Sales

With visits to repair shops on the decline, building customer loyalty is more important than ever. Developing a large and stable database of regular customers can help eliminate the constant need to acquire new customers. Your loyal customers can also serve as a great referral source for your shop. According to the research firm The Gartner Group, 20% of a business’ existing customers generate 80% of that business’ profits.

Ever notice how in upscale neighborhoods, even the fast food restaurants are nicer? Instead of a bright red roof and the famous golden arches, the McDonald’s in ritzy Aspen, CO, for example, boasts a second-floor fireplace and is housed in a sedate red brick building that blends in seamlessly with the surrounding architecture. The fancier digs reflect McDonald’s understanding that its target market in Aspen is far different than its target market in Akron, OH. The same idea holds true in the automotive repair world, but, unfortunately, too many shop owners fail to realistically identify their ideal market or customer.

We all know that there are many things you can do when it comes to customer retention. The list includes follow-up calls, sending out service reminder notices, ongoing advertising campaigns that keep your name at the top of the customer’s mind and scheduling the next visit at the time of car delivery, to name a few.

In order for people to buy from you, three things need to occur: they need to like you, trust you and view you as a credible expert. Accordingly, the first thing you need to sell to any caller is you; not your shop, or any repair. The best way to accomplish this goal is by smiling, answering the phone with a salutation, providing the caller with your name and the name of your company, and then ending with a question that invites a response.

If you haven’t heard from a customer for a longer than usual period of time, pick up the phone and give them a call! Years ago I developed a really easy way to start the conversation without sounding awkward or as though we were just looking for additional sales.

Let’s be honest: our industry has a less-than-stellar reputation, especially among women. It’s understandable, considering that less than 1% of ASE-certified technicians and only 7% of service advisors are female. This is still predominantly a man’s world; and let’s be real, most men just don’t get women.

A long-time customer approached me with a concern and asked, “Why is it that almost every time I come to see you, you recommend something? You are also more expensive than other shops. Why not just fix what I came in for?”

I’m going to level with you; there really isn’t some magic way to get the social media ROI you want (and think you need) as a shop owner. Sure, all the data may be there in one form or another, but it can take one heck of a lot of merging and purging to attribute that one sale to that one click on Facebook. Truth is; it’s a process that requires everyone involved to be all in. Yes, I am pointing directly and squarely at YOU.

Ok, I admit it. Let’s get it out in the open. I am a zombie movie fan. There is something about dead people shuffling around grunting in an expressionless, catatonic state that captivates me. The new TV series, The Walking Dead, is my current favorite show. However, when it comes to catatonic customer service people … well, that’s another story.

With the information we’ve attained from every customer panel we have moderated, with what we have learned from our focus groups, and with the feedback we have received from our members, one thing is certain: Customers like to know by 2:00 p.m. at the latest whether or not their vehicle will be finished that day.

Regardless of their income, the majority of your customers are very sensitive to price, even if they have been dealing with you for years. During these tough economic times they’re looking for value, and they determine value not by the lowest price, but by what they receive in return.

As I pinball across North America training independent tire and auto service businesses on sales and customer service, it has become clear that many salespeople are under the impression that they must aggressively work to close the sale when interacting with customers, or they will lose business.