It’s Your Business
- Subject: Setting yourself apart from the competition
- Essential Reading: Shop Owner, Center Manager
- Author: Terry Greenhut, Transmission Digest Business Editor
As gasoline prices continue to rise and interest rates drop with the Federal Reserve’s effort to stimulate the economy, consumers are becoming increasingly wary of how they spend their money. It’s not that they won’t spend it; it’s more that they want to realize considerable value for the money they spend. In other words, they want to see proof that their investments are worthwhile. Gambling on anything in times like these isn’t going to happen. Consumers are looking for the sure thing.
Since consumers have the luxury of being more finicky about their purchases, our industry needs to fight harder for every sale and be sure that when we make one it is profitable and creates or continues a long-term relationship. In times like these we want to offer the consumer the whole package as it relates to the entire experience of doing business with us; the “END ALL TO BEAT ALL” of the industry. It’s the “WOW!” factor, the “I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M IN AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP!” factor.
To provide the wow factor we need to set ourselves apart from our competitors in several ways.
One
Our quality must be better. We have to use the best parts we can find, the ones that will allow us to put the maximum warranty on every job we do. We can’t skimp, so we can’t afford to sell our work for any less than what we really need to maintain profitability.
Two
Our education must be constant and continuing. We can’t stop taking classes, because the technology isn’t about to stop changing anytime soon. If anything, the changes will be more frequent and substantial as we convert from fossil fuel to other sources. Before the manufacturers land on one particular source they will no doubt try many, causing several design changes over the coming years. We will need to learn to deal with each of those changes. If we fall behind we may not be able to catch up.
The hybrid vehicles in production right now are a great example. Every manufacturer has a different idea of how a hybrid should work. GM just came out with a line of trucks that use two electric motors built into the transmission. Thank you, GM. But it’s for sure that will change again and again over the coming years.
Three
Our shops have to give customers a case of the “warm and fuzzies” every time they stop in. Everything has to be clean, modern and inviting. Building and parking-lot maintenance has to be up to par. There should be signs and painted lines that show customers where they need to park and enter the facility. They should know they are in the right place. There should be no confusion.
Four
You know the greeter at Wal-Mart, the person who is all smiles and welcomes you no matter why you stopped in? That’s what we need, someone to greet a customer with a big smile even if it turns out to be a comeback or some other unpleasant situation. It’s kind of like my pup dog. He doesn’t care why I’m home; he just cares that I am. He gets all excited and is thrilled to see me. In fact, because dogs don’t have much of a sense of time, if I go outside for a few minutes and come back in he acts as if I’ve been gone all day and gets just as excited again. That’s what we should do, get all excited when people come in. Regardless of whether they’ve been in before and no matter why they’ve come in, we need to be excited just because they are coming to see us.
Five
Listen as though you really care. Show genuine concern for their problems. Look people in the eyes. Don’t let your attention stray. One big upset for a customer is to see the service adviser’s mind stray right in the middle of an explanation of their problem. Learn to focus on the current issue. The customer you are speaking with, whether on the phone or in person, always takes precedence over anything else that’s happening at that particular moment. Nothing happens in any shop until a good sale is made. Be sure to focus all your attention on making the sale.
Six
Accommodate everyone no matter how far out of your way you need to go. Give them a ride home or to work. Offer to pick them up when the car is done. Open early or stay late if you need to. Be flexible. Rolling with the punches could be your key to surviving this recession and its aftermath. I once saw my ex-partner, who was in the business of rebuilding truck engines, send a deliveryman 53 miles in each direction to supply a customer with a $5 part. When I asked why, he said, “Today he only needs the $5 part; tomorrow he might need the $12,000 motor, and I want him to think of us first.”
Seven
Explain yourself in a way they will understand. Don’t use big words or industry jargon when speaking with laymen. They won’t get it and you will lose their attention. If you were ever in the middle of reading a book and found yourself at the bottom of a page not remembering anything you read on that page, the usual explanation is that somewhere near the top of the page you passed by a word that you did not fully understand. Your mind focused so strongly on trying to figure out its meaning that you blocked out all the following words on the page, never allowing them into your subconscious.
That’s what happens when you use big words with people. You lose them. They don’t hear anything you say after that word for the next several paragraphs – on top of which, people think you’re being a smart guy or are trying to put one over on them by using big words. I read an article in which the author said the average American understands vocabulary at a sixth-grade level. He said it was OK to speak at that level even to well-educated people; they would not be offended by the simplicity of it. On the other hand, if you spoke above that level you would probably offend about 90% of your audience because they wouldn’t understand and would think you were purposely going over their heads.
Eight
Walk them through the sale from start to finish. When it’s time to call the customer to sell the job, walk him back through the entire sales process so he again understands how he got to this point and to remind him of all the steps he has already approved.
For example: “Mr. Johnson, do you recall when you first called and told me you thought your transmission was slipping, I invited you in for a free road test and adjustment check?”
He will have to say, “Yes, I remember.”
Then you say: “The results of those tests were that there was some type of a malfunction in the transmission, so you authorized us to remove the transmission pan for further investigation. The debris in the pan indicated that there indeed was transmission damage. The only thing we couldn’t determine was how much and exactly where it was coming from, so you authorized us to remove, disassemble and inspect your transmission to determine which parts we could salvage and which would need to be replaced. Do you remember?” Again he will have to agree that he remembers.
Then say: “I now have a list of the worn and damaged parts along with the associated labor to repair your transmission. I’ll go through them, and if at any point you need further explanation just stop me and I’ll go into more detail. Understand that I am not going to try to sell you anything. I will explain what you need and why you need it, and inform you of any options that are available. Then I will simply ask you to choose the one that best suits your needs. Is that fair?”
If the customer agrees that it is fair, he also has agreed to choose one of the options you are about to offer. That will stop the “I want to think it over” objection.
Walking the customer back through the steps of the sale may take you a few extra minutes, but the results will be well worth the effort.
Nine
Be a friend to everyone, or at least act as if you are. People respond so well to that. They like to feel that there is a personal component to a business relationship. On weekend afternoons in the summer I work as a “starter” at a local municipal golf course.
“Why?” you might ask?
Because I love golf, I play for free anytime I want, and I want to a lot. I also like all the other “starters and rangers.” They are all retired small-business owners who have a passion for the game. Anyway, we all decided that we were going to make this county-owned course one of the most-user-friendly golf courses in America. We wanted to show people that they didn’t have to join a country club to be well treated and enjoy their round of golf.
How do we do it? That’s the easiest part. We smile. We talk with them. We call everybody “Buddy or Pal.” We make sure they start to play on time, and we address problems out on the course that slow down play. We say hello when they arrive and goodbye when they leave. We ask whether they had fun and whether there are any issues they would like to bring to our attention. We make sure the course is set up to be challenging but not so hard as to ruin their enjoyment. We encourage the next generation to come out and play. In other words we make it a good time for everyone.
Do you think you can find a way to do some of that in your business? Although it’s obvious that people don’t look forward to having their cars serviced or repaired, it needs to be done, so the least you should do is make it a pleasant experience that will prompt them to return to you for all their automotive needs. One of my old wholesale accounts was a service station named “Dom’s Friendly Service.” I used to think that was the corniest name there could be until I realized that they were extremely friendly and always busy. That wasn’t an accident. They worked at it.
Ten
Your ultimate future in this business depends on how well you follow up to ensure a steady stream of customers. The bumper-to-bumper inspections, along with the service reminders and follow-up phone calls, will determine how busy you will be and how well you will retain customers. The more effort you put in, the more you will get out. If you don’t have the right software in your computer to generate the leads you need, think about making an investment in new shop-management software that has the capability to attract the appropriate number of customers. If you do have the right software, push the button. It works only if you push the button telling it to perform the action.
In times like these a new focus of energy on the customer is a necessity. We are poised to do quite well in a stressful economic climate if we can only make the necessary adjustments. Just do it!
Visit www.TerryGreenhut.com.
