When you greet your customers, are you meeting them at their car? Are you greeting them with the latest technology? Mobile Greeter allows you to greet, consult, and advise customers from the palm of your hand.

As soon as your customer drives onto the lot, Mobile Greeter on your iPad works with either Carfax QuickVIN or bluetooth scanning to instantly acquire vehicle VIN with year, make, and model. Greet your customer by name, review service history, and add services to the work order from anywhere on your property. Welcome your customers from the comfort of their own car.

Let the way you say hello to your customers set the tone for the rest of their experience at your shop.

Questions? Please contact us: isi@ints.com

With the recent introduction of LubeSoft Signature Capture for the Apple iPad, technicians now have the ability to review LubeSoft work orders and capture customer invoice signatures anywhere in the shop.  This convenient and mobile feature provides the ability to send electronic invoices to customers.  Signature capture provides your customer an easy way to keep an electronic record, while simultaneously allowing you to collect a valid e-mail address for future e-mail based marketing purposes.

Building a customer e-mail database with valid e-mail addresses is beneficial in numerous ways.  Specifically, it allows you to create different points of “touch” with your customer base, create opportunities to up-sell services, and send out reminders for services due.

You probably know by now that acquiring new customers is more costly than gaining repeat business.  Put time and effort into customer retention by using software such as Signature Capture, and reap the rewards.  Your customers will notice the difference. 

For questions, please contact us: isi@ints.com.

Even the slightest adjustment to the increments of merchandise can have major effects on your cost of goods sold, and thereby on your inventory turns.  Management of cost of goods and inventory turns can make the difference in whether your store is profitable or not. Since inventory costs are second only to salaries as a percentage of sales, effective management is crucial to running a profitable business.

Understanding the various increments of merchandise by category and how each will impact the overall cost of goods sold will make all the difference in your business.

Here are a few ways to monitor and manage your inventory.

1. Evaluate inventory turnover on a monthly basis.

• Monthly inventory turns should range between .75 to 1 turn/month.
• To calculate inventory turnover: divide the monthly cost of goods sold by the month end inventory.

2. Increase inventory turn ratio.

• Turnover goals should be between 8 and 12 times per year depending on the store volume.  By increasing the turn ratio, cash flow is significantly improved.

3. Take into consideration the current product inventory quantities on hand.

4. Monitor bulk oil.

• The cost consequence of ordering an emergency shipment can severely   affect your cost of goods.

For more information, read the expanded version here: https://www.ints.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Inventory-Management-0213-.pdf

Questions? Contact us at: isi@ints.com

Loyal customers are the cornerstone of any successful business but simply providing the best service is not enough these days. Customers are looking for the best price, highest quality and most convenient service. They are highly informed and not afraid to shop around to find the best service from a merchant that rewards and recognizes their loyalty.

The Loyalty Club Program allows you to reward customers for their loyalty as repeat customers and can be incremented by the number of qualifying visits to your store or by the number of qualifying services performed on an invoice. You can specify what the reward should be (coupons/discounts or free services) and what services qualify as counting toward that reward.

Creating and maintaining a reward program is a great way to provide longevity and repeat business to your shop. Loyal customers are invaluable resources that can provide free word-of-mouth marketing, customer referrals, and a sustainable flow of new traffic. By rewarding your faithful customers, you can build a strong brand and reduce marketing costs, all while gaining valuable feedback.
Want to learn more on how to maximize your software by using the Loyalty Club Program? Please contact us: isi@ints.com

January 2013 ISI Insider

Inventory management is vital to an effective fast lube operation. The purpose of inventory management is to know what products you have on hand, where they are in use, and how much is being sold. It is the accuracy of this data that drives the success of your inventory process. Even with the most comprehensive inventory management system, if the data isn’t accurate your inventory control is compromised.

Let’s look at two specific ways you can boost accuracy in your inventory management process.

1. INDEPENDENT COUNTS
Have a trusted employee make the first count and then have a second count taken. Compare the two counts and verify any discrepancies with a third count of the item. By tightening up the independent count system, you will be better equipped to accurately identify and track inventory.

2. CYCLICAL COUNTS
Inventory is traditionally counted at the end of the month. By integrating daily counts into the inventory process by choosing a selected category to count each day (ex. count all fuel filters on the first Tuesday of the month), you can increase accuracy and provide a higher level of inventory awareness. By scheduling a regular daily inventory count, you can cut down on mistakes and increase employee involvement.

For more information on how to move from a month-end to a cyclical inventory system, please visit: https://www.ints.com/category/isi-expert/inventory-control.