Back to resources How to Make Car Repair Easier for Your Customers Posted on December 27, 2024 in Articles Are you making it harder for customers to do business with you? Your service advisors and technicians are between a rock and a hard place – the work they need to get done and access to the customer. Your Challenge as an Auto Shop We all know that you want to provide excellent service to your customers. And you want to keep them coming back while making a profit. You need to move cars through your bays, but your customers are more and more likely to drop their car off to come pick it up later. How can you achieve your goals, keep your team & your shop efficient, increase your average repair order (ARO), and keep your customers coming back time and again? It’s time to think about how to make it easy for your customers to do business with you. Your Auto Shop Customer Consider your average customer. Over 66% of US car owners are between the ages of 20 and 591, meaning – they're working professionals. And if they’re not, they are college students, busy parents, or business owners like you. They may be your #1 priority, but you are likely not theirs. And guess what - none of them want to answer the phone. According to the Pew Research Center, “Only 19% of Americans generally pick up cellphone calls from unknown numbers.”2 What’s a service manager trying to get a decision made to do? These same customers want their car maintenance and repair work done quickly and cost-effectively, despite the majority not fully understanding auto repair. It’s a trope that’s been overused, but the stats don’t lie. A whopping 78% of recently surveyed Americans still don’t always trust their mechanic.3 What’s a Shop Owner To Do? How can you help bridge the divide between your shop’s needs and your customers’ time-starved, fear-driven needs? Maybe you’ve got a shop management tool; maybe you don’t. Maybe you have a Digital Vehicle Inspection Tool (DVI); maybe you don’t. If not, it’s time to upgrade your technology. And if you do have these tools but you’re not encouraging your staff to fully utilize your DVI, the texting features in it, plus integrated text-to-pay options, you might be missing the boat. Let’s consider this personal experience from a shop’s customer in Birmingham, AL: “I took my car to the same shop for years. I trusted them, but it was so hard to get in and out. I work basically the same hours that they are open during the week and can’t be without my car on the weekends. So our engagements would go like this – I'd leave my car after work and drop my key in the dropbox. My husband or daughter would pick me up. The next day, I would work from home or get a ride to work. I’m on calls and in meetings almost all day. I’d miss the call from the shop. They would leave a message. I’d call them back and usually have to leave a message for the person who called me. It was so frustrating. “By the time we actually connected, my car would have to be in the shop for an extra day. Then we’d play phone-tag again for me to pay over the phone with my credit card because they’d be closed by the time I could get there to pick up my car. Sharing my credit card number over the phone never felt...secure. I ended up going to a new shop after I traded in my car. They started texting me with information & payment links. It was amazing! I knew exactly what they were recommending, could make decisions from my phone, and pay through a secure payment gateway. I got my car back faster and totally understood what was being done to my car. Every shop should do this for their customers!” As hard as that experience was for the customer, it’s equally frustrating for your staff and your bottom line. There is a better way. Change Their Minds As the younger generations become the customers of today and tomorrow, the expectations for the use of technology will only grow. Using the texting features in your tool stack has a proven ability to increase your ARO and get cars through the bays faster. It builds transparency and trust with your customer. It makes it easier for them to do business with you. And it will build a loyal customer base that will not only keep them coming back but have them recommending you to their friends and family. At Shop-Ware, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get you set up with a product demo with one of our specialists to discover exactly which tool will work best for the needs of your shop. About the Author Shannon Vann Shannon Vann is the SVP of Marketing for Vehlo.
