These days the world can seem overrun by auto repair businesses. In order to stand out, you have to be trusted and reliable. When it comes to people’s means of transportation, they aren’t going to give their business to just anybody—especially in a field notorious for adding extra costs and unnecessary expenses.
You know you have to earn your customer’s trust and loyalty when you’re in the auto repair industry. Here are some great ways to do that:
REDUCE EMPLOYEE TURNOVER
Nothing looks worse to customers than their always having to deal with new employees every time they take their car in for service. The core of any business is the workers—a professional, happy staff will yield much better service and many more frequent customers. To retain your employees, treat them well. Pay them properly, offer them benefits and let them know you’re on their side. Taking care of your own people is the first step to ensuring that you have a thriving auto repair business.
SHOW THAT YOUR WORK IS RELIABLE WITH TRANSPARENT GUARANTEES
Creating transparent guarantees that don’t come with a catch shows your customers that you stand behind your mechanics’ repair work. A guarantee lets your customers know that they can trust you if anything goes wrong. Whether you’re guaranteeing a specific fix by a designated amount of miles or a certain time span, your customers are much more likely to feel comfortable with you than if you don’t offer them any guarantee. You’re showing them that you have confidence in your shop’s work and so can they.
CREATE AND DISPLAY A COMPANY ETHICS STATEMENT
Let customers know that you have values and you’re not out to scam them. Create a statement that spells out your beliefs and your best practices. Tell your customers that you won’t upsell them what’s not needed. Promise that you won’t hit them with hidden fees, and you won’t charge them for repairs or services that they could do without—one of the biggest complaints that customers give. Let them know that you won’t do that, and prominently display your ethics statement in the customers’ waiting area.
REWARD LOYALTY
Remember: it costs more money to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Reward your loyal customers. Send them birthday coupons, or give them a free oil change after you’ve done a certain amount. Rewarding loyalty builds a sense of community. As auto mechanics know well, when a customer truly trusts you with their car, they’re not going to go somewhere else. Having loyal customers will also likely increase your chances of getting referrals—and so your business will grow on the foundation of trust that you helped inspire.