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How to pick a good mechanic (and become a favorite customer)
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By Counterman
This is always an important topic to discuss, because I consider excellent customer service one of the most important tools you can have to earn trust, respect and repeat business from the customers that come through your door. Whether that customer is do-it-yourselfer from across town or the professional repair shop across the street, your business depends on a solid relationship.
It’s a subject that I am passionate about, and it’s one that many people are losing touch with. Whether you are communicating to someone in person, on the phone or using some type of social media, good customer service and bad can both exist. You can’t afford the latter, so this is the first in a series of topics which can and should be shared from the front of the shop to the back. No matter which role you hold, you represent the shop and yourself. Customer service should be your number one priority.
First on the list is the greeting. From the second a customer walks in the door, they need to know you appreciate them coming in and how important they are to your business. First impressions are everything and here’s the correct way to do it each and every time: look them directly in the eye, smile and say hello!
Of course, you can say “Good morning” or “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare,” but it should be a formal greeting and the most important thing is that you have smiled, looked them in the eye and recognized that they have walked through the door.
You should always retain a formal greeting until you are on a first-name basis with a customer. Only once you have established that level of relationship is it OK to use the less formal greeting of “Hi,” followed by the person’s name.
This greeting does more than just indicate respect and appreciation for someone walking through the door. Most likely there are customers both new and old who are in earshot of your conversation. For newer customers, this continues to build rapport and reinforce their positive view of your shop; they see that you demonstrate respect and treat everyone in the same manner. For repeat customers, even ones that have been coming for years, the greeting is important because the way you treat them is the reason they continue to come.
And when a long-time customer comes in and you greet them with “Hi [First Name],” this indicates your appreciation for them and that you’re glad to see them as a person, more than just a customer. New customers that witness this will see that your repeat customers are comfortable enough to be on a first-name basis, another indication of the trust they have in you.
If you impress someone with remembering their name and what you did last to their car, you just built a skyscraper of rapport.
There are certain situations where you will always greet someone by Mr., Mrs. or Miss., and that is usually after you have seen them often enough to remember their name, but before you know them on a first-name basis. Many people will say, “Just call me [First Name],” letting you know it’s OK, but until then it’s a sign of respect to use a formal greeting. In some cases, you may always use the formal; it can vary from person to person.
When thinking about the greeting, keep in mind that many people are uncomfortable walking into an unknown situation. They are probably already stressed because their car is broken, and they know it’s going to cost them money. And they may have never been to your shop or been there too often. Your greeting puts them immediately at ease and indicates, especially if there are other people waiting (and this is very important), that you have acknowledged they are there. They’ll be comfortable knowing that you’ll get to them as soon as possible.
It’s going to happen, often enough, that you will either be on the phone, right in the middle of explaining something to a customer or have your back turned at the moment someone walks in. If you’re on the phone, it’s easy. Simply smile and wave. That’s all it takes. Don’t use a phone call as an excuse to ignore and not initiate a greeting. You’ll probably even have coworkers that do this, hoping they won’t have to wait on this person. Advice for you: don’t. It’s a sign of weakness.
Once you’re off the phone, be sure to make an audible greeting and let them know how long it will be until you are available to help. If you’re currently talking to a customer when someone walks in, you don’t have to stop abruptly or cut them off to make a greeting, but don’t take too long. Wait just until you finish a thought and squeeze in a quick audible greeting, such as, “I’ll be with you in just a couple minutes, sir.”
One of my favorite tricks as a service writer is to always be alert and pay attention to cars as they pull up. Try to jot down the license if possible. There’s a good possibility that you will recognize cars before you remember someone’s name. You may remember that the car was in and you may recognize the person, but that’s it. If you’re quick on the fingers, before they get in the door, you can do a license plate search and bring up their name and also see what was done last.
If you impress someone with remembering their name and what you did last to their car, you just built a skyscraper of rapport. They’ll never know you “cheated.”
Heres’ another trick, even if you only had time to jot down the license number and you greeted someone, “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare, I’ll be right with you,” this indicates to someone that you are finishing something up and will let them know when you are ready. Even if you buy yourself 10 seconds, you can look up the license plate, then you can say, “I can help you now Mr. Smith. We did brakes just last month, right?”
Perhaps the most critical is that you always smile and greet your customers, no matter what. I don’t care how bad a day you are having, or if you had a difficult situation with the last customer. It doesn’t matter. Let it go and concentrate on whomever just walked in the door.
Your greeting is your first impression. Just like a strong handshake, dressing nicely and being on time for a job interview, this is your chance. Don’t blow it. You are, for all practical purposes, walking into a job interview. You are looking for a job and your customer is doing the hiring.
Customer service. That’s how it’s done.
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By Mighty Auto Parts
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. Four-Wheel and All-Wheel Drive vehicles have flooded the market. Look around your neighborhood, parking lots, daily traffic routes, etc. They come in the form of trucks and SUVs, many of which will never encounter off-road or inclement weather conditions that would require a four-wheel drive application. With these additional driveline components come some challenges for […]
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By Counterman
Customers are the core of our business, and communicating with them effectively is critical to our success.
While each customer (and transaction) presents a unique set of opportunities and challenges, individual customers often can be classified into one of several broad types. Obviously, “profiling” or “stereotyping” an individual customer when you first meet them shortchanges everyone involved, but understanding the kinds of customers that make up your clientele gives us an idea of how to deal with each customer type once we actually get to know them.
Depending on which marketing firm or consulting group you choose to believe, there are between four and 10 basic customer types. No matter how many categories you prefer to use, it’s the psychology behind these differences that holds the key to connecting with as many of them as possible. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so a “new” customer is the one with the greatest potential. Even if a new customer has familiarity with your business, they may not have experienced it directly. Your advertising, reputation or a personal referral (presumably all positive) have encouraged them to visit your location for their needs. Now is the time to show them what they’ve been missing!
Consultative selling is a technique that focuses on building a relationship and determining what your products can do for your customer. By concentrating on the customer’s needs, you can further qualify them as one of the many customer types, and then offer the most appropriate solution for their individual situation. The immediate need might be for a battery or brake pads, but discovering the reason behind the intended purchase can open up the conversation in ways that make it easier for you to sell the most appropriate product for your customer. It also can minimize disappointment and build trust, by ensuring that the products and services are truly useful and meet the customer’s expectations.
Once the new customer becomes an “active” customer, you haven’t entirely sealed the deal. There’s a huge difference between gaining a customer and keeping a customer. An active customer isn’t necessarily a loyal customer, so using what you’ve already learned about their needs makes it a little easier to meet those needs each time. Neglecting or disappointing your new and active customers leaves the door open for them to become someone else’s new and active customers. Building upon each successful transaction (and learning from any less-than-successful ones) helps you turn these types of customers into the most desirable customer type: the loyal customer.
Loyal customers are at the heart of the 80/20 rule, which states that 80% of your business comes from roughly 20% of your customer base. New and active customers may come and go (sometimes through no fault of your own), but that solid core of loyal customers is what really keeps your lights turned on and your employees paid every week. As 80% of your business, these are the customers you really need to know and understand. Delivering best-in-class service and focusing on being an integral part of their success will help ensure that these customers remain loyal and even advocate for your business!
With proper care and feeding, we can reap the benefits of that natural progression from “new” to “active” to “loyal,” but along the way we may discover that we have some lapsed or unhappy customers. Timing is critical when addressing these “at-risk” customer types. An unhappy customer (even a loyal one) is likely to become a lapsed customer if we continue to fail them, especially if our competition surpasses us in service, pricing or any other metric. We need to identify and correct the core issues behind their dissatisfaction before that customer has the chance to cozy up to another vendor.
The at-risk customer tends to taper off slowly, so if you aren’t paying attention, you may not even realize it until it’s too late! If a valued customer does become lapsed, you should still attempt to salvage that relationship by determining what caused the lapse in the first place. The feedback also may prove to be useful in the future when dealing with other customers, who might have similar needs and objections.
No matter if it’s a retail or a commercial account, knowing the most effective ways to connect with each customer type helps create repeat business and build your brand.
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By Alan
To Importers in the Global Tire Industry:
Please read this as it might inspire you. Many international friends have been perplexed about how to import tires manufactured in China and sell them in their home countries. China's tire industry has experienced rapid growth over the past decade, marking a period of significant dividends. Many early investments in large factories have yielded substantial returns. However, with an increasing number of factories and brands, the competition has intensified. For those who wish to enter this industry but are unsure about how to proceed, please follow my website. I will periodically update it with information about China's tire industry for your reference.
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