Garage Talks to - Nick Pratt from Tjekvik

Nick Pratt – Tjekvik Business Development Director talks to Garage Talk Online:

GTO: Hi Nick. Let’s start by introducing Tjekvik to the UK market. How did it come about and what service does it provide?

NP: Tjekvik was founded in 2015 by two ex-VW Group importer employees who saw an issue with long queues forming within service departments at the beginning and end of each day as customers arrived to drop-off and pick-up their vehicles. It was clear that these queues were being made worse by the growing needs of the wider vehicle parc. For instance, city cars and the growing number of EVs benefit from less service content. Indeed, a recent study in Norway claimed there is a 43% difference in parts and labour value between EVs and ICE vehicles.

Much of the delays at service departments is due to the checking-in system only being available to, and usable by, trained service staff. Hence there was a need for a ‘digital colleague’ to reduce the stress on the service team; allowing them to offer a more personal service for those customers who need or want it.

Tjekvik’s systems are highly versatile, available in many different countries, and are accessible in 28 different languages. Our biggest market is the UK.

GTO: How does the check-in system work?

NP: Our technologies enable customers to check their vehicles in at a time and place convenient for them, either at home using Tjekvik’s mobile-optimised but dealer specific sites, or at the dealer via easy-to-use touchscreen kiosks. Instead of waiting for service advisers to become available, customers can use Tjekvik’s solutions to provide pre-service instructions, select added-value items, sign their authorisation and securely drop-off their keys within dedicated lockers built securely into the kiosks.    

Home check-in works through links sent to customers via SMS, email or OEM apps. Customers access a unique to them dealer branded webpage where their personal details can be updated, and the agreed plan of service is presented for verification. Customers can also add notes regarding other potential items of repair that may need looking into.

The dealers themselves can create value added services and questions for presentation to the customer at this stage. Customers can choose items such as an oil top-up, wiper blade replacements, a complimentary car wash and a free vehicle valuation.

Once they arrive at the dealer, they can approach the kiosk and complete their check-in quickly and efficiently, without the need to wait for a service adviser.

The added value items and questions impact on dealer profitability. The average added value sale in the UK last month was £1,085, comfortably covering the cost of the service. We also saw 7,800 requests for service plans, showing the desire for customers to manage their costs, while also being a great lead for service teams. We also saw over 6,180 requests for vehicle valuations, a useful sales opportunity in these times of used car shortages.

GTO: Was this product ahead of its time bearing in mind the COVID-19 pandemic?

NP: Undoubtedly, we were ahead of our time. We were the first company to offer the joint benefit of a digital contactless reception process and a secure key drop.

Tjekvik is a complete digital reception service where you can check-in either online prior to arrival, or at the kiosk itself. The dealers can also tailor the kiosk to their business needs.

This is just the beginning of the journey. We are already developing the next evolution of the Tjekvik software that will only ask specific questions based on the vehicle being checked in, such as EV related questions for electric vehicles.

GTO: How does the Tjekvik checking-out system differ to the checking-in system. 

NP: For customers already in the diary, it’s easy for the advisor to send a link with a secure 4 digit pin code to the customer. If the customer isn’t in the service diary, a body repair for example, the service team can create a check out for them using the same process.

If there’s a payment to be made, the customer will receive a second link to the payment provider. Importantly, the customer will need to make payment before they’re able to retrieve their keys from the kiosk locker, protecting cash flow.

GTO: What about customer updates during the service?

NP: Currently we only provide customer interactions during check in and check out, but this is something we are already looking to implement, and it will be called ‘Appointment Trail’. The Appointment Trail will enable the customer to have live updates as to where their vehicle is in the repair process.

We believe that this will give up to 30% of time back to the service advisers’ day, and give customers a quick and easy way to review the status of their vehicle’s service or repair.

GTO: Does Tjekvik’s technologies extend operating hours for the service centres?

NP: They certainly do. Using the kiosk for check in and check out enables the service team to operate to the same hours as a showroom, so Saturday afternoons and Sundays for example. We also have our outdoor kiosk solution that can provide a 24/7 service. Our solution can also integrate with courtesy car management software, so the collection and return of courtesy cars can be completed through the kiosks.

GTO: Can this system be provided in the dealers’ branding?

NP: Yes, the customer facing screens, both mobile and kiosk, can use the dealers’ branding and corporate colours. The dealers are also, within guidelines, free to brand the kiosks themselves.

GTO: So this really is a new experience for both customers and service advisers?

NP: It is. We are looking to make things as easy as possible for all sides with our self-service check-in and check-out solutions. We estimate we can save service advisors around 12 minutes per customer, which frees up a lot of time for them to do the jobs that get missed, like amber item follow ups. It also enables service advisers to focus on those customers who want or need a personal service.