As an owner, how much visibility do you really have into what is happening inside your shop today?
Could you tell me whether every vehicle was properly inspected, whether the pictures actually helped the customer understand the vehicle, whether every legitimate finding made it to the estimate, whether the advisor prepared the inspection correctly, whether preventive maintenance was reviewed, and whether the customer saw the full recommendation?
For years, I would have told you there was no realistic way to know all of that. I assumed that if we trained the process, talked about the process, and had good people, then the process was probably being followed.
Today I look at it very differently. With the right software, the right metrics, and knowing where to look, a shop owner can have an incredible amount of visibility into what is actually happening.
A Digital Vehicle Inspection is one of the places where that visibility begins. But a completed DVI does not automatically mean the process worked. The real question is whether the entire process was executed correctly from inspection through customer presentation.
Start With Technician Execution
- Was the inspection completed according to the shop standard?
- Were the required areas of the vehicle inspected?
- Were legitimate concerns identified and measurements included where appropriate?
- Were the pictures useful and did they show what the technician was trying to explain?
- Did the inspection show both the good and the bad?
- Were safety concerns and maintenance opportunities identified clearly?
- Were RED, YELLOW, and GREEN findings separated according to the shop standard?
The customer needs to understand the full health of the vehicle. That means showing what needs attention, what may need attention later, and what is currently in good condition. A balanced DVI helps the customer decide whether the overall condition supports continuing to invest in the vehicle.
Review the Estimate
- Did all legitimate identified work make it to the estimate?
- Did all required RED findings make it to the estimate?
- Did required YELLOW findings make it according to the shop standard?
- If the shop recommends preventive maintenance, was that maintenance identified and estimated consistently?
- Did the technician and advisor catch the low hanging fruit?
- Was the estimate complete enough to give the customer a true picture of what the vehicle needs now and what may need attention in the future?
If the technician identifies a problem and it never reaches the estimate, the customer never gets the opportunity to make a decision about it. That is an execution failure.
Review the Advisor Preparation
Did the advisor make the inspection ready to present to the customer?
- Did the advisor review the technician inspection before sending it?
- Did the advisor edit the wording when necessary so it was clear, professional, and customer friendly?
- Did the advisor remove or correct internal language that should not be presented directly to the customer?
- Did the advisor use the Edit Pencil process where appropriate?
- Were pictures marked up so the customer could clearly see what the technician was pointing out?
- Did the written explanation and picture tell the same story?
- Where applicable, did the advisor review CARFAX or another available service history source before presenting preventive maintenance?
The Advisor Job Is Translation
The advisor is not simply forwarding information. The advisor is translating technical information into customer understanding. Circle the leak. Point to the worn area. Highlight the crack. Show the measurement. Make the problem easy to see.
Review the Sales Process
- Was the inspection sent at the correct point in the process?
- Was the customer given enough time to review it before the estimate was presented?
- Was the complete recommendation presented?
- Were RED findings prioritized and YELLOW items presented according to the shop standard?
- Was preventive maintenance discussed?
- Were timing and financing discussed where appropriate?
- Were approvals and declines documented?
- Was declined work left in a position to be followed up later?
Review the Timing
Timing can tell you a lot about what actually happened. If the inspection was completed and the estimate was sent one minute later, was there really enough time for the advisor to review it, edit it, mark up pictures, review service history, build the estimate, and prepare the presentation? Timing should not be judged alone, but it is a strong signal when combined with the inspection, estimate, communication, and final invoice.
Review Approvals and Declines
Declined work is not automatically a failure. A customer may have a legitimate reason to wait. The important part is whether the customer was fully informed, the decision was documented correctly, and the shop can identify what should be followed up later.
Look for Where the Process Breaks
- A technician consistently performs weak inspections
- A technician identifies work but does not provide useful pictures
- An advisor consistently fails to edit inspections or use Edit Pencil
- Preventive maintenance is rarely identified
- CARFAX history is available but never reviewed
- RED findings reach the estimate but required YELLOW findings do not
- Estimates are complete but presentation execution is weak
- One location follows the process well while another does not
The purpose of the audit is not to catch people doing something wrong. The purpose is to identify where the process is breaking so the shop can improve it.
DVI Software Does Not Create Execution
Software can provide the inspection form, store pictures, send the inspection, and record recommendations. It cannot guarantee that the technician performed a complete inspection, the advisor made it customer friendly, every legitimate finding reached the estimate, preventive maintenance was reviewed, or the full recommendation was presented correctly.
Owners: How Much Visibility Do You Really Have?
If you are thinking there is no way you could possibly know all of these details, I used to think the same thing. Sometimes the shop does need better software. But sometimes the shop already has the right software and simply does not know how to see the information that is already there.
For our industry, it is important to understand that we can now manage down to the day, the hour, and in some areas even down to the minute if we truly wanted to. That does not mean the owner should spend every minute watching the shop. The goal is the opposite.
The goal is to build enough visibility and consistency that you can step away and the business does not miss a beat.
Stop Assuming and Start Knowing
Before we had the level of DVI and repair order visibility we have today, I spent a lot of time assuming the process was being followed. We trained it. We talked about it. We believed it was happening. Once you know where to look, the numbers and activity inside the system begin telling you the story.
I went from thinking we were following the process to knowing when we were and were not following the process.
The Right Metrics Tell You Whether the Process Is Working
Numbers should not exist just to fill up a dashboard. The right numbers should help you understand behavior. If DVI completion is good but estimate completeness is weak, something is breaking between inspection and estimate. If estimates are complete but approvals are weak, look at presentation, communication, pricing, trust, financing, or the customer experience.
For many years, I did not know where to look or what the target goals should be. That is one of the reasons I care so much about helping other shop owners learn it faster than I did.