University Auto and Tire Builds Trust, Equips Techs to Upsell

Overview

Will and Bernadette Helton have worked in the auto industry for many years. Bernadette’s first job was at a local tire shop in Conway, Arkansas. Will spent over 16 years working for Firestone, where he became an executive. When they took over University Auto and Tire in 2021, the goal was to leverage their industry experience to deliver modern, customer-focused solutions to a shop founded in 1973.

Located almost a mile from the University of Arkansas, University Auto and Tire has become a community staple serving nearly 50 customers daily. Will and Bernadette live in the community and are lifelong Razorback fans. It was important for them to deliver great service to the students (and their parents, many of whom were out of state) that comprised a large part of their customer base. So, the couple went looking for a shop management system.

“We’ve used a lot of shop management systems in the past,” Will recalled. “After researching numerous solutions, we really fell in love with what Shopmonkey has to offer. It’s a one-stop shop for us.”

The pair’s previous shop software management systems required piecing together multiple programs to accomplish their needs. Shopmonkey’s solution was comprehensive and provided customers transparency via digital inspections. As a result, there were fewer wasted hours on the phone, more customer trust, and the business was able to expand into the tire sales space.

The Challenge

Wasted Time | Lack of Customer Trust

The Heltons knew their employees were spending too much time on the phone ordering parts, checking on the status of cars, and calling customers to tell them their cars were ready. These tasks took up valuable time that technicians could’ve spent working on vehicles or giving customers personal attention. 

Plus, being so close to a large university, the shop attracted many young customers whose parents were paying for service. With over 15,000 out-of-state students enrolled, those payments often happened over the phone. University was in the tough position of trying to gain customer trust across the country—which isn’t easy when customers have never seen you.

“It can feel kind of sketchy when you have to give your credit card number on the phone,” Will admitted. “I never like to do that.”

The Heltons needed a digital solution that would let them centrally track their numerous service jobs, reduce phone time, and help them do business with out-of-state customers.

“We’ve used a lot of shop management systems in the past. After researching numerous solutions, we really fell in love with what Shopmonkey has to offer. It’s a one-stop shop for us."

The Solution

Boosted Efficiency | Customer Loyalty | Business Growth & Expansion

“I like results, not excuses,” Will revealed. “I think that Shopmonkey delivers the results.”

After choosing Shopmonkey as its auto repair shop software, University’s overall efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business growth hit top speed. The shop’s average Google review increased from 4.0 to a near-perfect 4.8 out of 5, partly due to the greater visibility customers had into the work being done on their vehicles.

With Shopmonkey’s digital inspections, University now sends videos, pictures, and diagnostic reports of vehicles directly to customers while showing them how issues can be fixed. Customer approvals are now as simple and fast as an online click instead of a lengthy phone call. This process immensely benefits out-of-state customers, who can now both view the service and pay for it remotely. Best of all, the greater visibility into the work on their vehicles increased customers’ trust in the shop, accelerating its reputation while enlarging its revenue. 

“It's super efficient; the parents love it,” Will said. “They see their kid's car, and it's not some guy trying to sell them something over the phone.”

Shopmonkey's payment processing has become a major advantage for the shop and its customers. With the Shopmonkey card reader, digital customer payments and part orders all appear in the same place on the platform. The system also integrates with the shop's QuickBooks for seamless, easy accounting.

“When we first showed Shopmonkey to our CPA, he was literally exclaiming joy,” Bernadette recounted. “They could see all of our sales numbers, tire sales, [and] merchant fees. Everything that we had to find separately in the past was right there.”

Shopmonkey also decreased the time shop employees spent on the phone. The system integrates with University’s website, allowing customers to make online appointments that immediately appear on the site’s ‘work progress’ screen. With a single click, the shop can immediately email or text customers for job approvals. Shopmonkey also sends automated text appointment reminders so technicians don’t waste time ensuring customers come in. 

The Helton’s establishment was named “University Auto” before it became “University Auto and Tire.” Part of its evolution into a holistic, one-stop shop for customers involved the couple’s expansion into tire sales. Before Shopmonkey, tires were not a part of their business model. Today, they comprise 10–15% of the shop’s total revenue, thanks to the ease of ordering and selling tires with Shopmonkey’s various tire dealer integrations.

With Shopmonkey, University has successfully integrated all components of the business onto one platform. It’s made a huge difference in the brand’s growing reputation throughout Arkansas and the surrounding states.

“With our high technology solutions, instantly our customers are thinking, ‘Well, this is a legit shop,’” Will said. “Shopmonkey has been a big tool in helping us do that.”

Check out this video to learn more about how University Auto & Tire tripled their shop's revenue with Shopmonkey.