Let’s cut to the chase. Repair order (RO) values matter more than ever. Customer trust is shaky, and your service lane might be leaking dollars you don’t even see.
TL;DR
- Service lane technology isn’t just another tool, it’s an essential part of a modern fixed ops department.
- Dealers using video inspections, digital approvals, and mobile payments are seeing ROs jump 70% to 160% in a few months.
- Customers trust what they can see. A short video of a worn brake pad sells more work than a phone call ever could.
- Speed wins. Digital estimates get approvals back in minutes, not hours.
- Upsells don’t have to feel like a pressure sale. When you show “good, better, best” options with photos, close rates increase.
- Big repairs aren’t scary when you give people the option to pay over time. One Subaru store grew their average RO by 246% with Buy Now, Pay Later.
- The little things add up. Automated reminders and recall campaigns can quietly add six figures a year in revenue.
What Makes Service Lane Technology a Fixed Ops Asset Such as a Powerful One for Your Fixed Ops?
Service lane technology includes all the digital tools that your dealership needs to interact with its customers and run the service department. It’s not about one shiny feature. Think of it as solving three huge problems at once.
1. It Solves the Trust Deficit
The biggest hurdle to a bigger RO is customer skepticism. For decades, we’ve relied on a phone call and sales tactics, asking them to trust a voice they can’t see. SLT lets you send a video of a leaking gasket or a photo of a cracked belt right to their phone. You’re showing them the facts.
2. It Unclogs Your Service Bay
What’s the most common traffic jam in a service department? A car on a lift, waiting for an approval. Every minute you spend chasing a voicemail is a minute that bay isn’t turning. Digital estimates and approvals speed up the whole process. The customer gets a text, taps “approve”, and your tech can get back to work.
3. It Makes Upselling Feel Natural
Nobody likes the awkward upsell call. Not the advisor, and definitely not the customer. SLT changes this from a high-pressure pitch into a simple, low-pressure choice. When you present “good, better, best” options in a clean, digital format, you put the customer in the driver’s seat. It feels less like a sales tactic and more like helpful advice.
How to Increase RO Values with Service Lane Technology
Raising your average RO is about making it easier for customers to agree to the work that needs to be done. Here’s a step-by-step guide for your service advisors.
What to do: Train your advisors and techs to capture photos and short videos during every inspection. Show the worn brake pads or point out the fluid leak right on the screen, then text it over to the customer.
Why it works: A vague explanation over the phone doesn’t build trust. A 15-second video showing the actual problem? That builds it instantly. Customers are way more likely to approve work when they see the evidence with their own eyes.
Pro tip: The results speak for themselves. Industry data shows that shops using digital inspection tools typically see a 15% to 30% increase in their average repair order value.
Step 2: Send Digital Estimates for Faster Approvals
What to do: Stop wasting time with voicemails. Send estimates via SMS, with the inspection media attached. Your system should track when the customer opens it so you know exactly when to follow up.
Why it works: Customers can approve work in minutes from their phone. That means fewer delays, faster bay turnover, and bigger ROs.
Pro tip: Gus Brown Buick got more than half their approvals back in under 10 minutes by switching to digital estimates.
Step 3: Offer Tiered Service Recommendations
What to do: Present “good, better, best” options for additional services, paired with the inspection photos. Use your tech or advisors to display these like a simple menu, not a sales pitch.
Why it works: Customers are in control. When they’re choosing between options instead of being told what to do, they feel more comfortable, and that leads to higher close rates.
Step 4: Make Repairs Affordable with Flexible Payments
What to do: Offer a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) option, especially on pricey or unexpected repairs. Train your advisors to present it early in the conversation. The awkward conversation can also be avoided by using payment request via text message. This way, customers can select their preferred method of payment without feeling judged.
Why it works: A big repair bill doesn’t scare customers off if they can spread out the payments. That means fewer declined services and higher-value approvals, without you having to offer a discount.
Pro tip: Elk Grove Subaru’s average RO jumped 246% (from $717 to $2,479) after adding BNPL through Kimoby Pay.
Step 5: Automate Communication to Drive More Visits
What to do: Set up automated text reminders for appointments, recalls, and seasonal maintenance. Run targeted recall campaigns to capture that manufacturer-paid work.
Why it works: Every message is a nudge that brings customers back. And every return visit is another opportunity to build a bigger RO.
Pro tip: Jaguar Land Rover Langley added $137,000 in CP service revenue in one year through automated recall campaigns.
Real-life Dealerships Stories
Don’t just take our word for it. Look at the real-world numbers from dealers who put this stuff into practice:
This is proof that the right SLT pays for itself, fast. Plus, with tools like Kimoby Pay, fraud-prevention features save dealerships from costly chargebacks, and over 75% of customers now pay before pickup, killing those end-of-day cashier lines.
Conclusion
If your service lane still runs on clipboards and callbacks, you’re leaving money on the table. Period.
Service Lane Technology, powered by a platform like Kimoby, doesn’t just make life easier; it makes your ROs bigger. It ties all the moving parts together:
- Conversations: Real-time messaging that builds trust and gets approvals faster.
- Multimedia: Videos and photos that show customers exactly why the work is needed.
- Automations: Campaigns for tires, recalls, and CSI that drive customers back to your door.
- Kimoby Pay + BNPL: Secure payments with flexible options that unlock bigger jobs.
It’s the tool that turns your fixed ops department into a profit center.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What's the single biggest benefit of service lane technology?
If you have to pick just one, it’s building trust. For years, customers have had to take our word for it on repairs, which creates skepticism. Sending a quick video of the actual problem to their phone eliminates that doubt instantly. When they trust you, they approve more work. It's that simple.
2. Will my less tech-savvy customers actually use this?
Absolutely. That's the beauty of it. We're not asking them to download a new app or log into a complicated portal. We're sending a text message with a link. If they can open a text and tap a link, they can use this system. It meets them where they already are—on their phones.
3. How quickly can we actually see a return on investment (ROI)?
This isn't a "wait and see" kind of tool. As you saw from the examples, dealers are seeing ROs jump 70% or more within a few months, not years. The combination of faster approvals, higher trust on upsells, and automated reminders starts impacting your bottom line almost immediately.
4. Is this just for big franchise dealers with huge budgets?
Not at all. The principles work for any service drive, regardless of size. The goal is always the same: build trust, work more efficiently, and make it easy for customers to say yes. Whether you have four bays or forty, these tools are designed to scale and solve the same core problems.
/Kimoby_Lapse_bts%20(nsbkim)-122%20(1)%201.png)
