer Resource Management (CRM)

MechanicNET

MechanicNET is another CRM, but specifically geared towards the automotive industry. MechanicNET helps auto repair shop and automotive businesses stay in touch with customers by using e-mail, surveys, and postcards. MechanicNET lets repair shops promote services, send thank you messages, and send maintenance reminders to existing customers. All of your messages in MechanicNET are automated, so you spend time taking care of business, while MechanicNET keeps in touch with customers for you.

MechanicNET is easy to use and gives you full reports each month, so you see how many customers you’ve reached and exactly where your money is going.

DemandForce

DemandForce is a highly popular CRM service that helps small businesses use web technology to easily communicate with existing customers and market to new ones. DemandForce stays in touch with customers by sending out text and e-mail reminders and getting customer feedback through quick surveys. Customer feedback can then be used to showcase the business’s reputation on the web, as a marketing tool to attract new customers. Clients love DemandForce because it helps them do more with the customer base they already have.

CarCareCONNECT works closely with both DemandForce and MechanicNET, integrating seamlessly with their automated tools. Customer reviews, appointment scheduling and more can be uploaded to your website.

Customer Service Tools

Olark

Olark is the “live chat” program you see on a lot of company websites today. Olark is a great way to immediately connect with website visitors, whether they are existing or potential new customers. Live chat is a great way to answer questions and help customers get the information they need, quickly and without holding up the phone. Olark is also very easy for business owners to use, and they have great tech support that guides you every step of the way.

WuFoo

For those automotive business owners who don’t want all the extra features that come with software like DemandForce and MechanicNET, WuFoo is a simple web-based program that creates great-looking, but powerful surveys for customers. Automotive business owners can easily and quickly create forms and surveys for customers based on your shop’s own needs, and see the results all in one place. WuFoo is flexible and has subscription plans at every price point- including a free version!

Marketing

MailChimp

MailChimp is one of the most popular and fastest growing e-mail marketing programs on the market today. What makes it so popular is its dead simple usability, yet powerful analytics provide all the data you’ll ever need. For business owners looking for simplicity, you’ll find it with MailChimp. Creating great-looking e-mail newsletters to update customers or blast out promotions is incredibly easy to do and can be done with the click of a button. MailChimp offers tons of different pricing options to suit every user, lots of design options and great tech support.

HootSuite

For auto repair shops venturing into the Social Media universe, things can get overwhelming… quickly! Hootsuite is an application that lets you completely manage your Facebook and Twitter profiles without having to constantly check your social media accounts to stay updated. Hootsuite works by showing you feeds, much like the Facebook “NewsFeed”, from each network, so you can see all of the activity at a glance. Automotive business owners can also easily manage each network by scheduling things to post in advance. Hootsuite offers a free subscription that’s sure to serve most auto repair shop’s Social Media needs.

Your Shop’s Blog

We’re big fans of blogging at CarCareCONNECT. Why? Because blogging is great for both SEO and social reasons. You can stay in touch with existing customers, reach new audiences and boost your website’s search engine rank just through blogging alone! You’ll be happy to know that all CarCareCONNECT websites come with built-in blog functionality.

And that’s about it for our list of the best tools on the web for auto repair shops. Got questions about how to use any of the programs here with your CarCareCONNECT website? Contact us!

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