If you want to have lots of customers raving about your auto repair shop, you need to have great customer service.
Here are seven of the biggest customer service mistakes that many auto repair shops make. You’ll want to avoid these mistakes at all costs.
You’ll have a lot happier customers if you stay away from these mistakes.
Mistake #1: Failure To Listen – In the auto repair business, it’s sometimes easy to ignore what the customer says. Your primary focus is on the car. However, if you want customers to come back to your repair shop, it’s very important to take the time to listen to their problems.
Depending on the region where you live, the average car repair cost is somewhere between $200-$400. That’s a significant amount of money for just about any family. Listening to your customers will help alleviate any stress they may be experiencing.
By listening to your customers, you’ll keep them happy and you’ll also understand how to better communicate with them.
Mistake #2: Not Being Available – If there’s one thing you should avoid, it’s being inaccessible to your customers. Obviously it’s tough to have someone manning the desk 24/7 at a repair shop, especially when you’re understaffed.
However, it’s very important to promptly deal with customer concerns and questions. If you can’t have someone at your front counter, consider installing some sort of bell or paging system to help customers talk with someone.
Most of the time, the customers just want to know how much longer the repair will take. Even so, it’s still important to immediately help them if you want them to become a regular customer.
Mistake #3: Underperforming – We all know that customers have certain expectations whenever they make any purchase. With auto repair, customers generally want three things when it comes to service:
- Speedy Service
- Quality Service
- Service That They Can Trust
If you underperform in any of these three areas, you’re going to have an unhappy customer. If customers are unhappy, be sure to apologize and possibly compensate them. Compensation could be a discount as well as future, complimentary service.
In the highly competitive auto repair business, underperformance is not an option. Make sure your staff is properly trained to handle customers and their needs.
Mistake #4: Mispronouncing Names – It’s important to call a customer by their name. It helps to create a more personal relationship. Usually you can find their name on a credit card or driver’s license.
But before you say their name, be sure you know how to say it. If you are unsure, it’s OK to ask. They’ll appreciate it.
Mistake #5: Getting Mad At The Customer – There are going to be times when things won’t go smoothly with a customer. It’s during these times that you’ll want to keep your cool. There’s nothing worse than exploding on a disgruntled customer, especially if there are other customers in your shop.
If it’s an extremely tense situation, take a step back to gather your thoughts. There are plenty of ways to stay calm in stressful situations. These include accepting the situation, deep breathing and looking at the bigger picture.
Remember, getting mad at the customer doesn’t solve anything. All it does is add more fuel to the fire.
Mistake #6: Lying – While this one may seem obvious, you would be surprised how many businesses over promise and under deliver. When customers don’t feel like they get what they expected, they feel betrayed.
Be sure to train your mechanics on how to interact with customers. Remind them to not over promise. Also tell them the importance of never lying to any customers.
Mistake #7: Lack of Manners – Finally, you’ll want to make sure that your customers are all treated with respect. To do this, you’ll want to have customer service rules in place at your repair shop.
These should include teaching your employees how to properly answer the telephone as well as rules against chewing gum and profane language in the work place.
Summary
At FastTrak Auto Shop Management Systems, we help improve the customer experience with our repair shop management software and our tire shop management software.
Our software allows you to streamline business operations, so you have more time to work on repairs and talk with your customers. Our software makes taking inventory easy. It also allows you to sell more by staying in better contact with your customers.
To learn more about our software, visit our website. There, you can request a demo to see our software in action.
