BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY launches ThirdGear, featuring integrated appointment booking

Further revving up repair shop profits, BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, a leading supplier of technology solutions for the automotive aftermarket, launches ThirdGear, a powerful upgrade to its NextGear standalone platform that will help ensure repair bays remain busy. Incorporating robust online appointment setting capability, ThirdGear puts the pedal to the metal in driving new customers to shops, while giving them everything they need to control the repair experience.

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, BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY’s founder and CEO. “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. “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,” he said. Appointment integration is one more gear in the engine that drives profit in the automotive aftermarket. 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 hopping. 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. 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 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, further increasing shop revenue. Customers appreciate the transparency DVIs provide, which can result in more customer trust, confidence and repeat business.

For more information or to take a test drive of ThirdGear, please visit the NextGear website.

About BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY
BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY equips the automotive repair and maintenance aftermarket with award-winning technology tools to improve customer communication. The company’s technology instantly transmits photos, videos and text messages to communicate automotive repair details, thereby increasing customer trust, boosting sales and empowering shops to build long-term customer relationships. Along with ongoing training and support, BOLT ON’s integrated mobile, digital as well as standalone tools also reduce problems inherent in the service process, while increasing shop productivity, revenue, and customer satisfaction. For more information, visit the BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY website or call 610-400-1019.