Quantcast
Jump to content

Had to disaqualify/turn away a customer, Thoughts?


Recommended Posts

I've had a rough morning so far so maybe that may have factored into how I handled this customer...

 

 

Customer calls in asks us to bring the car it for an "estimate" for a steering issue. He told me it is not fluid level and it is not the pump. I explained to the customer that we do work by appointment as we are swamped most of the time and our next appointment would be Friday or next week. Secondly we do not give out free estimates. We diagnose and inspect vehicles and depending on the time and operation we have to put into them there would be a fee attached to that. Over the phone it sounded like both stipulations (appointment and no free estimates) kind of turned him off. His response was "I'll give you a call back if I don't find somewhere else to fix my problem I need to get this done soon." The tone and the explanation as to why he didn't want to set up an appointment pointed towards he was a bit put off that we could not accommodate him ASAP and that we do have a fee for diag.

 

I suppose I could have explained we do give free estimates however if the vehicle needs diagnostic work or tests to discover what the true problem is then we charge a fee. I could have also a been a bit nicer, I was a little shorter than I am normally. Something about this guy however made me think he was going to be somewhat of a problem (negotiate on prices, want to bring his own parts, annoying about completing repairs etc). The fact is is that we are very busy (thankfully) and if I take on more than I can handle then quality and completion times on all jobs will suffer. I also however remember the days of never wanting to turn away business and bending over backwards to do whatever my customers wanted because I was worried about not having the business. I do believe it is important for us as shop owners/manager to intake as much of our ideal target customer and to remove the ones that don't fit our target.

 

Do you guys think I should have tried harder to convert that caller or took a softer approach?

Link to comment
Share on other sites



It's hard to second guess you without being in your shoes at the time he called. I have found that when I disregard that "gut feeling" on a customer I often regret it. You did what you felt was the right thing to do at the time, put it behind you and move on.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have all been there. When we are busy, we sometime are focused on putting out all the fires in the bays. I think that the because you took the time to post what happens tells us that you feel you could have done things differently. So, learn from it, and move on.

 

Life is a journey, not a destination. Each step is another opportunity to see new things and learn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel the same way whenever I can't help someone. We are usually booked up solid for a few days so real quick isn't happening. I explain that we are booked but if they drop the car off we might get to it sooner if someone cancels or a current job gets done ahead of schedule. This lets the customer know I do want their business and I care. They also learn the value of their appointment and our commitment to it, would they want me to bypass their car for someone else's emergency? Occasionally someone will take me up on it, drop off the car on standby, and then start calling me an hour later, I suggest another shop for them. Done-yet and Since-Ya are bad customers.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have all been there. When we are busy, we sometime are focused on putting out all the fires in the bays. I think that the because you took the time to post what happens tells us that you feel you could have done things differently. So, learn from it, and move on.

 

Life is a journey, not a destination. Each step is another opportunity to see new things and learn.

 

 

Thanks for the reply Joe. I definitely feel like I could have done things a little differently however unless we are completely free of appointments, my standard procedure is to book someone for an appointment. Of course we rush emergencies into the shop as soon as a free slot opens however this seemed to be a customer that wanted it done right away without any exceptions and didn't want to pay a diag fee. Even if I had the time for such a customer, do you think it would be wise to spend time trying to educate them on how we do business or should be they just be thrown back into the ocean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         13 comments
      Most shop owners would agree that the independent auto repair industry has been too cheap for too long regarding its pricing and labor rates. However, can we keep raising our labor rates and prices until we achieve the profit we desire and need? Is it that simple?
      The first step in achieving your required gross and net profit is understanding your numbers and establishing the correct labor and part margins. The next step is to find your business's inefficiencies that impact high production levels.
      Here are a few things to consider. First, do you have the workflow processes in place that is conducive to high production? What about your shop layout? Do you have all the right tools and equipment? Do you have a continuous training program in place? Are technicians waiting to use a particular scanner or waiting to access information from the shop's workstation computer?
      And lastly, are all the estimates written correctly? Is the labor correct for each job? Are you allowing extra time for rust, older vehicles, labor jobs with no parts included, and the fact that many published labor times are wrong? Let's not forget that perhaps the most significant labor loss is not charging enough labor time for testing, electrical work, and other complicated repairs.  
      Once you have determined the correct labor rate and pricing, review your entire operation. Then, tighten up on all those labor leaks and inefficiencies. Improving production and paying close attention to the labor on each job will add much-needed dollars to your bottom line.
  • Similar Topics

    • By Ruben Van Zenden
      Today, we simply cannot ignore social media, everyone is using it whether you are a fan or not. Personally, I think it has its negative and positive sides. 
      I have been looking at 100+ car repair shops and noticed that only a hand full are using social media marketing, for example, Facebook advertising. 
      Why are so few car repair shops making use of this, in my opinion, great opportunity to increase car count? 
    • By carmcapriotto
      How do you create an amazing customer experience in your business? Guess what? No one is born with those skills, but your employees are can turn talent into a skill with proper training. 
      Joe Marconi, Executive Council Member, Elite Worldwide. Auto Shop Owner. Joe’s Episodes HERE. @Joe Marconi
       
      Show Notes:   https://www.autoshopowner.com/
      It's never too early in business to prepare for the unexpected and your eventual exit. Life can throw you a curveball, and we have all heard the stories of a shop owner that had a life-changing illness or worse. As a shop owner, are you prepared for life's curve balls? And what about your family?  In addition, the primary responsibility of the business owner is to create an exit strategy.  It's not that you are selling tomorrow, but preparing for an exit strategy grows a successful business and is worth more. Curveballs and Exit strategies go hand in hand.  Build your business as a home; build it to sell in the future THA 316 surviving health scare Delivering an amazing customer experience is taught, not assumed Amazing customer service is lacking these days, and so is creating a world-class customer experience. By the way, customer service and customer experience are different. All too often, we blame the employees, especially younger people, for not having the people skills to create an amazing customer experience. Well, no one is born with those skills, and just like the skill of playing the piano or shooting a basketball, having the talent is one thing, but to hone that talent into a skill takes training.  What is great customer service? What does it look like? Do you have in-house training in place for everyone in the business?  Be prepared for customers- lower their anxiety. Get into the hearts and minds of the individual- personalize it, make notes Talent comes first, develop the skills comes second
      Thanks to our Partner, Dorman Products. Dorman gives people greater freedom to fix vehicles by constantly developing new repair solutions that put owners and technicians first. Take the Dorman Virtual Tour at www.DormanProducts.com/Tour
      Connect with the Podcast:
      -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections
      Check out today's partner:
       


      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By carmcapriotto
      On Record with Tom Ham from the Automotive Management Network. Tom discusses a recent survey from his website about the stress level at work, reasons why someone would reject a technician application, health insurance and more! These results may surprise you!
      Tom Ham, Automotive Management Network. Tom’s previous episodes HERE.   Show Notes:  
      AMNSHOP.com laborratetracker.com - lowest labor rate so far is $50 and highest is $297 Management Help Polls: 130 types Why techs avoid working at some shops- low pay, dark/lack of lighting, dirty, disorganized Job applicants for possible reasons they might be rejected: 70% driver license issues, 68% frequent job changes, 66% negative comments about past employers, 64% know it all, 60% questionable attitude, 60% excessive demands. 59% inconsistent information, 58% late for interview, 55% listens poorly, 53% sloppy appearance, 53$ incomplete application, 51% lack of manners Pay portion of health insurance- 35% pay nothing, 19% pay full health insurance.  Stress level at your shop ranked 1 to 10, 10 is maximum stress level- 40% rank their stress level at 8+, 81% say their stress level is average or above average, only 19% say their stress level is ranked 4 or less. “What do we do here that is not as clear as it could be, a bit confusing?”  Service advisor responsibilities (are these regular tasks of your service advisor)- estimating, collect vehicle information, parts ordering and returns, labor claims, operation/management, quality control, assist technicians, pickup/deliver customer or parts (porter). None of these should be the service advisor responsibilities! Consider hiring an estimator/parts person Service Advisor Overload [THA 305] Service Advisor Overload: Part 2 [THA 312]
      Thanks to our Partner, Dorman Products. Dorman gives people greater freedom to fix vehicles by constantly developing new repair solutions that put owners and technicians first. Take the Dorman Virtual Tour at www.DormanProducts.com/Tour
      Connect with the Podcast:
      Aftermarket Radio Network
      Subscribe on YouTube
      Visit us on the Web
      Follow on Facebook
      Become an Insider
      Buy me a coffee
      Important Books
      Check out today's partner:
       


      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By ASOG Podcast
      Auto Repair Nightmare: Upset Customer Says You Missed Something
    • By Transmission Repair

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.



  • By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

    By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

    By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

  • Our Sponsors



×
×
  • Create New...