From the blog Customer Service in Your Auto Repair Customers Will Remember

In auto repair, stellar customer service is crucial to long-term business profitability. After all, returning customers make up 80% of business profits.

So while you should maintain a proactive marketing approach, every shop should treat customers with the utmost respect. 

Here are five tips to help you out. Test them out today! 

1. Follow up when you’re done

Exceptional customer service goes above and beyond everyday needs. So don’t stop serving when your customer walks out the door. 

Show customers you care.

Follow up with them after they’ve visited you, two or three days after finishing repairs. Take this time to casually survey them about their experience. If something’s amiss, use your better judgment to make things right.

Follow-up programs start conversations, creating a more personal company-customer relationship.

Prove you care, and your customers will care about you, too.

2. Offer customer loyalty programs 

Car costs can notoriously put a dent in any budget. Unfortunately, they’re sometimes necessary. Things like oil changes annoy customers to no end. 

Implementing customer loyalty programs retains customers and endears your shop to them.

There’s a bunch of different loyalty programs. Pick the ones best suited to your needs: 

  • Milestone perks, like offering a free oil change after five or so full-price changes. 
  • Purchase bonuses, like a free wash with every service check. 
  • Exclusive services, like courtesy rides for returning customers who need major repairs.

The key with perks is to be as original as you can. Let your value help you stand out!

3. Send out service reminders 

Since all cars need regular maintenance anyway, it’s smart to send out service reminders to each customer. Windshield stickers are fine. But, you can also send personalized reminders via email, text and social media

Service reminders keep roads safe and remind customers your repair shop is there.

In each reminder, consider including coupons or sales offers on other services, as well as links to your website, your blog, and your social media pages.

Remembering your customers and, in turn, reminding them about your full range of services gets them more involved in your shop.

4. Use vanity phone numbers 

Remember all those memorable phone numbers in daytime television commercials? Those are vanity numbers, and any business can get one for themselves.

They might look cheesy, but they’re proven to work. Statistics show that inbound calls convert to revenue 15-25 times more than web leads. To put it into perspective—the more calls you get, the more income you generate. 

Vanity phone numbers might look cheesy, but they’re so memorable the cheesiness is worth it.

In addition to increasing inbound call rates, vanity numbers are a market investment in their own right. You can use them across different ad campaigns. They provide consistency, a building block for brand awareness.

Make a fun challenge for yourself. How clever can you make your vanity number? 

5. Make your waiting room comfortable

Standard full-service repairs average three hours to finish. It’s okay to try minimizing wait times. But you can also go out of your way to make your waiting room comfortable.

Offer complimentary coffee, water and snacks. Grab some inexpensive, comfy thrift store furniture. Place phone charging docks throughout the room.

No need to go over the top with your amenities. The real point here is to make yourself memorable and capitalize on the popular boutique business model.

Let’s take a look back

Improving customer service brings more returning customers. It also goes a long way to maintaining sustainable growth.

  • Follow up with customers after completing repairs
  • Create a loyalty program suiting your needs and customer interests
  • Send customers comprehensive service reminders
  • Use a memorable, fun vanity phone number
  • Add inexpensive boutique comforts to your waiting room

Make your customer service stellar, and the business will bring in itself.

KEEP READING: 7 Ways to Get 5-Star Reviews for Your Auto Shop

Are you ready to grow together?