(Private) Makerith Motors

[Matt Joule]

Matt comes by during the day on a Tuesday with some color paper print outs of google search results.

"See, everyone's got a Google Page, whether you set one up or not, and people put up reviews. See this one, 'Kniesel's Auto Service Centers'? They get it. They have mostly good reviews, but see whenever there's a bad review, even from an obvious asshole like see this one, where they say 'don't go here, go to the carwash nextdoor'? Stupid. But someone from the auto place still replies, saying'we're sorry if you had a bad experience, we have no record of you using us, but if you would like to contact us, we want to make it right'. See, that's smart, cause that's what people will see when they go Google for a mechanic close to them." he says.

"So, here's yours. Nothing from you. Some good ones, people saying they got good service or good prices or whatever. See this one though? It says the jerk posted it while they were waiting on an oil change; they complain about how long it takes. I bet they never said a word to you in person though, right? But now everyone who is doing a search will see this. You gotta respond to this shit." he says.

"Best way to do this though, is you can set up, well I can set it up for you, where you claim your google page, and set up one on Yelp too, and it messages you to take a look when a review goes up, so you can respond. Actually, I can set up an interface and code some responses for you, like variations on 'We're sorry, we want to contact you, we will make it right.' That kind of stuff, but you gotta actually do it then, like call 'em up and give 'em a discount next time or something."

[Emily Makerith]

Emily nods along, dressed in her particulaly greasy coveralls that would clearly have been bright pink at one point, now dull and covered in assorted motor fluids. Her bright blue hair clashes horribly. "Hey, I know that! I may be a slammin' hottie but I'm not completely clueless. You say you're gonna do something online where everyone can see it, you gotta make good. That's just good business."

She vaults down off the workbench and heads over to the "office" - the corner with the desk, computer, and Emily's surprisingly arranged filing system - and drops into the battered swivel chair. "Okay. Let's get going. Do the thing, stretch."

[Matt Joule]

Matt seems unimpressed by the filing system muttering something about "...paper..." in a tone of disgust, but he attacks the computer with a vengeance, keyboarding with amazing speed incongruous with his size and the size of his hands!

"So yeah, Google already has your site, but now we're claiming it..." Matt gets information from Emily on her business, whether she's a sole proprietor with everything in her name personally or incorporated with the business effectively a legal 'person' of it's own, it's debts and income separate from her own. He enters information referring to some examples from her paperwork for customers and parts orders, taking some quick pictures with his phone and uploading them to her new site and then using different ones for a Yelp site, and then creating a site from whole cloth that is actually for the business.

Time passes with Matt apparently completely unaware, and it is 45 minutes later even at his amazingly rapid pace when he straightens up, standing and stretching. He says, "Okay. So you are set up with the usual stuff for people who are looking for a mechanic, you'll get a text if anyone posts a review, so you can see what they say and do something about it if the automatic response isn't enough." he says, "But now you have your own site too, where you can scan in your documents, and it will track your customers, and let them know when they're due to come in for service or something. It's a company that hosts it and does the actual emails, you don't have to do anything except go in and update your schedule when you want to close or something." he says.

He looks at her filing system. "I got a scanner in the car. I figured you might need one. I'll show you how to run your paper through it, and then it will track stuff for you automatically from there." he says. "I'll show you, and you show whoever is here when you're not, and you can basically run everything from your phone wherever you are from now on." he says, sounding satisfied. "People still gotta pay in person, but that's a separate thing. Please tell me you're using Square or something, not paying for a hardline payment system for credit cards?" he asks, almost pleading.

[Emily Makerith]

Emily leers. "Listen, Stretch, I said "help". Not come in here and critique everything I'm doing. This is a very small side of what I have to do to keep this place ticking over. Fact is, a lot of my clients pay in good old fashioned, All-American dollars. The motor industry isn't exactly bleeding-edge when it comes to tech, paying or working."

The Ithaeur looks at her phone. "Hate to tell you this buddy, but I normally leave the phone here. Doesn't always fit in my pants, if you get me."

[Ruach]

wrong account. *sigh* Sorry.

[Matt Joule]

Matt smirks, "Yeah. Okay. I get that you do actual work and stuff; I don't know how to fix engines. I do know data. So just trust me, like I won't try to tell you how to fix my motor. I have you set up now with a system that will practically run itself. It should save you a bunch of time with your books, and scheduling, and you won't have to answer the phone as much, because they can go to your website now, and see when an appointment is free. I get though, how long the work will take is just an estimate based on the triple A auto care estimator; it says that on your site, 'This is an estimate that can change depending on available parts and labor'." Matt says proudly.

"The point is, I want to help, and this should free up time for you, and let you focus on the actual repairs with way less time doing paperwork."he says, looking around, "You can start using it right off, but you will need to scan in the old stuff to get your customer histories and patterns." he says. "The best part is, when you file taxes, this system will just put the numbers in and generate the forms for you, and e-file quarterly."

[Emily Makerith]

The Iron Master looks quietly impressed. "Really? Less paperwork for me? I do hate the paperwork. And you say it does taxes automatically too? I hate all that stuff..." Emily says, starting to get keen.

"Okay, big guy. Show me how all this works."

[Matt Joule]

Matt smiles and launches into it, having Emily sit at the computer and walking her through things with surprising patience and clarity. It takes another 30 minutes, and really does seem simple and straight forward enough, that Emily can easily imagine teaching a trusted employee to do it if she needs to.

Apparently he's done this before, a lot. The one thing Emily notices as odd is that Matt never mentions money. Apparently everything he's set up and has connected her to is free, or at least no charge to her. All of her paperwork will not only be on her computer, but apparently, securely stored online, 'in the cloud'. Her new web site and the storage of all her records and her customers records and data and the new program on her computer that connects it all together is at no cost to her. Oh and the scanner, which turns out to be hardened for use in a shop with a touchscreen control that oil and grease just wipes off.

[Emily Makerith]

"Wow. That's pretty neat," Emily says as the intense demo comes to an end. "How did you learn all this stuff, Matt? You sound like a real... Master." She puts just enough emphasis on the Master part that tribe is clearly what she means.

[Matt Joule]

"School, and on my own. You know, before." Matt says, apparently missing the reference to a Tribal affiliation or affinity. "Finished up a degree a couple years ago, and I get jobs freelance, just...coding. I like it, and I'm really good." he says.

"Coding is Pure. Relaxing. Before I Changed, coding was pretty much the only time I was relaxed, except being stoned. Now, I don't stay buzzed long enough for it to be worth the trouble, but running free as a wolf...that's even better."