Looking to improve your service business? Here are five practices used by many of the most successful shops in America to dominate their market.
From the growth in recycling and conservation efforts to increasing alternative energy sources and electric vehicle production, it’s clear that the “go green” movement isn’t going away. Moreover, many of today’s eco-conscious consumers are looking to align their spending dollars with businesses that share a similar viewpoint. By adding a “green” component to your marketing efforts, your shop could grow its customer base.
First of all, you need to know your failure rate. The top shops in America have extremely low failure rates in both parts and labor. I’ve also discovered that the overwhelming majority of those failures occur within the first 90 days of service, so regardless of whether your warranties are for 90 days or for years on end, you’re going to absorb all but a few of those failures within the first 90 days.
When it comes to dealing with objections, most service advisers shut down as soon as the customer says, “It’s too much money,” or “I’d like to think it over.” There are a number of reasons why, but the single most common reason is that the advisers don’t know how to handle the objections. Here is what I have discovered to be the best-kept secrets when it comes to dealing with sales objections.
Today’s consumers have more choices than ever before. When it comes to choosing someone to take care of their automotive needs, they turn to their friends, family and co-workers for recommendations, they consider brands that they’ve heard of and they also search the web. Once they have a shop in mind, they may then either reach out over the web or stop by the shop, but the majority of your potential customers will pick up the phone and give you a call.
Insurance can be a large fixed cost for any shop. Periodic reviews of insurance needs and coverage, however, can help reign in your costs. Follow these tips during your next insurance checkup to make sure your business is covered and you’re getting the best bang for your buck.
If there is one thing most shop owners have in common, it’s that they have big hearts. They typically start their careers as technicians, and, as soon as they have their own shops, they want to help as many people as they can. To achieve this goal, they network through their family and friends and do everything in their power to get the word out into their communities about their shop. And then the inevitable happens: they wake up one morning and decide it’s finally time to advertise.
“As long as I can remember, ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to be my own boss,” was the remark made by new business owner Dallas Griswold when asked what had made him decide to buy his own business. Nothing can better define the entrepreneurial spirit than that simple response, which really tells the whole story.
Business plans are for start-ups, right? Why would an established business need one? The fact is, the questions you have to answer as a start-up get forgotten in the daily hubbub of running a business. A little time spent asking some basic questions can trigger new opportunities, greater freedom or both.
For an industry that was once dominated by males, I’m pleased to have watched us evolve to a point where today we have female technicians, service advisers, managers and shop owners who are superstars in every regard. Without question, there are many powerful ladies throughout our industry who are role models for all of us.
In 1995, we moved our shop from the corner of a busy intersection to a sunken strip mall a half-block from the main road. We went from 100,000 cars driving by every day to 1,000 — maybe 1,500 on a great day. We went from a locked-in customer base to building a customer base from scratch.
The Internet has forever changed the way consumers shop. Today, competitors are always just a click, text or email away. In this new age, simply having an online presence isn’t enough. Shop owners who want to succeed must develop a comprehensive online marketing strategy designed to both attract and retain customers.
