Angela
7 Tips For Excellent Customer Service In Automotive Repair Shops
Find out how to manage a mechanic shop in a way that every customer feels valued.
Table of Contents
Tip 1. Educate People On How to Treat Their Cars Right
Tip 2. Personalize Experience to Deliver the Best Service and Repair
Tip 3. Take Care of the Appearance of Your Shop and Mechanics
Tip 4. Break Through the Language Barrier of Tech Jargon
Tip 5. Become the “One and Only” Shop in Your Customer Vehicle’s Life
Tip 6. Beat the Stereotype of Car Mechanics Being Shady
Tip 7. Show Empathy When Dealing with Customer’s Frustration
6 Steps to Providing Outstanding Customer Service in Auto Repair Shops
Final Thoughts
How to convince customers to trust my mechanics with their cars? How to build long-term relationships with my clientele?.. If you constantly ask yourself these questions, that’s a good sign. This means you care for what you do and want to do it better. Sometimes, you just need the inspiration to find new solutions for old problems. That’s precisely what this article is about — ideas of how minor improvements in your auto repair shop management can make a big difference in automotive customer service.
Tip 1. Educate People On How to Treat Their Cars Right
As doctors say, preventive healthcare is the most effective and cheapest way to stay healthy — the same is valid for vehicles. Your shop as a car hospital should promote a regular maintenance approach to your customers. As soon as they take the adult responsibility of caring for their cars, there will be fewer complaints about high repair prices, complicated repair procedures, or “unnecessary” work.
Videos Featuring Auto Mechanic Tips
Publish how-to videos on open resources to share your knowledge with a broad audience. Worrying about losing customers because everyone would start repairing their cars at home? This just won’t happen, and here are two reasons. First, many people don’t like to get their hands dirty in the car trying out things they have never done before. Second, an average vehicle owner won’t do the repairs themselves because of safety concerns. And for you, showing your techs’ expertise and personality in the videos will increase trust and attract new prospects.
Automatic Maintenance Reminders
When you want to build a loyal customer base, the minor thing you can do is to take away the burden of planning regular maintenance services. Just set up automatic reminders of any maintenance works you recommend doing routinely, inviting your customers to schedule an appointment. For example, in Orderry, it is possible to configure such messages to be sent as emails, SMS, or instant messages.
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Tip 2. Personalize Experience to Deliver the Best Service and Repair
Are you good at remembering names? And your mechanics? If yes, congratulations! You are among the minority of people having this rare ability. If not, a CRM is a must for your mechanic business. With customer data stored in the cloud, you’ll quickly look up names, vehicle details, and repair history on a smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
Additionally, you can create custom fields for even more personalization, e.g., car nicknames. So, you’ll be able to warm up the conversation right from the start: “Hello, John, how is Susie doing?”
Example of custom fields in Orderry
Tip 3. Take Care of the Appearance of Your Shop and Mechanics
Running a successful auto repair shop often involves dealing with all kinds of drivers: male and female, young and experienced, tech-savvy, and “not having a clue.” Indeed, you cannot please all of them, but your goal should be to make your shop for repairs a convenient, friendly place where everyone will feel welcome. For example, no posters with inappropriate photos, jokes, or mechanic jargon (this topic we will discuss in the next tip). Schedule regular cleaning of the shop area and the bays, and ensure your automotive service technicians always wear a decent uniform.
Tip 4. Break Through the Language Barrier of Tech Jargon
Everyone likes to sound smart, but that’s not a good path to take when describing automotive repair with the car to non-technical people. Using many terms and phrases that only mechanics understand reduces credibility and negatively impacts the customer you are talking to.
Example of mechanic’s jargon
A possible solution to this could be creating a vocabulary list of the most used terms with neutral alternatives or descriptions in simple words. This way, your mechanics can quickly look at it before talking to people with less technical knowledge.
Tip 5. Become the “One and Only” Shop in Your Customer Vehicle’s Life
Looking for an auto repair shop is like finding a new dentist...it’s not fun at all. Researching and comparing different options takes energy and makes you uncertain and confused. People tend to stick to their choices for years to avoid such stress.
The truth is that the quality itself isn’t the critical point here. Customers may be pretty happy with your work, but if you do not provide all the essential services needed for their vehicles, they’ll be on the search again, probably going to competitors that can do more.
Another auto shop management tip here is to look at your service list as if you were a typical car owner from the neighborhood. Think of what you need to do to keep your vehicle on the road for as long as possible, and use these ideas to improve customer service and satisfaction.
Tip 6. Beat the Stereotype of Car Mechanics Being Shady
That’s impressive how many topics about the evil intentions of car mechanics are discussed on different online platforms these days. Just look at the following search results:
Questions people ask online about auto mechanics
People's main concerns are overcharging and being manipulated to pay for unnecessary work. An excellent solution to this is being transparent about what you are charging your customers. Each repair order should have transparent estimates and invoices so everyone knows exactly what is happening.
In Orderry mechanic shop management software, invoicing customers is a matter of one button click. You can create any document you need in the work order, print it out, or send it via email.
Creating an invoice directly from repair orders in Orderry
Tip 7. Show Empathy When Dealing with Customer’s Frustration
It is so difficult to suddenly be without a car, isn’t it? And especially hard if you don’t know for how long...Uncertainty provokes anxiety which means additional stress. This is how your customers feel when something breaks in their cars. And in such a mood, they come to you.
So what to do to make the situation less stressful for them? The only way to beat anxiety is through information. You should constantly update your clients about what is happening with their cars so they know you’re working on solving their problems and everything will be fine.
In Orderry, you can enable automatic notifications of each step in the order processing process to boost your car customer satisfaction. And with the Orderry Work Orders app, your mechanics will easily take photos of the repairs they are doing and attach them to work orders immediately.
6 Steps to Providing Outstanding Customer Service in Auto Repair Shops
Following a few simple steps, you, as a shop owner, can ensure customers have a positive experience and keep returning for all their automotive needs and referring their friends and family, helping your business thrive.
- Create a Welcoming Environment. Make sure your waiting area is clean, comfortable, and well-lit. Provide amenities such as free Wi-Fi, refreshments, and reading materials to keep your customers comfortable while they wait.
- Greet Customers with a Smile and a Friendly Attitude. A friendly greeting should be your habit when customers walk into your shop. Show genuine interest in their needs and make them feel valued and important. Remember, the first impression is crucial in building a solid customer relationship.
- Listen to Customers and Address Their Concerns. Listening to your customers is essential in providing outstanding customer service. Take the time to listen attentively to their concerns and ask questions to understand the issue entirely. Repeat their concerns to show that you actively listen and care about their needs.
- Provide Clear and Transparent Communication. Communication is vital in any customer service interaction. Clearly explain the repair process, costs, and timelines to your customers. Avoid using technical jargon and use language that is easy for customers to understand. Be transparent about any additional repairs or costs that may arise during the process, and always seek customer approval before proceeding.
- Offer Regular Updates and Progress Reports. Keeping your customers informed about the progress of their vehicle repairs is crucial. To keep them in the loop, provide regular updates through phone calls, text messages, or emails. If there are any delays or unexpected issues, promptly communicate this to the customer and offer alternative solutions.
- Provide Quality Workmanship and Guarantee. Ensure that the repairs performed on the customer's vehicle are of the highest quality. Use skilled technicians and quality parts, and follow industry best practices. Offer warranties or guarantees on your work to instill confidence in your customers.
- Follow up and Ask for Feedback. Follow up with your customers after the repair is complete to ensure their satisfaction. Ask for feedback (better online reviews) on their experience and if there is anything you could improve upon. This shows that you value their opinion and provides an opportunity to address any potential issues and turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal one.
- Build Long-Term Relationships. Lastly, focus on building long-term relationships with your customers. Offer loyalty programs, discounts, or special promotions to encourage repeat business. Remember to personalize your interactions and make your customers feel part of your automotive repair shop family.
Final Thoughts
Providing all the necessary information, showing respect, caring for customer needs, and smoothing internal processes helps you build goodwill and trust. This is a constant process and the only way to build your repeat customer base. Be ready to invest time and effort and encourage your team to support you. Orderry will take the administration part, the rest is on you.
