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Be Careful of Who’s Greeting Your Customers?

Joe Marconi
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Joe Marconi Grand Master

Joe Marconi

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Be Careful of Who’s Greeting Your Customers?

 

Have you ever walked into a store, restaurant or other establishment and the person greeting you treated you as an inconvenience, rather than a valued customer? Sure you have. Well, who’s greeting your customers? More importantly; how are your customers being treated whether on the phone or in person?

 

The people you have greeting your customers and on the phone represent you and your business. Sales can suffer with the wrong people taking care of your customers. This is especially true for first time customers.

 

Every point of contact; from scheduling an appointment, to write up, to car delivery, are critical steps in the customer experience. These customer touch points can be either have a positive or negative emotional

experience. Negative experiences will hurt customer retention; positive experiences will help grow your business.

 

The best repairs, using the best tools and parts, done by the best tech means nothing when the customer is treated poorly.

 

If you want to improve the customer experience, which will help increase sales, then take a long hard look at how the customer is being treated, in person and on the phone. Make sure that every point of contact with the customer triggers a positive emotional experience for the customer.

 

So, your greeting your customers?

 

 

  • Like 3


mikerisich Community Regular

mikerisich

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I couldn't agree more! Customer service is the most important aspect of any business. It's vital for customers to be greeted in a timely and professional manner. During particularly busy periods, this may be more difficult to accomplish. To help in this effort, wireless kiosk technology that welcomes customers and offers up-sell opportunities based on current weather conditions is an asset for today's auto repair shops. Especially when business is at its peak, kiosks allow customers to check themselves in, update their address and/or vehicles and ultimately save service professionals time, allowing them to carry out other duties.

  • 2 months later...
nge Contributor

nge

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I see you mentioned wireless kiosk technology. Are you using this now? If so could you provide some details around it?

mikerisich Community Regular

mikerisich

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Hello,

 

My company recently released the first-ever customer check-in kiosk for the automotive repair industry. It's called Welcome Station and it's similar to the self-check terminals at the grocery store, airports and used extensively in other industries. You can find more information here: http://www.autoshopowner.com/blog/7/entry-77-automotive-kiosk-aids-customer-check-in-saves-shops-time/ by visiting my Web site at www.boltontechnology.com, or calling 610-400-1019. Please let me know if I can provide any additional details.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

    • Joe Marconi
      The Toolbox is Last to Leave, First is the Heart
      By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog
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      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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