COVID Hub

Another lockdown? Prevent downtime while you’re adjusting your processes and use the guides below to get your business back up and running quickly.

Tips and tricks for operating contactless

Financial support for businesses (NZ only)

Letting people know you’re open

Health and safety

Additional links

Tips and tricks for operating contactless

Accessing your system remotely

Access your system anytime, anywhere with the instructions below. Remote access provides flexibility in managing your business to assist with the changing levels.

Hosted Customers

Hosted customers can find instructions on how to access your system via this Knowledge Base article.

Non-Hosted Customers

TeamViewer can be used as a short-term solution for remote access. but it is important to note that:

  • You may need your IT technician to ensure persistent connection credentials.
  • Your office computers must remain powered on and connected to the internet (auto-reboot may cause trouble).
  • You cannot access your office computers remotely if someone (e.g. a staff) is already using it onsite.

Visit www.teamviewer.com to find out more.

We’ve also found a handy ‘how-to-guide’ available online at: https://www.wikihow.com/Install-Teamviewer

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How to get hosted

Get permanent remote access flexibility with a hosted system. During COVID we’re running a cost-price promotion to help keep you running, you only pay what we pay. For this period we’re offering upgrades to hosting at $60 base and $29 per user, (minterm of six months). Request the hosting upgrade via the form below.

  • You can securely access your system remotely from any internet-connected location.
  • More than one person can access at any given time (password protected login).
  • Your data is securely stored within our environmentally controlled server room with back-up power generation.
  • Our engineers proactively monitor system resources, security and virus protection.

We can only upgrade a limited number of sites per day, so if you are interested, please leave your details below.  We will contact you as soon as we can to confirm a time for an upgrade.

Processing the wage subsidy in your system

If your business has experienced a minimum 30% decline in actual or predicted revenue over the period of a month, when compared with the same month last year, and that decline is related to COVID-19, you could be eligible for a wage subsidy.  You can find the full details of the subsidy and further qualifying criteria on the Employment NZ or Work and Income websites.

*As per these websites, you do not have to pay GST or tax on the subsidy. It is exempt from GST and is classified as “excluded income” for tax purposes.

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Financial support for businesses (NZ only)

Processing the wage subsidy in your system

Round two of the fifth Wage Subsidy opens today, Friday 3rd September. We’ve prepared guides on processing the payment in your cashbook. Please refer to your accountant for advice on the appropriate general ledger code for the wage subsidy.

Follow the links below for product specific Knowledge Base guides:

Resurgence payment reporting

The government reactivated the Resurgence payment for businesses that have experienced a drop off of at least 30% in revenue due lockdown. The below links provide guidance on producing supporting revenue reports needed for your applications.

Follow the links below for product specific Knowledge Base guides:

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Add-ons to help you be contactless

SMS Add-on

Upgrade your software to include a monthly allowance of SMS messages. Receive your first 3 months at no charge.

Click here to activate your SMS Add-on. 

Contactless Payments

If you need contact-less payment solutions, our partners at Windcave can help – enquire now

Animated Hygiene Policy

You can also use Vehicle Visuals to send animations demonstrating your hygiene policy to customers, click here to read more, including a special discount offered to SAM customers.

SAM Customers can receive a special 20% discount on new VehicleVisuals subscriptions by entering the code sam2020save when signing up for their service.If you have the Vehicle Visuals add-on and would like to add this to your customer communication, simply click the “Vehicle Visuals” button in the SMS menu (feel free to email us if you need more help). 

Debtor Info

Most of our software systems provide an interface with DebtorInfo, enabling you to upload your aged debtors directly to DebtorInfo and utilise their services to improve your collection of unpaid accounts.

Read More

If you sign up with DebtorInfo, contact accounts@sam.co.nz to request the integration.

It’s a financially uncertain time; so Genoapay enables you to offer your customers a simple payment plan with no fees or interest so they can keep their car on the road; while protecting your cashflow with payments from Genoapay being processed within 48 hours.

For sites using our SAM Workshop Management System, there is a direct interface with Genoapay that simplifies the sign-up process for you and your customers.

Genoapay

Genoapay helps you get paid faster (usually within 48 business hours!) while enabling your customers to pay over 10 weekly instalments. Genoapay enables you to offer your customers a simple payment plan with no fees or interest so they can keep their car on the road; while protecting your cashflow with payments from Genoapay being processed within 48 hours.

For sites using our SAM Workshop Management System, there is a direct interface with Genoapay that simplifies the sign-up process for you and your customers.

Find out more about Genopay and SAM.

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Let customers know you’re open

Promotion features

There’s been a lot of confusion about what businesses are open at each level of lockdown.

Let your customers know you’re open for businesses and the processes you have in place to keep everyone safe. 

 You can do this by either emailing your customer base using the Marketing functionality of your software, or sending a brief SMS that includes a link to more details on your website.

Remember to outline your:

  • COVID-19 Safety Plan (contact-less service & payment process)
  • Business hours during Level-3

Email instructions:

SMS instructions:

Charges apply for SMS based on the number of messages sent – check the qty included in your SMS add-on before sending to your whole database. Don’t have the SMS add-on? Click here to complete the Bulk SMS Request form

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One-off bulk messages

Customers that do not have the SMS add-on included in their package can still send ad hoc SMS messages. We’re currently offering a $25 discount for one-off SMS send outs, $120.00 for 1000 SMS. 

If you wish to contact your customers via SMS, complete the add-on form on Knowledge Base. 

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Activate the monthly SMS add-on

Get an allowance of SMS messages added to your account each month so you can send service/WOF reminders to your customers regularly.

Sign up form and pricing information is available on Knowledge Base. 

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Templates for promotional emails and text messages

Open for business

Email

Hi [first name]

We’re still open for your WOF, services and [other services]. During Level 3 lockdown we will be operating at [time] – [time], Monday to Friday.

To keep you safe, we’ve implemented the following practices:

  • Contactless drop-offs
  • Regularly washing of hands between jobs
  • Wiping down cars before returning them to you

You can book in for your service/WOF by calling us at [phone number] or online at [web address]

Thanks from the team at [business name]

ABC Motors
www.abcmotors.co.nz
09 123 4567

SMS

“We’re still open for business as usual for contactless WOF, services and repairs. Give us a call to book your service on [phone number]. Thanks from the team at [business name], see you soon.”

Click here for instructions on how to send a bulk SMS message. 

Contactless dropoff procedure

Hi [first name] 

Thanks for booking in for [service] on [date] at [time] . Please follow the below procedure when you arrive for your booking: 

  1. Before you visit please clear your car of clutter to reduce the possibility of unnecessary contact and wipe down surfaces like the steering wheel, handbrake, gear stick, door handles and mirrors.
  2. When arriving, please call us from your car and we will come to you to check you in.
  3. We will take your name, address and phone number for our COVID-19 register.

Our team will be observing the necessary social distancing practices (under Alert Level 3 this is a minimum of 2 metres), wearing gloves and masks where appropriate and washing their hands between each job.

It is important to note that currently, we can only accept card (debit or credit) or on account as a form of payment. We cannot accept cash or cheques.

Thanks for your help in keeping us all safe.

Warm regards
ABC Workshop

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Health and safety

Workshop hygiene policy

Thanks to our partners at Vehicle Visuals, you can now easily send their hygiene policy animation to your customers via SAM – assuming you do have these hygiene policies in place of course. 

vehicle visuals
Covid
Special offer

SAM Customers can receive a special 20% discount on new VehicleVisuals subscriptions by entering the code sam2020save when signing up for their service.

 If you have the Vehicle Visuals add-on and would like to add this to your customer communication, simply click the “Vehicle Visuals” button in the SMS menu (feel free to email us if you need more help). 


Contactless drop-offs

Reassure your customers of the practices you’ve implemented to keep them and your team safe by clearly communicating your contactless drop off procedure. 

Once you’ve confirmed their booking, follow up with an email confirmation that includes instructions on what they need to do when they arrive.

We’ve prepared the following template for you: 

Hi [first name] 

Thanks for booking in for [service] on [date] at [time] . Please follow the below procedure when you arrive for your booking: 

  1. Before you visit please clear your car of clutter to reduce the possibility of unnecessary contact and wipe down surfaces like the steering wheel, handbrake, gear stick, door handles and mirrors.
  2. When arriving, please call us from your car and we will come to you to check you in.
  3. We will take your name, address and phone number for our COVID-19 register.

Our team will be observing the necessary social distancing practices (under Alert Level 3 this is a minimum of 2 metres), wearing gloves and masks where appropriate and washing their hands between each job.

It is important to note that currently, we can only accept card (debit or credit) or on account as a form of payment. We cannot accept cash or cheques.

Thanks for your help in keeping us all safe.

Warm regards
ABC Workshop


Safety plans

Safety plan template

Safety plans are recommended for operation under Level 3 and Level 2.  The VIA has developed a template for the motor vehicle industry based on the WorkSafe guidelines. Access the template here.  

VIA recommends maintaining your safety plan for level two and three in case of a second wave of Covid-19

How to incorporate my COVID-19 Safety Plan into my system?

Under alert level 3, businesses need to have a COVID-19 safety plan to operate (learn more from WORKSAFE).  As part of this plan, you may have developed a new hygiene policy (e.g. clean & wipe-down processes and contact-less payment).

To support our customers through this difficult time, we are offering FREE Online Pre-Start and Pre-Delivery Hygiene check-sheets using our SmartCheck platform to the first 20 customers that register their interest below.

These check-sheets can be incorporated into your business processes (e.g. “did you wipe-down the steering wheel”) to help with your COVID-19 Safety Plan.  While this would not be the only part of your COVID-19 Safety Plan, it will definitely help you tick off some of the boxes.