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A proactive Sales tip to improve customer retention and car counts


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Excellent points made Joe! I agree 100%. But I think there's a lot of confusion in conversations I read and follow on this forum - and what I hear when I talk with shop owners. The problem is that NOBODY wants to do the standard, run-of-the-mill-can't-make-money oil change. I get it. But that's NOT what it's all about. 

Now, I don't want to come off sounding like one of those "up-sell" rip-off types. But face it. Ask your customers this: "When it comes to auto service and maintenance, what service do you know you need?" The answer - OIL CHANGE. That's it. Nobody gets out of bed thinking about alignments, timing belts or brake calipers. 

The second point is pretty simple... but not at first. No matter how good you are; no matter what scanners or tools or equipment you have; no matter how honest or good a mechanic you are - you still can't service the car as it's driving down the road PAST your door! Am I right? 

But I don't blame the shop owner. If they look at profits - oil changes suck. But the truth is, what does that oil change lead to? Can you book that "next appointment for brake service" or whatever. You can't do that as the customer drives by your door, can you? 

Joe, I think your last sentence really does say a lot. From years of working with shop owners, I've found there's really two types; Those that make it happen; and those that wait and watch it happen. Only problem is... those who wait and watch it happen end up asking "What the %^%$> happened?" 

Hope this helps!

Matthew Lee
"The Car Count Fixer"

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         2 comments
      My son is not in the automotive industry. He is in the commercial real estate business. However, the workplace problems are the same. Recently, his frustration with the heads of the company reached an all-time high. When I asked him why he doesn’t speak up and let the leadership know how he is feeling, he responded, “Anyone who has voiced concerns or issues has been viewed as weak and incapable of doing their job. I don’t want to be viewed like that.” This is an example of a toxic work environment.
      If you are a shop owner, you are a leader. And leaders must be approachable. That means that you are willing to hear the concerns of others and have them express themselves. It also means that while you may not agree with someone’s perspective on an issue, it is their perspective, and that viewpoint needs to be recognized and respected.
      Make it known that you want to hear the opinions of others. Literally, ask for input from others. And thank those that speak up. Now, I am not saying that you need to act on every concern or opinion. That would not be realistic. But just listening may be enough. And you never know, someone in your company may have an idea that you never thought about and even improve your business.
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