In 2018, Mitchell 1 will mark its 100th year of providing repair information solutions to the motor vehicle industry. The company kicked off the anniversary celebration at AAPEX in Las Vegas with the introduction of three major product innovations that will help auto repair professionals work more efficiently.
“Ahead of the curve in vehicle repair since our beginnings in 1918, Mitchell 1 brings a unique historical perspective to staying current and what that means to the auto repair shops and technicians that we serve,” said Dave Ellingen, president of Mitchell 1. “As our 100 years of experience can attest, we’re constantly looking forward and always ready for the next challenge that comes our way.”
Demonstrations of the new innovations took place in the Mitchell 1 booth at AAPEX throughout the show. The product introductions included:
ProDemand with 1Search Plus: 1Search Plus is designed to streamline the user experience with an easy-to-use graphical layout and intuitive workflow to help auto repair technicians work more efficiently. The new interface takes repair information to a new level of intelligence with advanced search technology that scans the vast database of Mitchell 1 content and returns only the specific information the technician needs. The user selects a vehicle, enters a search term and 1Search Plus returns information in a unique graphical layout, organized in the same flow that auto technicians use when approaching a diagnosis and repair. OEM and SureTrack real-world information are more tightly integrated and returned together in a single location, with no switching between tabs or scrolling through long lists of articles.
Manager SE Connected Car Interface: Through technology supplemented with Mitchell 1’s extensive experience and knowledge of the automotive industry, Mitchell 1 is now able to help automotive repair shops take a proactive approach to solving issues for their customers before they have arrived at the shop. Mitchell 1 has enabled Manager SE to work with a network of leading telematics devices, allowing the repair shop to be alerted through the shop management system when a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) is triggered on their customer’s vehicle. The alert shows up as a new icon in the Manager SE dashboard, and when clicked, shows the vehicle VIN, mileage and the DTC that has been triggered. With that information the shop can start their diagnostic process with a quick look-up in ProDemand to identify common repairs related to the DTC. At the same time, the service writer can contact the vehicle owner to assure them that they are aware of the situation and are ready to confirm the diagnosis and start the repair as soon as the vehicle arrives in the shop.
SocialCRM LocalSearch: LocalSearch complements the SocialCRM auto repair marketing services with premium features to help make auto repair businesses more visible online. Key features include a professional business website that is optimized for search engines, built-in website tracking and reporting, call tracking to monitor and record customer calls and additional sources for consumer reviews. The new service will help repair shops build their brand and expand their selling and marketing opportunities with the ultimate goal of increasing their bottom line.