Online Booking for Auto Repair Shops: Fill Your Bays
Every time the phone rings, you stop what you're doing. Every interruption costs you focus and time. And half those calls are just people wanting to book an appointment.
What if customers could book while you're under the hood?
The Interruption Problem
The average shop gets interrupted dozens of times per day by phone calls. Many are appointment requests that could be self-service:
Each call might only take 2-3 minutes, but the context switch costs much more.
How Online Booking Helps
With online booking:
It Works 24/7
Customer thinks about their car at 10pm? They can book then. You wake up to confirmed appointments.
It Qualifies Customers
They've already entered their info and described their issue. You know what's coming before they arrive.
It Reduces No-Shows
Customers who take time to book online are more committed. They've invested effort.
What Good Online Booking Looks Like
Customer Experience:
Your Experience:
Common Concerns (And Answers)
"What if they book when I'm actually busy?"
You control availability. Only show times you actually want to take appointments.
"What if they no-show?"
Send automatic reminders. No-show rates with online booking are actually lower than phone bookings.
"What if they book for the wrong service?"
Have them describe the issue. You can call to clarify if needed.
"I don't have a website."
Many booking systems provide a simple booking page you can share directly. No website required.
Implementing Online Booking
Keep It Simple
Don't overcomplicate the booking form. Name, contact, vehicle, description. That's it.
Set Realistic Availability
Don't show every minute as available. Build in buffer time.
Send Reminders
Automatic day-before reminders reduce no-shows dramatically.
Review Bookings Daily
Check your bookings each morning so nothing surprises you.
SmoothMechanic Online Booking
We built online booking into SmoothMechanic:
It's included with SmoothMechanic - no extra cost.
Get Started
Let customers book while you work.
Try SmoothMechanic free - Online booking included.