BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY launches tools to increase shops’ web presence

BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY launched ThirdGear, an upgrade to its NextGear standalone platform. Incorporating online appointment setting capability, ThirdGear is designed to drive new customers to shops, while giving them everything they need to control the repair experience, the company says.

ThirdGear is available to any repair shop using NextGear, which offers Digital Vehicle Inspections, vehicle maintenance profiles, data storage in the cloud, Text to Pay, and other benefits for which BOLT ON is known, even without existing shop management software. ThirdGear, which integrates with shops’ existing websites, is just $50 per month on top of the NextGear subscription cost. If the shop doesn’t have a website or would like to upgrade their existing web presence, they can do so with Pit Stop, BOLT ON’s customizable web template.

“First came NextGear, then we upshifted to SecondGear and its convenient payment options. Now shift’s getting real with ThirdGear, featuring integration of our Pit Stop web product,” said Mike Risich, founder and CEO of BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY. “Pit Stop, whose appointment-setting capability is well-known in the industry, works seamlessly with NextGear, while helping shops with dated or no website, significantly improve their web presence.”

Customers increasingly prefer to engage with businesses online. Giving them the ability to directly schedule appointments is another way to accommodate their preference for digital commerce, Risich added. As with NextGear and SecondGear, ThirdGear can be used with any web-enabled device, the company says.

“NextGear unbolted BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY’s acclaimed software from other shop management software. SecondGear gave shops the ability to offer Text-To-Pay and BOLT ON Pay financing options to their customers. And ThirdGear revs up revenue even further by letting customers schedule appointments the way they prefer to do so, on their device,” Risich said.

Appointment integration drives profit in the automotive aftermarket, according to the company. Since Pit Stop can access the shop’s calendar, customers can schedule their own service, freeing up employees to work on cars, and keeping bays busy.

Aside from allowing customers to book their own appointments, ThirdGear allows shops to:

• Integrate appointment scheduling with their existing web site
• Remind customers of previously recommended services during appointment scheduling

And if BOLT ON creates the website for the shop, it will be fully SEO-enabled, ensuring its brand appears prominently in Google searches, the company says. ThirdGear with website development is just $100 per month.

NextGear has been a hit in the auto aftermarket. Its suite of functions and capabilities include:

• Vehicle condition photographs and videos
• BOLT ON’s red/yellow/green-light vehicle health reports
• Two-way texting between customers and the shop
• Speech-to-text note taking
• Complete vehicle maintenance profiles
• Ability to clearly track progression and wear of parts over time
• Future appointment scheduling
• Cloud storage of all data, for protection and easy access
• Access to hundreds of pre-written tech notes and recommendations
• Fully customizable inspection templates
• No annual subscription fee, simply pay as you go, month-to-month

Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI) capability by itself can increase Average Repair Orders (AROs) by nearly 40 percent, BOLT ON research shows. And with two-way texting, vehicle owners can approve recommended repairs with just a few taps on their cell phones or tablets. Customers appreciate the transparency DVIs provide, which can result in more customer trust, confidence, and repeat business.