Industry:
Auto Repair
Company Size:
111 Stores
Number of Employees:
700
Location:
United States
At Max Auto Supply, the world’s largest Midas Franchise, 700 employees at 111 stores service 40,000 vehicles a month. Supporting this enterprise is Randy Lindhurst, EVP of Operations and Auto Systems, and strong advocate for RO Writer DVI. By using digital vehicle inspections, his team has tripled battery sales and significantly boosted other services through a consultative approach that prioritizes customer needs.
As Max Auto Supply has expanded significantly in scope, Randy Lindhurst and his team have embraced change to drive consistent excellence in customer service and internal operations. Today, with 111 stores in six different states and 700 employees, they still consider themselves a family business that proudly upholds the core values of the original owners and the Midas brand.
“We’re strong on culture and we’re strong on leadership. We have a saying that you can either be an agent of change or a victim of change, but change is going to occur no matter what. When it comes to technology, if you’re not leading change, you’re going to fall behind.”
Max Auto Supply delivers all services offered by traditional auto repair shops, from electronics to diagnostic scanners. Each month, technicians service between 30 to 40,000 vehicles, and nearly all receive a Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI) powered by RO Writer software.
DVI Improves Inspections and Increases Some Part Sales 4-6x
Before DVI, the Max Auto Supply team had a multi-step vehicle inspection process that involved lengthy paperwork and tedious routines to ensure every inspection went smoothly and every customer left satisfied. Randy says the decision to switch to DVI was necessary, but it wasn’t made lightly and did face some initial resistance.
“This was a major change to our sales organization. Even when it’s a good change, people fight it. Most people have a routine and they’re very comfortable following it. We constantly have to invest in our people.”
Max Auto Supply’s leadership development is rooted in the belief that, if you’re not growing, you’re falling behind. With this in mind, the team developed an ongoing location-by-location rollout for DVI, which includes software installation and technical training.
The IT team then began monitoring performance by pulling daily report inspection reports in RO Writer and sharing them with the team at each location. Randy explained that, once teams understood the software and saw the impact firsthand, enthusiasm grew, leading to increased inspection rates and higher overall sales.
“If you want to prove something, you have to be able to measure it. It takes leadership to stay focused on it and drive that change.”
Now, Max Auto Supply uses DVI to elevate the customer experience and improve communication across the board.
According to Randy, RO Writer’s detailed DVI reports offer customers a clear understanding of their vehicle’s condition. This builds trust with customers and ultimately, improves Max Auto Supply’s bottom line. In a single one-month period, the average repair order increased by $28 company-wide with the implementation of DVI.
The customer can see for themself exactly what is needed [with DVI], so it makes us a much better company. DVI is the future and the future is now.
Randy Lindhurst
EVP of Operations and Auto Systems
The evidence is in the numbers. Randy gave several examples of how implementing DVI has directly boosted parts sales at Max Auto Supply. By giving customers clear, actionable insights, DVI allows customers to be more proactive about vehicle maintenance, resulting in safer vehicles on the road.
For example, one of the Max Auto Supply stores was routinely selling 5 batteries per month. The store initiated a program where they incorporated testing the battery and taking a picture of the results into their DVI inspections. Now, they sell an average of 15 to 20 batteries per month, and customers get an essential early warning that their battery is starting to fail.
Similarly, sharing a brief video of how wiper blades are performing has allowed Max Auto Supply stores to both increase the sales of this part, and keep customers safer in inclement weather conditions.
The Future Looks Bright for Max Auto Supply and RO Writer
Randy and the Max Auto Supply team have big plans for the future of DVI at their shops, and that starts with ensuring it’s being used right. To ensure the consistent use of the technology, the team review the daily DVI usage report to oversee repair orders and track progress at each location.
Randy says that he and the Max Auto Supply team are working hard to roll out RO Writer’s DVI Suite across all 111 locations, and they’re already two-thirds of the way there. Once complete, they will be the first company in the country to offer DVI companywide.
When asked if Randy had any final words about RO Writer or DVI for other companies looking to implement new shop management software, his answer was simple.
“We love it. Once everyone gets comfortable with it, they love it too.”