Fleet drivers gain access to Halfords workshop bookings thanks to epyx integration

A new innovation is enabling fleet drivers to book directly into workshop diaries at 503 Halfords-owned service centres for the first time.

The new technology – which covers both Halfords Autocentre and National Tyre and Autocare (NTA) garages – means users can select their preferred workshop location online through almost any digital device, view the slots available, and confirm a time and date. 

The development has been made possible by a new integration between epyx’s 1link Service Network service, maintenance and repair platform with Halford’s own systems.

Mike Daniels, sales director at Halfords, said: “Real time diary integration is an important step forward for Halfords Autocentres.  Company car and van drivers or service booking teams can now see availability for any individual garage and instantly reserve an appointment, removing delays associated with waiting for them to check, then confirm the booking.  This represents a real improvement in customer experience and is already reducing lead times significantly.

“Especially, it means that confirmed bookings can be made 24/7, rather than just during workshop opening times, which is a definite efficiency gain for busy drivers who spend a lot of time on the road.”

Greg Tucker, director, OEM and network management at epyx, said: “This kind of direct booking has been something that we’ve wanted to deliver for our users for many years, and has only recently been made possible by new integrations of the type made between our 1link Service Network Driver Booking Module and Halfords.

“Instead of drivers sending a proposed booking to a workshop online and receiving what is essentially a manual reply from a user of the dealer’s software, they can go directly into a Halfords workshop diary and choose their own slot. It’s a benefit for everyone involved.”