“Honestly, our old software caused so many headaches, there wasn’t much hesitation about moving over. We were all ready for something better and Auxo Workshop was just that. It’s made everything way less hassle.”
Simpsons Tyres & Autocare has been in the game of providing Taranaki with top notch tyre and automotive care for nearly 40 years. Current owner Bodie’s history with Simpsons started way back in 1997, when he joined as a spritely apprentice fresh out of school. He learnt the ropes through Simpsons one car at a time, working his way up to Assistant Manager and eventually taking on the business in 2018.
Bodie and his partner Jenna, who looks after the admin side of things, are both Taranaki locals with a deep love for their community. Always looking for ways to offer better prices and products, they made the decision to align with Goodyear in 2023.
When it came to providing the people of Taranaki with expert local knowledge and premium service, Simpsons was second to none. However, behind the scenes there were some challenges with their workshop management software, and the admin side of things was creating a world of headaches. We caught up with Kaliska, current Assistant Manager, to hear a little about how Simpsons overcame their software woes.
“We were constantly having issues with our old system, especially syncing payments with Xero,” said Kaliska, who’s been part of the team for nearly three years. “The totals were always wrong. It was just a huge pain.”
The Simpsons team knew their current software wasn’t working, so Bodie decided it was time to take the wheel and find something better. After doing some digging, they landed on Auxo Workshop, persuaded mostly by word-of-mouth.
Their biggest concern going into the switch was whether they’d finally be free from their old payment syncing issues. That was the real deal-breaker. But it turns out they’d made the right choice; with Auxo Workshop that issue was kicked to the curb.
“It’s worked perfectly for us. That problem is completely gone now,” Kaliska said. “Honestly, our old software caused so many headaches, there wasn’t much hesitation about moving over. We were all ready for something better and Auxo Workshop was just that.”
When it came to the transition, there were a few small bumps on the road. The data transfer between systems meant some of the customer details weren’t quite complete, but it was nothing the team couldn’t handle. With Auxo’s support, they were able to get everything sorted. “The support staff made the move way easier,” Kaliska said. “They were wicked! Always on top of everything and if we had a question, they answered it straight away. Especially Maraea; her one-on-one training gave the whole team the confidence they needed for the move.”
As well as solving their accounting headaches, there were a bunch of other unexpected features that Auxo Workshop brought to the workbench.
“We love the tags feature,” said Kaliska. “It’s such a simple but super useful tool. We can quickly note if we’ve contacted the customer, or which loan car they used, or how they paid—cash, Afterpay, and all that.”
For a busy workshop like Simpsons, this kind of flexibility has been a game-changer for communication between admin and the workshop. Instead of chasing down scraps of info or relying on memory, everything’s there at a glance. “It just makes things easier to see and filter through, especially when the workshop is busy.” Which for Simpsons is most days.
Customer communication has also had a serious tune-up. Being able to see replies to SMS messages directly in the system has made keeping in touch a whole lot easier. “We love that we can see what customers reply,” says Kaliska. “It just makes it easier to keep track and follow up.”
And when it comes to WOF or service reminders, the team’s been able to take a more targeted, timely approach. “We’ve honestly brought in so much more work just from that alone,” Kaliska says. “We’re staying on top of it, and customers appreciate the reminder.”
For other workshops feeling bogged down by clunky systems and syncing issues, Kaliska has some advice: make the move! “It’s 100% worth the switch. Auxo Workshop has made everything way less hassle.” With a new system under the hood that’s reliable, easy to use, and built for the realities of running a busy workshop, Simpsons Tyres & Autocare are thriving.
