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Posted

The customer is always right…..right? Well, not always.

 

For those of you who read my tips, you know how I feel about the importance to your business in creating world-class customer service. I will do just about anything when it comes to customer satisfaction. But there are things that transcend business. In the end, people are people and mutual respect between people must be observed and upheld.

 

In the thirty one years I have been in business there have been times when I had to tell someone to please leave and never come back. Those were the times when people crossed the line with either verbal abuse, asking me to commit fraud or perform a repair (or not perform a repair) that would jeopardize the safety of others.

 

Last summer I walked in the customer waiting room to find a first-time customer verbally abusing one of my service advisors. His car just failed the NY State safety inspection because of a cracked windshield. He was yelling and cursing because he stated that the windshield had been cracked for years and no other shop failed the inspection before.

 

I quietly walked over to him, introduced myself as the owner, gave him my business card, and said, “You owe my nothing for today’s service, leave now and please don’t ever come back”. He did leave in a huff, and my service advisor just shook his head.

 

Commit your business to world-class customer service. Be the best you can be and train you staff the same way. However, if you encounter a customer that crosses the line, it’s often best to part ways.

Posted

Occasionally I have had to do that. Sometimes it just becomes we are too busy to get you in today but maybe we could do the second Tuesday in next week.

Posted

Been there don't that... wrote the book, bought the t shirt... now just waiting to watch the movie.

 

if those Hollywood types wanted to make a reality TV series a Real reality TV show ... just go to a repair shop ... you'll get all the reality you'll ever need.

Posted

if the customers in the shop are half as bad as they are in the parts store. I would throw a few threw the window. You can do everything in your power to make someone happy. And they are still not happy. Or they are just plain ass hats,and cause trouble on purpose

Posted

Yes, I draw the line at verbal abuse and taking God's name in vain. I invite the offender to proceed on his/her journey because i don't want to stand in the way of thier success. I have only had to draw a gun once. B)

Posted

Yes, I draw the line at verbal abuse and taking God's name in vain. I invite the offender to proceed on his/her journey because i don't want to stand in the way of thier success. I have only had to draw a gun once. B)

 

Wow! I have never drawn a gun but I have called police three different times when someone would not leave.

Posted

We should look at our customers from time to time and decide who should be released from our service so we can concentrate on the top 80%, they will become better customers.

 

Frank

 

 

 

 

Posted

The customer is always right…..right? Well, not always.

 

For those of you who read my tips, you know how I feel about the importance to your business in creating world-class customer service. I will do just about anything when it comes to customer satisfaction. But there are things that transcend business. In the end, people are people and mutual respect between people must be observed and upheld.

 

In the thirty one years I have been in business there have been times when I had to tell someone to please leave and never come back. Those were the times when people crossed the line with either verbal abuse, asking me to commit fraud or perform a repair (or not perform a repair) that would jeopardize the safety of others.

 

Last summer I walked in the customer waiting room to find a first-time customer verbally abusing one of my service advisors. His car just failed the NY State safety inspection because of a cracked windshield. He was yelling and cursing because he stated that the windshield had been cracked for years and no other shop failed the inspection before.

 

I quietly walked over to him, introduced myself as the owner, gave him my business card, and said, “You owe my nothing for today’s service, leave now and please don’t ever come back”. He did leave in a huff, and my service advisor just shook his head.

 

Commit your business to world-class customer service. Be the best you can be and train you staff the same way. However, if you encounter a customer that crosses the line, it’s often best to part ways.

 

 

I agree customer service is the most important thing we have to offer that makes us different from the dealership. There are times when there isn't anything more you can do. I always say I am too old to put up with abuse. Yes, we fire customers. It isn't fair to our good customers, to take up our time on the crazys. 99.9 of our customers are the best. You can't let that .1% change how you do business.

Posted

When it comes to customers it's best to take the high road and remain calm and kind, That being said I have found that 20% of your customer's help create 80% of your business.

B)

  • 3 months later...
Posted

Exceptional customer service is all about creating a great relationship with your clients. Sometimes there are relationships that just don't work out. It's the opposite of a win/win.

 

If the customer is always unhappy or a pain in the ass and the staff all growl when they see this person's name on the schedule then it's time to 'break up' or 'fire' said customer.

Posted

You know, it ain't like Will Rogers said, "I never met a man I didn't like." He never had to deal with them as a customer.

I know what ya mean, and there are a lot of people that I don't want to ever see again as a customer.

 

thanx for your comments. keep them coming. Gonzo

 

Exceptional customer service is all about creating a great relationship with your clients. Sometimes there are relationships that just don't work out. It's the opposite of a win/win.

 

If the customer is always unhappy or a pain in the ass and the staff all growl when they see this person's name on the schedule then it's time to 'break up' or 'fire' said customer.

Posted

I fired one last week and I don't want to ever see is him at my shop again. Eight (8) months ago we install a timing belt/water pump on his 2.4L Chrysler. He had started experiencing an overheating problem and thought it might be the water pump. We checked it out and didn't find a problem with any of our work but we did find it to be low on coolant. We also found that one of the dual cooling fans was not working. After repeated drive cycles we also discovered the radiator cap was bad. We think the coolant lose was from the radiator cap coupled with the cooling fan problem and the onset of hot weather. We did not do any repair other than install a new radiator cap although we spent considerable time looking at the car. When he came to pick up the car we told him to take the car and drive it and if the problem was mostly remedied (coolant lose) to come back in and pay for the radiator cap. That would be the total charge. No diagnostics, no labor, etc. He went off on us and got real nasty. He thought because we did $600 worth of work in August that that should fix all of his cooling related problems. He got me real upset. I finally took the new radiator cap off and put the old one back on and told him to get lost. All the time he is yelling and talking better business bureau, lawyer, and such nonsense. He was a minority with a sense of entitlement and evidently bullied a lot of people to get something for nothing but it don't work with me or my Army Ranger Service Manager. He is either stupid or trying to get something for nothing in my book.

Posted

I fired one last week and I don't want to ever see is him at my shop again. Eight (8) months ago we install a timing belt/water pump on his 2.4L Chrysler. He had started experiencing an overheating problem and thought it might be the water pump. We checked it out and didn't find a problem with any of our work but we did find it to be low on coolant. We also found that one of the dual cooling fans was not working. After repeated drive cycles we also discovered the radiator cap was bad. We think the coolant lose was from the radiator cap coupled with the cooling fan problem and the onset of hot weather. We did not do any repair other than install a new radiator cap although we spent considerable time looking at the car. When he came to pick up the car we told him to take the car and drive it and if the problem was mostly remedied (coolant lose) to come back in and pay for the radiator cap. That would be the total charge. No diagnostics, no labor, etc. He went off on us and got real nasty. He thought because we did $600 worth of work in August that that should fix all of his cooling related problems. He got me real upset. I finally took the new radiator cap off and put the old one back on and told him to get lost. All the time he is yelling and talking better business bureau, lawyer, and such nonsense. He was a minority with a sense of entitlement and evidently bullied a lot of people to get something for nothing but it don't work with me or my Army Ranger Service Manager. He is a stupid loser in my book.

 

Frank, I have been down this road too many times. I even hate to speak about this, because these negative things we go thru eat us up and as everyone knows, I like to be positive in life.

 

Imagine someone spending a lot of money for a meal at a resturant and after a few hours gets hungry again....you think that guy would run back to the resturant and complain that he spent a lot of money on the meal and he got hungry way to soon? Sounds crazy? Well that's what it's like for us in this business sometimes.....Crazy!

Posted

Frank, I have been down this road too many times. I even hate to speak about this, because these negative things we go thru eat us up and as everyone knows, I like to be positive in life.

 

Imagine someone spending a lot of money for a meal at a resturant and after a few hours gets hungry again....you think that guy would run back to the resturant and complain that he spent a lot of money on the meal and he got hungry way to soon? Sounds crazy? Well that's what it's like for us in this business sometimes.....Crazy!

Posted

Bin there done that. just the other day had a customer (i Think) was coming to me for years and never spent a dime, but always had new stuff on his car when he would come in to ask to bend the fender out so he could open the door all the way. This last time I bent the door so it worked and told him never to come back, we had inspected his car 6 month early on and found a ton of stuff wrong. this time every thing was fixed, new inspection stickers,tune up,4 new tires, even wiper blades. Just had enough.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         0 comments
      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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