Auto Shop Writer Bulletins

Many of you have probably encountered the significant rise in “unsolicited phone calls”.  The use of robot calls, and repetitive calls, has increased significantly.

In recent months, the distraction to our conducting business has become so great that we have now employed a new call blocking system.  If you call from a number that is in our records for your shop, then your call will go straight through.  However, we have had many calls from shops who have blocked their ID, and thus will be handled by our spam filter.

If you wish to add numbers to your shop record, so we can update our records, please email support@masterlinksoftware.com with the shop name, and phone number to add.

If our system does not recognize your phone number, then you will be sent directly to voice mail.  Please leave a message with your name, shop name, and phone number, and you will receive a return call.  Unfortunately, our email system is sometimes slow to update the notification on our phone, so the response could be delayed.

Your call will likely receive a response within minutes.  However, sometimes it is not possible to interrupt another call, or to interrupt some software testing that is in progress, so you could experience a short delay.  Rest assured, you will get a call back.  Also, remember that calls are handled on weekends, and for extended hours, but our office is in the Pacific time zone, and thus there may be a time difference.

For forty years we’ve been pretty fortunate, and have kept the lines clear for our clients, but the illegal activity of phone solicitors and scammers ( thieves ) has become untenable in disrupting our normal operations.  

Thank you.

As we’ve worked on the Version 12 upgrade, and continue to expand on it’s features and customization, three new areas of focus have arisen.  YOUR INPUT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

First, right now a parts description is 30 characters long.  WIth our space available on printouts, we really can’t fit more on that line.  However, we could add a second, even longer, line to the description IF IT WOULD BE OF BENEFIT.  This line would only print if you use it.  Also, we would add that in inventory and stock input/PO so it would automatically apply everywhere.  DO YOU THINK A SECOND LINE FOR A PART DESCRIPTION WOULD BE HELPFUL ?

Second, When we started this software 40 years ago, part numbers were used and normal.  Every part had a unique number, assigned by the manufacturer, and that was all any shop required.  With the creation of barcodes, those numbers could be coded, and read, easily.  Then UPCs ( Universal Product Codes ) came into use, and have become universal.  These do not match the part numbers used by manufacturers, so we had to allow for ASW to read, and save, both.  Using a scanner does allow you to input the UPC easily, but you would still have to enter the part number manually.  We constantly study ways to improve this process, and in Version 12 we have hopefully streamlined it a bit.  So here is the question:  DO YOU THINK UPCs SHOULD BE PRINTED ON THE INVOICE?  SHOULD YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO PRINT EITHER THE PART NUMBER, OR THE UPC, OR SHOULD BOTH BE ON THERE?

Third:  Over the years we have been asked about customizing the invoice format.  We’ve done quite a few modifications, allowing for boxes, shadows, logos, watermarks, grouping of parts all together, or itemized under each labor item, and customizable text for disclaimers and even promo posts.  We still get asked if the Invoices can be customized but we never hear suggestions.  DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW WE COULD MAKE THE INVOICE PRINTOUT EVEN BETTER FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS ?  Please keep in mind, this is what you present to your customers, and they will want to understand it.

You will notice that these are all open ended questions.  That is because we REALLY want to hear what you have to say, so we are not using one of those check the options boxes.  Please send an email to TimStone@MasterLinkSoftware.com with your responses.  They will be greatly appreciated.  Your views do matter.