As the world progresses in this high-tech age, the auto repair business is no exception.

Portage la Prairie's Prime Auto owner Nolan Friesen says they now text or email digital inspection reports if you're not present, along with physically showing you the work they're doing to your car in the shop if you're there.

"I do a little bit of both, especially if the customer is able to be present when we're working on their vehicle. We've partnered up with a company -- a very technical savvy company -- that allows us to do digital inspections. For every vehicle we have that comes in we have an electronic work order. So with this work order, we do inspections. And we have inspections on our tablets which we use."

Friesen says the texts or emails can be sent to your smartphone or computer.

Texted Photo showing where vehicle repair work is necessary, with explanation of the reason
Text message indicating the link to see photos and digital inspection report
"We can take pictures of the repairs required, or from services that need to be done. Then we can electronically send them to our customers. That way our customers don't have to be present while we're working on their vehicle, but they can still be very much in the process of how we repair them, or whether the repairs need to be done. It works very well with today's very busy lifestyles. People are at work while we're working on their vehicles, and they don't want to be bothered by us phoning them."

He says they've been doing this for about eight months now, and were the first ones in Manitoba using the system. Friesen says they were a sort of test bed, and now several companies are also getting on board. He says customers love it and they've come to expect the digital service, which is great for business. Friesen says the abililty to actually see the repairs as they're done, and realize why they have to be done works wonderfully. He explains the auto repair business as a whole has garnered a tainted reputation, and the digital reports provide credibility, seeing as they can show pictures of the actual vehicle they're working on.

Webpage from texted link showing you detailed information of your inspection and links to view larger images of photosIt's an American company they're teamed up with that's currently growing throughout Canada. Once they saw it online, they pursued the system, knowing it would get ahead of the recent curve in the market. He notes it does slow things down in some ways, taking time for pictures, but it really helps with the credibility.

Prime Auto, Portage la PrairieFriesen says they've also scheduled oil changes using digital media. Beyond just sticking a label in the top left corner of your windshield for your next oil change, they automatically schedule it by calculating your mileage and driving habits after a couple of oil changes to determine your due date. Then they'll text you five days in advance, informing you of the date. Friesen says they've become extremely accurate within two weeks and sometimes to the very day. He notes when customers often call for an oil change appointment only to thankfully find it's been already scheduled in a couple of days.

He adds if you want to step into the future of car service, give them a call.