Shopmonkey

Pros

Easy of use, end user experience is excellent

Cons

Customer support wait times. We would like faster response from support.

Alternatives Considered

Pros

Professionalism: You can create polished, branded estimates and invoices that impress clients.

Cons

I wish that we had access to see how much labor to charge for a specific job

Cons

This software STAY AWAY. ABSOLUTELY no customer support. 3 days leaving massages, emails no response. Some chatbot that doesn't even work and suggests things that don't work. Don't know where they are located but sounds like one of those foreign companies that try to get away with stupid bot and have no customer servce to suppot their customers. Charging $500 a month should have enough $ to hire some customer support. SHAME. Want to save headache and frustration again STAY AWAY.

Pros

Interactive and saving feature was useful.

Cons

Price, issues with customer view when customer sees invoice or estimate.

Pros

It is a dream come true especially from where we were before. They have really thought out and launched enough versions by now to have covered the many features that now make my business digital and 'one version of the truth' for accountability and data management. We look professional to our customers and communicate very clearly internally now. Broad range of Automotive Shop topics are covered with this 1 license.

Cons

#1 issue is whenever some feature is not working as you hope or an improvement to a feature is requested from chat support, they put it back on you to throw it in a future product upgrade ideas pool 100% of the time even if it's behaving today as a feature defect. They should take every issue in Chat Support as an opportunity to improve and deliver it internally with a ticket number. #2 issue is their data model doesn't have a logical concept for Department. They have store location and they have Category and of the two, we split our ticket line items with Category. There is only 1 report on the whole list of canned reports I can run that splits data by Department aka Category. It would be my dream for each department manager to have a dashboard of daily reports and charts to review. It's not even appropriate to show them data from other areas of the business much less make them filter through data they don't influence. I also found it highly inappropriate from an HR perspective to list employee salaries in the User set up screen. Yes, it allows for valuable profitability reports, but salary should be granted to 1 super admin perhaps or hidden with a password to view. #3 issue is really the apps are not that great, buggy and limiting. We eventually just had Techs log into the website from a mobile phone and we gave older employees big tablets. There also should be a native language button given the Hispanics employed in this industry, but we use google translate for now

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Shopmonkey

Pros

The blue backdrop.... that was nice. Other than that.

Cons

Poor time tracking, horrible customer service, poor follow up to zoom conversations and in person meetings. No kpi tracking failed integration to quickbooks, reconfiguring users is a process. No vendor expenditure tracking. So much more

Pros

nothing to be honest ive used a ton of auto shop managment soft ware programs shop monkey while easily being the most compliacted is not the most redundant

Cons

its way way too compliacted ive used many shop managment soft ware and this one takes the cake for being the most complex and un-user friendly

Pros

Firstly, they have be best customer service. Any time I needed help with anything, they were quick to respond and if they didn't have the answer they got it for me right away. Professional looking invoices that are easy to read for customers. Search functions are great. They let you look up almost anything with a few key strokes.

Cons

The price is the tough to swallow. We are a Canadian company being billed in American dollars. The exchange is killing us and making it even more expensive. The system is still really slow. I know they are working on fixes for it but some days it is so slow we can't use it. Labor rates, procedures and general vehicle information specs and other information isn't as great as they let on. There needs to be an easier function for that.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shopmonkey

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Shopmonkey

Pros

Shop Monkey is so simple to use compared to competitors. It is user friendly for those of us not super online.

Cons

ShopMonkey can run a bit slow. It has lag between clicks and pages.

Pros

You can create an invoice like any other app.

Cons

EXTREMELY BEHIND ON UPDATES and NEEDS TONS TONS TONS OF SUPPORT WHICH THEY DONT GIVE YOU. Try calling their support line... oh wait, they dont have one. You have to WRITE to them through the website, through a messenger app... and theyll reply when they feel like it. Kicks my employees out of the app on their phone randomly. The system for the mechanics to use is very convoluted and not easy to use.

Pros

Everything about this software has made work life so much easier and also has helped us to bring in more business and build more trust and clear communication with our customers.

Cons

I have not found one thing I don't like about shopmonkey yet.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Shopmonkey

Pros

The ease of managing of work orders. Nice to look at and simple to navigate.

Cons

No easy customer follow up system. No way to request reviews from customers post service.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Shopmonkey

Pros

I am continually impressed by Shopmonkey's commitment to exceeding customer expectations. Their strategic approach to providing effective processes and procedures has made running my auto shop much more efficient. The platform's excellent communication tools and determination to deliver commercial results have significantly benefited my business.

Cons

Although Shopmonkey offers a comprehensive range of features, the learning curve for new users can be steep due to its cluttered interface. I believe that a more streamlined design would make it easier for users to navigate the platform. Additionally, the customer support team could be more responsive to quickly address queries.

Pros

its pretty and almost there. It looks better than it is. The customer support is great and very responsive. It got us out of Mitchell 1. Its hard to write Pros because everything I like about SM has a flaw that pushed us away from it.

Cons

* YOUR INFORMATION WILL NOT TRANSFER TO OTHER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARES!*
Id like to see feature role out that are complete and note just 50% there. Every new feature i see are half baked. Nothing talks to each other in the software. Its pretty, but not functional for anyone looking to improve workflow; every step requires 6 more steps to ensure everything is working together as it should, but that usually requires alot of cut and paste and work arounds. In particular the new tech view is awful! As an admit i cant complete things, see progress without diving into the tech view. Why this was a priority over a service manager being able to see a snapshop view in the workflow of how far along a job is baffles me. Its like the staff here has never worked in a shop before or managed one. The priority needs to switch to management and workflow speed. SM makes things take so long because it has to done several times so that information is congruent throughout the software.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shopmonkey

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Shopmonkey

Pros

The team on the intercom chat

The team has always been MORE than helpful in helping me understand how to operate this system , no matter how big or small of a problem i was having .

These 3 people stuck out to me in a BIG way, i am naming them in chronological order of my Shop monkey encounters

[SENSITIVE CONTENT]

Now i am NOT going to say these 3 people deserve a raise , because that would be insulting to the company and the individuals themselves . These 3 people need to be sitting at a table and making decisions for the sake of the company , as well as the consumer.

I make this decision based on their work ethic , their interaction with their customers, and their overall demeanor. As a small business owner / operator myself, I look for a certain head on a certain set of shoulders. They passed the tests. Do the company a favor and Bring these guys up , have them train the next generation, and set them at the company table with you guys . I would like to go into detail about EACH interaction with you guys. I CAN AND WILL justify every statement made about each interaction.

Cons

In my opinion , a " pay per feature " instead of the bundles packages . . . . . . . .i would buy more features TODAY , but the bundling is WACK

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Shopmonkey

Pros

CRM functions like work order history, message tracking and history, estimate approvals, payment and messaging functions, appointments and calendar functions

Cons

Point of sale functionality, inventory functions could be more robust, slow speeds and glitches,

Pros

I like how easy Shopmonkey is to use and the customer service is great. It really streamlined a few things for us. It communicated most of the time with QB with out any effort

Cons

There are a handful of features which would be nice and there are some bumps too.

Pros

There might be a mobile app available, enabling users to access essential features on-the-go.

Cons

Regular update and then is I like it this software you in the battle function and all the things

Pros

Ease of use. You can easily figure out how to accomplish most task.

Cons

Cores should be able to be added when you receive a part and then catagorize it so that the bookeeping would be easier.

Pros

the option for being able to get the estimates signed and its very user friendly

Cons

when i am not able to use license plate to link the vehicle and i have to make the entire work order manually ,and reported the issue couple of times and no one is able to do nothing ,where as other software like all data also using Carfax are able to decode those same vehicles

Pros

Shopmonkey is very easy to use and learn. It also improves your time on invoicing customers. I love everything about shopmonkey. Great shop writter.

Cons

I have no complaints with shopmonkey and have not add any problems with it.

Pros

The ease of inputting customer information in

Cons

the labor hours suggested were never correct

Pros

Stripe works well as integrated for credit card charging.

Cons

We've been locked out for 2 days. There is no support. Chat support is non-existent. Urgent matters can't be handled.

Pros

Being able to create CANNED services, and the different ways to keep customers informed via text/email are cruxes for me.
Creating and saving CANNED services saves valuable time, and simplifies creating work orders and estimates/invoices.
One thing I used to hear customers say a lot about shops and companies is, "I would just like a phone call or SOMETHING to keep me informed." ShopMonkey solved that for me.
I LOVE that the software is ACTUALLY as easy as it looks, to use.

Cons

Outside integration of other card readers (such as Square for example) would be greatly appreciated. The upfront cost of having to purchase a card reader and pay a monthly service fee on top for integrated payments is a big turn-off for me when I already have a card reading service. I would consider perhaps a service where the ShopMonkey card reader can be "leased to purchase" with monthly payments. I.e. $35 a month for 12 months for the card reader and service is more manageable, especially for small, brand-new businesses.

Pros

Organizational benefits, easy to use, and more cost-effective than the competition!

Cons

Report formats and building custom searches in the REPORTS could be a little easier to manipulate. Exporting reports is difficult.

Pros

The customer interaction part or the software is good

Cons

The software has quite a few holes in it, and when you have a issue good luck getting help!

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Shopmonkey

Pros

The reviews were amazing and the sales department is awesome at making promises and telling you what you want to hear. However this is not what you will get. I have been calling and texting for a month about the lack of labor times on everyday repairs. I have yet to get a return call, even called sales who are always there to make money but they also promised to have someone call back that was a week ago.......

Cons

No labor times on things like engine oil coolers, transmission replacements, valve cover gaskets. If you require help from them they are quick to text but tell you it will be 2-3 days for an answer. Is your customer going to wait 2-3 days for an estimate? Not mine! That is a loss in revenue yet they charge more than others in the industry like Mitchell. You will not matter to them and they will leave you hanging.

Pros

I highly enjoy the convince of how the site is set up! It is very easy to keep things organized and it helps me check in customers quicker!

Cons

I have only been with my current employer for less than a month and so far I have found nothing that I dislike about shop monkey!

Pros

Canned services are really well managed. Customer service and other staff are responsive and helpful. Work order Management definitely saves me a lot of time on the daily

Cons

UNABLE TO PRINT INFO PROPERLYWe do a lot of head gasket repairs at our location and the fact I can't print out torque sequences for my technicians is disappointing. I understand the issue lies with MOTORDriven , the company used for labor times and information, but If I'm paying for a full-service subscription I expect to have access to everything I need. I shouldn't have to go back to Mitchell, go to first call online , or screenshot my screen and print on microsoft paint when the information is right there. DEFERRED / DECLINED SERVICESWhen its working its a great feature, it allows us to easily access previously declined services to recommend again the next time they come in. Recently for about ~2 months it has not been working properly and I have to do extra steps to get that information in a new quote, nothings going to be done about from my understanding as they are releasing a new Version of shop monkey but again I'm paying for this service I would like to have access to it. UNABLE TO LOOKUP LABOR SERVICES INTERMITTENTLYSometimes we punch in the VIN and we cannot look up labor times for anything. I unlink then re-link the vehicle no change. Start a new ticket and sometimes it will work. Pending Bug to be fixed but likely won't be addressed and Version 2 is underwayVIN LOOKUPI'm sure there are much better options out there I don't know why they stick with the one they have.UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WHEN SYSTEM IS LAGGY / DOWNRan out of characters to continue

Pros

Easy to setup and implement with our ERP and accounting software. Produce invoice and payment processor in real-time.

Cons

Need to improve customer support from Shopmonkey. They never get back to me with solutions for every inquiry that I ask them.

Pros

kept track of in progress and assignment of techs

Cons

hard to use and navigate was confusing too

Pros

The ability to communicate with the customer via messaging through the system is the best part of the whole system. Everything else seems to be basic software in my opinion.

Cons

When I make recommendations or point out problems we experience with the software it seems to fall on deaf ears. Seems like a waste of time... I'm looking into other software options to replace Shopmonkey at this point.

Pros

It is great! Shopmonkey has everything that I needed.

Cons

Nothing. I love using it and it has everything that I needed!

Pros

Easy to use and comprehensive with the features needed

Cons

Technical support has become terrible. Everything is via chat which they often say they will get back to you but never do. When I call the support number is the same issue.

Pros

tasks in auto repair shop management. From scheduling and estimating to invoicing and inventory management, Shopmonkey has got covered everything

Cons

Nothing as of now but need a improvement in customisation

Pros

We love the ease of communication with customers through Shopmonkey! Being able to send a quick message, attach pictures of what we're talking about, and have them authorize services withouth having to take time to call each time has streamlined our customer service and time management. It has made scheduling a breeze with quotes attached to each appointment eliminating any confusion. The system for the technicians is wonderful as well, adding notes for the service writer, clocking in/out of jobs, having a detailed work order.

Cons

Integration with Quickbooks was definitely a rough start for a few months. We still have connectivity issues sometimes and there are item types that aren't able to transfer over from Quickbooks and things that transfer from shopmonkey in odd ways which takes time to correct. It is also laggy at times and takes a while to receive payments, authorize services, etc

Alternatives Considered

Switched From

Pros

Being able to look parts up and finish the project

Cons

Nothing much it helps out a lot and gives great infew

Pros

The biggest win for us in using Shopmonkey is that it allows us to seamless manage our customer service, work order management, and customer billing through an easy to use interface. We use it for everything from scheduling drop offs and requesting work authorization to tracking customer communications, history, and billing. The fact that it interfaces so well with Quickbooks is a huge benefit to keeping our operations running smoothly and clearly.

Cons

The labor rates and inventory management features are ok but are a little challenging to work with at times. Fortunately, we don't use these features very extensively and I'm sure that, if we did, the customer support team would help us get these up and running better. They are just not super important for how we perform our work as well as preferring Quickbooks for inventory management.

Pros

Convenient and no hassle to use. Very user friendly.

Cons

No negatives to this product, couldn’t think of anything to make it better!

Pros

I like that we can schedule and make an estimate/invoice to save double writeups and also that we can get authorizations in a timely fashion.

Cons

The Point of sale for parts only is making us have to hold a double inventory management system.

Pros

I love this product because it works well with quickbooks. Able to set up inventory, vendors, reports etc. Takes sometime in the beginning to get rid of products you do not need but once it is running its good. If you have a automotive shop has everything. Also there stripe payment system for cards is also really good. I see when payment is in transit usually takes 2 business days but am able to have an accurate account of the money also. Extremely User friendly. Time clocks, inspections, able to send info to customer etc.

Cons

The one feature I wish they would or could improve in is the transmission side . Not enough preloaded data or procedure for transmission. Need to pay all data to get schematics on units or procedures. That is the only down fall.

Pros

NOTHING, I NEVER USED IT BECAUSE IT WAS TOO DIFFICULT

Cons

PUSHY SALES PERSON, LOCKED IN AND WILL NOT LET ME OUT EVEN THOUGH I NEVER USED IT AND EXPRESSED IT MANY TIMES. I EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS TOOO HARD AND THEY DID NOT CARE

Pros

Very easy to understand and use! I don't think we could run our business without it!

Cons

Sometimes we make mistakes by deleting or changing price in work order and there is no way to undo a change that was made

Pros

It’s very easy to manage which help my inexperienced cousin to work it

Cons

It’s a bit too expensive to use per month.

Pros

One the greatest features is it's ability to track procurement processes. The platform also allows effective communication with customers that ensures the work progress is up to date.

Cons

The only challenge would be the ability to seamlessly transfer billing information from the platform to QuickBooks.

Pros

It's very intuitive and most everything is where you would expect it to be.

Cons

Speed of operations, sometimes there is a good amount of lag between clicks and in this industry that time staring at the screen adds up quickly. Credits and return tracking as well as core tracking needs to be improved from invoice to receiving the credit. Purchase ordering system could also be improved but is decent as it currently is.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shopmonkey

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Shopmonkey

Pros

Shopmonkey helps us keep track of customer orders and information a lot better than how we did things previously. The incorporation of being able to keep track of inventory has been great as well, though the user interface of doing that for used tires is somewhat difficult.

Cons

The onboarding of the program to our business was tedious and somewhat difficult. I would say it had to do more with the way our side of things was structured, but nonetheless took a while to get things to a point of running smoothly

Pros

Customers love this! Very thorough service -- and what I mean by that is you can offer a customer an experience like no other. Text msg, send pictures, and upload videos to a multi-point inspection report. In the year 2023, customers typically choose text msg communication over phone calls. It's a great tool!

Cons

I wish we switched sooner! Change is hard but this is one change we should of done sooner!

Pros

Ease of use & estimating functions. Visually appealing, digital inspections

Cons

The system is very bad at doing its own math. What I mean by that is the system requires you to put in parts cost twice, and lets say you add parts invoices there is no way to guarantee that all those parts costs are accounted for. This means your profitability will not always be correct. There is also no place tp put in vendor credit memos.You'd think someone would give this more though. I've explained it quite a few times but seems that they don't care to implement it.Also ---- the system does not correctly export to QuickBooks with parts cost which is an accounting nightmare.

Pros

Nothing, com-locate, not thought through, info not linked

Cons

All, found the system too complicated to manipulate. All I needed was a simple print the repair order and fill in the customer info.