Do you walk away from small jobs in the hopes of pulling in more cars at higher ticket averages? Do you turn away service requests for flat tires, oil changes, emission tests or inspections because you think of them as merely transactional – one-time only deals, bottom-feeders, price shoppers?
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Change that mindset. Instead of thinking about ticket average, I focus solely on market share. I want my customers to have a one-stop shop. I always say yes, because if they take their business elsewhere, they might stay with that shop. I do not want them going anywhere else to get any type of automotive service.
A few years ago I talked to a neighbor, who mentioned getting a brake job done. I asked about how our shop did and he responded, “Oh, I did not get it fixed at your shop, because a few months ago, I went there for an oil change and they were too busy. I figured they would be too busy for a brake job.” That statement from my neighbor changed the way I viewed those small jobs.
Do you turn away customers in the same way? Consider this situation: You have two customers, one just walked in the door or called on the phone and the second already has a car in a bay. You might believe in first come, first served, but in reality, the car in the bay is already sold and the one coming in the door marks another opportunity for a sale.
Feast or famine often describes the repair business, but if you want to grow your sales you must always sell upcoming work. Building a successful shop means saying yes to everyone. If a customer calls and asks if we have time to do an oil change we say, “come in right now and I’ll have your filter ready and waiting for you.”
Let’s say you have six bays and a small job comes in. You absolutely have to say yes, even though you may not have a bay available. You must time-manage the back of your shop and keep a fast pace. Inform the technicians that the priority is the walk-in customer. This way you build your foundation for upcoming work and you increase your car count.
If It’s Not a Yes, It’s a No
Anything other than an immediate yes means no to your customers. When a customer needs an oil change, they have already allotted an hour of their time for that particular car repair/maintenance. So what happens when you tell them that you’re backed up or ask them to return later or worse, the next day? The customer finds another shop that can provide this service on his or her schedule.
Of course, you might have to pull other cars out of the bays to work on this car. You might view accepting this ticket as a nuisance. You might even think that the oil change customer is not worth it, and that he or she probably will not return for a bigger item. Believing that the customer will not agree to a flush or another service on that visit could be a mistake.
Take the customer’s car back immediately and quickly perform a diagnostic. Then return to the customer suggesting another service, all while assuring him or her that it will be completed in the same time frame. If you distinguish yourself from other shops by providing fast, friendly and efficient service, your customers will be more willing to trust your advice and buy more products and services from you.
How to Avoid Saying ‘No’ to Your Customers
Avoiding “no” starts right when the consumer walks in the front door. Your front counter staff should say yes to all your customers all day, every day. If a customer comes into our shop, or calls for service today, we will not “schedule” customers for an oil change or service at a later time, we say, “Is now a good time to bring in your vehicle?”
Remember, an oil change represents more than a meager ticket. It serves as an opportunity to introduce your shop to them. With that one service, you have a chance to build credibility and to show the customer that you understand the importance of his or her needs and schedule. Saying no to your customers will potentially cause you to lose a customer for life, eliminate future growth with that customer and possible referrals, and inevitably reduce your market of potential new customers.
When advertising with direct mail, prepare your staff for when a customer comes in with the offer. Your staff is saying yes by explaining the offer and showing customers the value of the coupon. For example, “this oil change/seasonal check-up/get acquainted coupon advertises a great offer. At no additional cost, we will do an inspection of your vehicle, and if we find any safety or maintenance issues we will let you know.” Now you can return to the customer and pitch additional services or maintenance depending on the results.
You say yes to customers in a lot of ways. Make sure you greet customers, open doors for them and thank them for their business. Use positive, customer-focused phrasing. By saying yes, you will build stronger business relationships ensuring that those customers will return to your shop for their next big repair.
Give it a Test Run
For the next 30 days, I challenge you to say yes to every customer who calls or comes in. And, I want to know how it works for you. Email me at [email protected] and let me know what happened when you stopped saying no and started saying yes.
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