Telephone Procedure Dos and Don'ts

A. Little Help

Author: Art Little
Subject Matter: Management

I began investigating how to maximize leads in today’s shops last year by interviewing some online lead experts, since that is where all the leads are nowadays. The common opinion in their line of work was that they would be a lot more successful if the managers in our industry knew how to answer the phone properly and convert their leads into jobs. I know there is a lot of truth in that because I have listened to recordings of my managers and when I saw them next, it was all I could do to keep my hands off their throats; however, there are a lot of managers out there in our industry that are trained on proper telephone procedure and know how to set a lead. The lead guys like them. Good salesmen make them look good. But, on the other hand, a good lead guy can make a salesman look good too.

Logically, the trick would be to get the good lead guy and the good salesman together, I guess. That being said, this month my investigation into maximizing leads takes me back to the manager answering the phone again. I thought I had just about beat all the hair off of that dog in my other articles on telephone policies and procedures, but it doesn’t look like we have solved the problem (at least according to the lead experts). So to all the managers out there, in an effort to make you look like rock stars to your customers and, in return, make the lead experts look like rock stars to the shop owners, I will offer up my list of the 10 top dos and don’ts when it comes to answering the phone at a transmission shop.

DOs

#1 Get organized and be ready to sell.

Before you start, you might make a list of reasons why customers would want to come to your shop instead of your competitors’. What makes your shop special? Don’t brag on yourself. Brag on your techs and the shop. Find a place to sell. Choose areas away from customers to do your selling. Go in your office to sell and shut the door when possible to avoid distractions. Use a telephone procedure pad to read the track and rebuttals and write down the customer information. Set a pad next to every phone and make those your secondary sales areas. Have a pen at every station and one in your pocket. Immediately after you hang up the phone, take the information you have written on the telephone procedure pad and record the lead into your lead flow system at the shop under the follow-up category.

#2 Let the customer vent.

Ask them questions like, “Exactly what is the vehicle doing?”, “How long has it been doing that?”, “Does this happen once in awhile or all the time?” and “Is there any noise?” Then let them tell their story. They need to tell someone and get it out. It helps to slow the customer down and it gives you a chance to find out how you can serve them best.

#3 Minimize the problem and create an urgency.

The fact is, you don’t know if they have a transmission problem and neither do they, and if they do have a problem, it could be inside or outside the transmission. Tell them not to worry about it too much until you get the results of the diagnosis. It could be something simple to fix. Be positive, minimize their problem, stress the importance of a proper diagnostics and point out the fact that you are saving them $200 off what the dealer charges for diagnostics. Create an urgency to bring the vehicle in before it gets worse.

#4 Close the appointment.

There comes a time when you have asked the right questions and the customer has answered them. Now it is time to set an appointment. Ask if now or 2 PM would be better. Why? Because you are assuming the customer is going to make an appointment, now it is just a matter of when. Make it personal. Make the customer feel like you care about them and their problem. Tell them that you are going to take a drive together when they get there and they can show you what the problem is and you will have a solution when you finish the diagnosis. Treat them like family. Erase their fear and make them want to come to you for their solution.

#5 Avoid distractions.

When you are selling on the phone, everyone in the shop should keep distractions away from you. You should designate a second employee to answer the phone and take messages after the third ring anytime you are selling. Stay on the lead until you set the lead and do not get distracted.

DON’Ts

#1 Don’t let the customer control you.

You don’t have a chance if you do not take control of the customer when they call. Use the telephone procedure to guide and control the sale. We are not parts salesmen at their disposal. The fact is, “How much?” is the only question they know to ask when they call. That is why we have our questions to ask. Be patient and answer the customer politely, without giving a price if you can, and learn to rely on your telephone procedure to get your leads in. It is your best bet.

#2 Don’t let the phone ring off the wall.

The manager should always answer the phone before the third ring is over. If the manager does not answer the phone, there should be a designated back-up for the third to the fourth ring, then, after the fourth ring, everybody answers the phone as fast as they can. If the manager is away from the shop, the designated second answers the phone and only takes messages for the manager. The second does not talk to customers about their repairs. Instead, they tell the customer that they have to get back to work and will give the manager the message.

#3 Don’t shoot from the hip.

If you haven’t been trained on proper telephone procedure, you and your shop are at a distinct disadvantage. Fact: It is easier to sell with a telephone procedure than it is to shoot from the hip. Find and use a telephone procedure that you like, or write your own, just say the same thing every time. It is a no brainer. Quit working so hard.

#4 Don’t waste time on the phone.

Figure out your priorities. If you are talking on the phone with anyone other than a customer and the phone rings, put them on hold. It may be a new lead. You are not making any money when you are talking to the parts salesman. Leave conversations with your friends and relatives at home. You need to be focused when the phone rings and be able to make them want to bring their problem to you. If you and your wife are having a problem, the customer’s problem doesn’t seem so important. Stay focused and be ready when the money line rings.

#5 Don’t price over the phone – unless…

The idea is to make the customer understand that he doesn’t need a price right now. He needs a proper diagnosis and yours is free. It is the same diagnosis the dealership charges $200 for and you are able to work him in right away. Get the customer to like you and trust you and want to bring his problem to you. Work on that in your own way on the phone and don’t give a price without a complete diagnosis in your hands, unless….

Did you ever meet a salesman who didn’t have one more thing for you to consider before you said no? Well, here it is. You can tell the price shopper that, “As a manager, I cannot give you a price. I can only schedule a free diagnosis. Would you like to speak to the owner?” This sales procedure establishes a front-line with the manager and a safety net with the shop owner and transfers control of the sale to the owner before the lead is lost. The shop owner should try to set the appointment again but, if he can’t, he can give a price or make a “special deal” for them.

Understand that it is not to anyone’s advantage to quote prices over the phone without even knowing what color the vehicle is. That can create a list of problems for you and the customer. We only do it to satisfy customer pressure to know some kind of a price before they will schedule an appointment with us. So the plan is to try to explain why they need a diagnosis instead of a price first and stick with that, unless… you think you are going to lose the lead. Then, let the owner quote a price, only if he has to in order to save the lead. Also, another advantage is that the customer is more likely to come in if he gets a “special” quote from the owner. This telephone sales procedure lets us enjoy the best of both worlds and maximize every lead.

#6 Don’t be lazy.

Get a different attitude about Internet shoppers. A lead is a lead to a real salesman. It is just an opportunity to make a sale. Some are better than others. Have a good attitude. Call back your Internet form submissions ASAP. Record every lead. Categorize the leads. Record the results of every conversation. Follow up with form submissions, no shows and FTAs. It is the lead expert’s responsibility to make the phone ring. It is our responsibility to turn it into a sale.

Okay, maybe that is 11 Dos and Don’ts, but I had to get “Don’t be lazy” in there somewhere. Here is my advice to you. DO your best to get better every day and DON’T give up. Be patient with yourself, each other and the customers. Make that your goal and you will do fine. It takes time and effort to become great.