Oxbutts Garage is an independent garage in Cheltenham run by Rob. After years on Garage Assistant GA4, Rob wanted a system that gave him more control over how the garage talks to its customers, and that was quicker to work with day to day. He moved Oxbutts Garage to AutoChain, and hasn't looked back.
“I can honestly say that the price, combined with the level of customer care and after-sales support we've received, is unlike anything I've ever experienced. It genuinely feels like Autochain cares about the success of our business, not just selling software.”
A switch that didn't mean starting again
The biggest worry with changing garage software is losing years of customer records. For Oxbutts, AutoChain brought the customer list across from Garage Assistant GA4, so the garage started on day one with its customers already in place.
From there, AutoChain worked with Rob to set the system up around the way Oxbutts runs its workshop, rather than asking the garage to change how it works.
“Moving over from Garage Assistant was far easier than I expected. AutoChain brought our customers across for us, so we were up and running without starting from scratch.”
MOT reminders, on Rob's terms
MOT and service reminders now go out automatically, and Rob has far more control over them than he had before: what's sent, and when.
“The MOT reminders are brilliant, and I've got much more control over them than I had before.”
Bookings that come with the full picture
When a customer books in, the booking flow asks the right questions up front. Before the car even arrives, Rob can see its MOT advisories and any work outstanding from earlier visits, such as a timing belt or a brake fluid change that's due. That means the right work gets quoted at the start, not discovered halfway through the job.
“The booking flow is simple and asks the right questions. When a car's booked in, I can already see its MOT advisories and anything outstanding from last time, like a timing belt or brake fluid that's due.”
Hearing from every customer
With Customer Intelligence, every customer is asked for feedback automatically after their job. Rob finds out what customers think while there's still time to put things right, and happy customers are pointed to leave a Google review.
“Customer Intelligence has been a game changer. It asks every customer for feedback automatically, so we can fix problems before they become complaints, and it's brought us more Google reviews.”
Less admin on every job
With HaynesPro built in, labour times and parts are already attached to the job, so pricing work takes far less time at the desk.
“Having HaynesPro built in saves us a lot of time. The labour times and parts are already on the job, so there's far less admin.”
Warranty work is handled properly too. One job card can be invoiced to both the customer and the warranty company, each for their own share.
“Warranty work is handled properly. I can invoice the customer and the warranty company from one job card, which is how it should be.”
Support that made the difference
For Rob, the software was only half of it.
“Louis has taken the time to tailor the system to meet our every need, ensuring it works perfectly for the way we run our workshop. Nothing has ever been too much trouble, and no question has gone unanswered. His knowledge, professionalism, and willingness to help have made the whole transition effortless.”
“We're already seeing the benefits of the system, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Autochain to any garage looking for a management system that is backed by first-class support.”
Thinking of switching?
If you're on Garage Assistant GA4, paper or another system, see how AutoChain compares, or book a demo and we'll show you how it would work in your workshop.