Many shop owners who invest in shop management software use only a fraction of what they pay for. They replace a manual process with a digital one, call it an upgrade, and move on. But that is not an upgrade. It is just a translation.
In episode 145 of Maximum Octane, Jason Patel talks with Brett Kinsfather and Zack Buffum of Shopmonkey, a shop management platform founded in 2017. Brett focuses on industry partnerships and education, and Zack is director of training and operations. They explain why shops bolt new software onto broken processes, which features are most underused, how few shops have a properly implemented DVI, how to think about the full customer journey, and how to get more from vendor relationships.
What You Will Learn
- The Shopmonkey Foundation and “Maintenance for Moms”: why the company built a nonprofit from day one and what it says about how they run the business
- The real mistake shops make with new software
- Tools cannot replace processes
- Why DVIs and canned jobs are the two most underutilized features in shop management software
- Less than half of shops use DVIs at all, and less than 15 percent have one properly implemented
- Why Brett recommends auditing your DVI usage every six months, not just at implementation
- A shop’s real competition for customer experience is not the dealership down the road
- How to actually get more out of your software vendor
- How Shopmonkey rebuilt its support structure after realizing customers couldn’t reach a real person
The Shopmonkey Foundation
Brett and Zack open by describing the Shopmonkey Foundation and its “Maintenance for Moms” program, and why the company built a nonprofit from the start. It reflects a belief that businesses can serve their communities as well as their customers.
Community involvement is something independent shops can practice at any size. Some shops host free car care clinics, partner with local schools to offer technician job shadowing, or support families in need with basic maintenance. These efforts help people directly and also show employees that the business stands for something beyond the next repair order. When planning community work, shops should choose causes that fit their values and capacity, so the commitment can be sustained over time instead of becoming a one-time event.
The Real Mistake With New Software
Around the 9 minute mark, they explain the biggest mistake shops make with new software. Owners expect technology to fix problems, but if the underlying process is broken, software just makes the broken process digital. Around the 12 minute mark, they emphasize that tools cannot replace processes. Wendy K. Walters makes the case for systems first in Building Systems to Gain Freedom and Get Better Results.
Before changing software, or before trying to get more from the system already in place, it helps to map how work flows today. How does a customer’s call become an appointment? How does a vehicle move from check-in to inspection, estimate, approval, repair, and pickup? Where does information get lost or re-entered? Once the process is clear, the owner can decide how it should work and then configure the software to support that. Shops that skip this step often find their team building workarounds, which defeats the purpose of the new tool.
The Most Underused Features
Brett and Zack identify DVIs and canned jobs as the two most underused features in shop management software. Canned jobs, preset labor and parts packages for common services, speed up estimating and improve consistency. DVIs build trust and increase approvals. Both are often available but unused.
Canned jobs are a good example of a feature that pays off quickly. When an advisor can build an accurate brake job or maintenance service estimate in seconds, quotes become faster and more consistent from one advisor to the next. Canned jobs also help protect margins, because parts and labor are set based on the shop’s pricing strategy instead of rebuilt from memory each time. The key is maintaining them, updating labor times and parts pricing regularly and reviewing which canned jobs are used most so they stay accurate.
How Few Shops Use DVIs Well
Around the 20 minute mark, they share their view that less than half of shops use DVIs at all, and fewer than 15 percent have them properly implemented, despite the technology being available for years. Brett recommends auditing DVI usage every six months rather than only at implementation. Bruce Nation explains how to get DVIs right in Stop Wasting Your DVIs.
A DVI audit might check:
- What percentage of repair orders include a completed inspection?
- Are inspections sent to every customer?
- Do inspections include photos and clear notes?
- How often do customers open and approve recommendations?
Your Real Competition for Experience
Around the 26 minute mark, Brett and Zack explain that a shop’s real competition for customer experience is not the dealership down the road. It is every great experience the customer has ever had, from online shopping to food delivery. Customers compare your convenience and communication to the best service they receive anywhere. Mapping the full customer journey helps identify gaps.
Mapping the customer journey means walking through every step from the customer’s point of view: finding the shop online, booking an appointment, dropping off the vehicle, receiving updates, approving work, paying, and picking up the car. At each step, ask what the customer sees, how long they wait, and how easy it is. Many shops find that small changes, such as online scheduling, text updates with inspection photos, or digital payment options, make a big difference. Shop management software often supports these features, but they need to be set up and used consistently.
Getting More From Your Vendor
They explain how to get more out of a software vendor: use training resources, ask questions, share feedback, and stay in touch about new features. They also describe how Shopmonkey rebuilt its support structure after realizing customers could not reach a real person. Kirk Mize and Jesse Meddaugh also emphasize staying in touch with suppliers in How to Choose the Perfect Software for Your Auto Shop.
One practical habit is to schedule a regular review with your software provider, perhaps quarterly, to discuss how the shop uses the system, which features are new, and where the team is struggling. Bring specific questions and examples. Assign one person in the shop to be the internal champion who learns new features and helps train others. Vendors generally want customers to succeed, because satisfied customers stay. Shops that treat the relationship as a partnership rather than a support hotline usually get more value from the same subscription.
How to Run a DVI Audit
Since many shops have inspection tools that are underused, a regular audit can reveal how much value is being left on the table. A simple audit might follow these steps.
- Pull the numbers. From your software reports, look at the percentage of repair orders with completed inspections, the percentage sent to customers, and how many recommendations were approved.
- Review a sample. Look at a handful of inspections from each technician. Check whether photos are clear, notes explain the issue in plain language, and findings are prioritized.
- Talk to the team. Ask technicians and advisors what slows them down. Sometimes the inspection template is too long or the process for sending it is unclear.
- Set one goal. Choose one improvement, such as sending every inspection or adding photos to every recommendation, and track it for the next month.
Repeating the audit on a regular schedule keeps standards from slipping as new team members join. ATI’s article on the top reasons for digital vehicle inspections explains why the effort is worth it.
Software Value Checklist
- List the features your software offers and mark which ones you use.
- Build canned jobs for your 20 most common services.
- Audit DVI completion and send rates.
- Schedule a training session with your vendor this quarter.
Travis Bickham of Shopmonkey discusses closing the trust gap with customers in Close the Trust Gap. Shopmonkey is an ATI preferred supplier, as noted in ATI Announces Shopmonkey as a Preferred Supplier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most underused features in shop management software?
Digital vehicle inspections and canned jobs are among the most commonly underused features. DVIs help build customer trust by showing photos and notes from the inspection, while canned jobs speed up estimating and improve pricing consistency. Many shops also underuse reporting, customer communication tools, and integrations with parts ordering or accounting. Reviewing your software’s feature list with your vendor is a good way to find capabilities you are already paying for.
How do I get my technicians to use digital vehicle inspections?
Explain why inspections matter for customers, for the shop, and for technicians, especially if their pay is connected to approved work. Keep the inspection template practical, provide training on taking clear photos and writing simple notes, and make completion a standard part of every repair order. Track completion rates, share results with the team, and recognize technicians who do it well. Consistent follow-through from management is what turns DVIs into habit.
How do I choose the right shop management software?
Start by defining your processes and the problems you need to solve, then evaluate software against those needs. Consider ease of use, inspection and estimating tools, customer communication features, reporting, integrations, and the quality of training and support. Ask for demonstrations using your real workflows and talk with other shop owners who use the system. The best software is the one your team will actually use consistently.
Can new software fix problems in my auto repair shop?
Software can make a good process faster and more consistent, but it cannot fix a broken process on its own. If estimates are inconsistent, inspections are skipped, or communication between advisors and technicians is poor, those issues will continue in a new system. Define how work should flow first, train the team on that process, and then configure the software to support it. That combination is what produces lasting improvement.
What are canned jobs in auto repair software?
Canned jobs are preset packages of labor, parts, and notes for common services, such as brake replacements, fluid services, or maintenance intervals. Advisors can add them to an estimate with a few clicks instead of building the job from scratch. This saves time, reduces errors, and keeps pricing consistent across advisors. To get full value, review and update canned jobs regularly so labor times and parts prices stay accurate.
Resources and Links From This Episode
Connect With the Guests
- Zack Buffum: LinkedIn
- Brett Kinsfather: LinkedIn, Visit Shopmonkey’s website
