The Fastest Estimate in Town: How to Win More Customers Before Your Competition Responds

Speed Can Be Your Competitive Advantage

When customers are comparing repair shops, every unanswered question is another reason to keep looking. If someone visits your website after hours or while your service advisors are busy, they may not be willing to wait until the next business day to hear back.

That doesn't necessarily mean they're looking for the cheapest shop. They may simply want a straightforward answer, so they can make a decision and move on with their day.

The challenge for independent shops is that providing a quote often takes time. Someone needs to identify the vehicle, determine the requested services, check parts pricing and availability through your vendors, apply your shop's markups, and calculate labor using your labor rate.

Meanwhile, that potential customer is still looking.

Many independent automotive repair shop owners know Epicor Service CRM, but they may not have heard about a new optional feature we’re offering: Epicor Smart Quoter. It’s designed to help shops increase new business by making it easier for potential customers to get an accurate price quickly, right from the shop’s website.

And here's what makes it especially valuable: Smart Quoter uses your shop’s vendors, your parts markups, real-time parts pricing and availability, and your labor rate. You're giving potential customers a fast, accurate quote based on how your shop actually prices its work.

When a potential customer is looking for a price, it’s easy to assume they’re simply shopping for the cheapest option. But in reality, price isn’t the only thing that matters. Often, the shop that provides the fastest clear answer has an advantage.

Think about it from the customer's perspective. They have a vehicle that needs service, they want to know what it will cost, and they may be checking out several local options. They submit a request on one website, call another shop, and move on to a third.

Which shop has the best chance of earning their business? The one that makes them wait for a callback, or the one that gives them an accurate price in seconds?

Meet Epicor Smart Quoter: An Accurate Quote in About 30 Seconds

Epicor Smart Quoter helps solve this problem by allowing customers to get a quote directly from your website, without having to wait for someone at the shop to respond.

Here's how it works:

1. The customer visits your website. They're interested in a repair or maintenance service, but aren't necessarily ready to schedule an appointment.
2. They select their vehicle and the services they need. Smart Quoter uses that information to build their estimate.
3. They receive an accurate quote in about 30 seconds. The quote uses your shop's vendors, real-time parts pricing and availability, your markups, and your labor rate. The result reflects how your shop actually prices the work, rather than a generic estimate.
4. They're given a path to schedule an appointment. Instead of leaving your website without an answer, the customer can take the next step toward becoming a paying customer.

 And because Smart Quoter is available around the clock, customers can get a quote and request a booking even when your team is busy or the shop is closed.

You stay in control of your pricing. Smart Quoter simply helps you deliver it faster.

Turn More Website Visitors Into Customers

Your website is more than an online business card. It's an opportunity to win new business.

You may already be investing time and money in search engine visibility, online advertising, social media, and other marketing efforts to get potential customers to your website. But getting someone to visit is only half the battle. You also need to give them a reason to take the next step.

Some visitors are ready to schedule an appointment. Others are still researching their options and want to understand the cost before committing. Without an easy way to get that information, those visitors may leave your website and contact another shop.

Smart Quoter gives those price-conscious visitors a convenient way to move forward. Rather than asking them to submit a form and wait for a response, it puts an accurate quote in front of them while they're actively considering your shop.

And because the quote is based on your vendors, markups, and labor rate, you can offer that convenience without giving up control over how you price your services.

You've already worked to get them to your website. Why not make it easier for them to choose you?

Give Your Shop an Advantage

Epicor Smart Quoter is an optional feature for Epicor Service CRM customers who want to not only stay connected with existing customers, but actually create opportunities to attract new ones.

By making it faster and easier for potential customers to get a quote, you can provide a better online experience, capture additional business outside normal operating hours, and give more website visitors a reason to book with your shop.

In a competitive market, you don't always have to be the cheapest shop in town. Sometimes, you just need to be the shop that gives customers the answer they're looking for first.

Epicor Smart Quoter. Accurate quotes in about 30 seconds. Your pricing. More opportunities to win the job.

Contact Epicor to learn more about adding Smart Quoter to your Service CRM.

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