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Posted

Does anyone have any information on Angie’s List? I am getting calls and emails almost daily from them. I know other shop owners are being contacted too. It would be nice if any shop owners who had dealing with Angie’s List can supply us with any experience they know or heard of.

 

Thanks in advance!

Posted

I have signed up with their free service and like you get calls all the time. I am not interested in spending any money with them at this time as they aren't very big in our area and since I have only one review on there it isn't worth my money.

Posted

Neither myself of any of the shop owners I've worked with have had first hand experience dealing directly with Angie's List.

 

Although I was told by one shop owner that he has 3 very positive reviews; he claimed some very nice work. I think the issue with Angie's List is that it's a paid subscription... so you don't get a bunch of 'goofy people' posting stuff. It just makes it a lot more believable.

 

But in reality.. it's just customer TESTIMONIALS. And this proves what I've been telling my subscribers... that 'Facts Tell - Testimonials SELL!'

 

So why don't auto repair shops have tons of testimonials on their website and customer waiting room walls? That waiting room should be your 'historic shrine!'. Also be sure to include copies of your Customer Newsletter - don't make it a library with newspapers, magazines and other 'entertaining' things. It should be about YOU!

 

I realize this wasn't exactly the answer you've been looking for, but thought I could help!

 

Matthew

  • 11 months later...
Posted

I found out that reviews drop off after 2 or 3 years. That seemed lame to me. I am sure if you spend money with them that is a different story. Just have a bad taste for that company. The salesman that calls is rude.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

My shop just opened about a month ago. The week we opened we signed up for free accounts on yelp, google+, angies list and yellow pages, and got a simple website thru godaddy.com.

We also delivered about 400 flyers to subdivisions around our shop. Had 1 repair from the flyers already, 1 repair from the google+ page, 1 great review on google, 1 great yelp review and 1 great angines list review. I try to talk to customers who seemed really pleased and computer savy to post a good review for us. My reasoning is, if its free and it gets your name out there one more time, why not?

 

My wife works for a window cleaning company. Some of their customers would not have even called if they did not have a presence on angies list. I think its part of the future of the service industry. Not saying its good or bad, but its here and growing.

Posted

The issue I had with Angie's list is that they had very few subscribers in my market area. I believe if you go on their site you can get the number of paid subscribers in your area. They were looking for me to sign up, but it just didn't make sense for the number of members.

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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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