newport5

You are getting some great information. Start encouraging online reviews. Even referral customers check your online reviews. In CA it's Yelp, which is free. I say, "Hey, if you liked my service, please go online and leave me a review." I'd heard that the simply satisfied customer doesn't refer you. it's after you do something special for them. Victor

My service writer article on getting easier approvals through trust versus the current selling on safety and value. http://www.shopownermag.com/magazine/ Page 8 of the July/August issue, at left, with the hourglass.\ Comments?

Re service writer training: I just had an article published in an auto trade magazine on getting customer approval through trust and not the typical "selling" via safety and value, but I don't want to break any Forum rules by putting in link, since I'm a free member. Moderators: can I post the online link to the magazine article? And I have a few more short articles on the auto part of my personal website. Victor

Scott, Here's what I meant about the forum making money off the guy posting the webinars about webinars. He's a paid member, you and I are free, Victor

I imagine the marketing ads help pay for maintaining the forum, so I don't mind too much. What I don't like is the catchy title that links to a 3 minute pitch for a link to a "GREAT" webinar that ends up to be a 20 minute pitch (with no content) for a live seminar.

Actually, he'll be plugging HIS business, not a business that we don't know is his. Subtle difference.

Re "My customers expect me to match prices so I guess this week it was just the cost of doing buisness." I HOPE you meant your customers would like you to match prices. I tell my customers I can't match Walmart's buying power. I say it with a finality and move on to something else. Everybody knows you have to make a profit. If they still want/hope you to do it for free, do you really want that type of customer? Or, are you being too nice and helpful, at your expense?

I agree with "editing" the contract. If they don't like it, tell them you will wait a week for the next uniform company to stop buy with a better quote. We have a great Unifirst driver !!! Tim from So Cal takes care of us.

I agree that you DO have to give your networking group some wording to help them promote you. But an old school elevator pitch makes you sound like you’re new in business and need customers. Such as: “I repair import cars. We do it right the first time, at fair prices … blah, blah blah.” It’s more of a story these days. “I’ve been fixing cars for ___ years and love it. It is very satisfying to figure out a problem and take care of a customer at the same time. We specialize in import cars, but customers like us so we work on their American cars as well.” To help them sell you, what do you specialize in? What do you like working on? “I’m known for my _______ (brake jobs) because I’ve found some quality parts at good prices.” “I get cars from other shops.” Which says you are respected by other shops in your area. “I have technicians who’ve been with me for ____ years.” “We’ve been in business for ___ years so we must be doing something right.” A “tag line” was mentioned. Put that on the back of your business card. Hand it to someone with that side up so they HAVE to read it, then they turn it over. At a networking-ish event, put something interesting on your name tag. Draw a wrench, draw a spark plug. Bring some small pictures of the type of cars you like to work on and a glue stick to put on your name tag. It will make for a conversation starter, ice-breaker. I suggest you talk about other things before what you do or they do. That will surely come up, especially if you can’t quite find something in common to talk about.

Re closing ratio, I agree. If you do a THOROUGH inspection, results would show an approximate 1/3 needs to be done now, 1/3 to do within 3 months (or now), and the last 1/3 after 6 months. So while you are thorough and honest, the last third affects your closing ratio, meaning you are instantly at 66%. Conversely, if you don’t report the last third, the 6-months-out ones, to improve your closing ratio, you short-change the customer. Additionally, I believe if you are trying to sell the last third, the “6 month” third, to increase your closing ratio, you are doing the customer a disservice, potentially losing trust and adding to our bad reputation. That is, in this case, charging for work they don’t need now. When you present the “third-third-third” approach, you build trust, so that in the future when you say, “Do this now,” they say yes without any convincing or selling “safety and value.” My 2 cents to your 2 cents

While I agree that SA numbers are important, there’s more to being a good service writer than hard numbers, without the interpretation that goes with them. How are they on the phone with prospective customers? Can they convert a “price shopper” to a valued customer? Can they sell additional work on trust versus the drawn-out, value, safety, etc., pitch? Can they look out for the customer’s pocketbook, the technicians, as well as the shop's bottom line? How are his/her online reviews? Can he/she negotiate any customer/supplier issues? Or make sure they don’t happen in the first place. Do they answer the phone in a cheerful manner? Do they make the customer’s day better or worse? Having said all that, I especially like Closing Ratio, because, “Nothing happens until the customer says, “Yes”.” Is your SA fast enough getting the OK (or get’s pre-approval) so that the technician will point out additional work, versus wasting time on the rack, waiting for approval? Does your SA convey to the customer that you are the good guys in this transaction, not the bad guys finding extra work? Are your customers satisfied enough to refer people? Is your SA helpful beyond simply car repair? I hope that helps. Victor

SKM, This is BEAUTIFUL ! A code you pull from the computer is like a number on a door, you open that door then there is a huge hallway lined with doors all with numbers say 50 doors per side, now behind one of those doors is the problem, we can open each door one by one say for 50 bucks each or you can let me diagnose where the problem lies and open just that one door. Which would you like me to do?I I'll trade you. I tell the customer that my guy "interprets" the codes. If he gets 7 codes, for example, many times he notes that this code caused this one and this code caused this one, therefore you only have 3 codes. He just saved you an oxygen sensor. Your free code reader guy would have sold you an oxygen sensor and then had an excuse ready why that didn't fix it. You ALSO need a ... and maybe a ...

I agree with the warm atmosphere of the waiting room. The customers get to relax and hide from the world for a while – they then connect your shop to “warm and comfortable.” I also like the idea of testimonials and “family” pictures as static displays to build trust. But it’s also the perfect time to build the bigger, deeper trust of the personal connection. Get to know them as a person, not merely a car owner. How is their family? The kids, vacations, things going on in their lives, etc. We do business with who we know, like and trust. You now get to know each other a bit more and they will be more comfortable with you at their next visit.

As an intelligent customer who can afford a luxury car, I would be figuring the shop that runs a discount coupon “needs” additional business. And they won’t make it on the discount oil change, so they need to find more to fix. And will have to charge more to make up for the initial discount. So I disagree with the discount coupon, going against the grain of EVERY salesperson trying to sell me marketing strategies. Just sayin’.

Euro, $1100 a month is HUGE! For that, they should be walking you thru how to make an additional $3000 a month. Did you get together with them to pick the Ad Words? They can search the actual use of each word or term.