FROGFINDER

What does she like to do? Maybe she should "sell" on your web page/be the webmaster. She can lead female car maintenance classes. She can be your contact to Women's clubs in the area.

I have a client (the word, client, denotes a relationship that is hopefully long-lasting) who first came in as a prospect in March, 2009. She had a mailer coupon for an oil change w/ rotation for $22.95, and asked if she was at the right place. I told her that she certainly was and welcomed her to the shop. It was a Saturday morning around 8:30. ( I just remember stuff like this!) Since she seemed antsy and apprehensive, we performed the job with no add-ons suggested. The car is a Hyundai Santa Fe. The next month she came in on a Saturday morning and said she had a roaring noise in the back. We replaced both rear wheel bearings that day. She was becoming a "client instead of a customer. This afternoon (Sunday) I went to the shop to check on things, and her car was in the parking lot for service tomorrow.

 

Long story short, she has come in time and time again for all her oil change services, tires, and other needed AND recommended services on her car. This is the proper outcome of a "Get 'em in the door" low-priced oil change. I feel it works more times than not. Also about a month ago we turned a $22.95 oil change and rotation into a $660 invoice by my salesman recommending a 60,000 mile service while the customer was checking in. Hopefully he will also become a client!!

 

Remember......"Not Shown and Not Told Means Not Sold!!"

Great

Did the roaring noise start after the tire rotation you did? I like to road test all cars after rotating tires due to chopped tires causing noise, tire pull etc. Note finings on invoice.

I also check for tsb's. We had a Sante Fe customer come in for a cheap oil change that was low on oil at check in and I found a tsb about noise on start up. When I told the customer about it he stated that he had been hearing noise on start up and the oil level was low since the Lube in a box did his change last. We got him a oem oil filter and proper oil level-His noise went away.

YES ALWAYS!

A walk around the car in , notes on previous damage, note on oil level and last mileage at check in are very important. People come in way past due on oil change with no oil seen on the stick and signs of leaks. We tell them and note it on invoice. THEN TWO WEEKS LATER the customer calls to complain about oil leak, no oil on stick ,noises, etc like it was our fault.

I even remind them to check fluid levels, tire air and exterior light function every other fuel stop. If that is a hassle we do it for them while they wait for free.

Each customer and each car get a different price. The Mileage based visual inspection and oil change service starts at $xx.xx and we will advise you of any other service needs or costs as they are revealed. Would you like a free hand wash with that service? You may wait in our waiting area or we can give you a ride. Yes we will pick you back up.

You must train your customers to be type a customers. The others will go to lowest price.

Do a random act of kindness to all so that they will give you REFERRALS!

I have given Free oil changes to customers in order to save them from having their car butchered by the lube in the box and they have sent me referrals worth thousands of dollars!

If I can help let me know.

I am in the west Houston/Katy Area.

I did not like AAA telling me what information I will provide on my customers, what discounts, what testing fee's, wait time for break down's,etc.

AAA forgets that WE make them look good not the other way around.

Phone shoppers should be encouraged to give you a return phone number, vin number of car and a time when they cam bring the car in for a free spot check.

When you call them back give them your estimate and schedule time to take a look.

I may even call them back thanking them for the chance to service them and their referrals. Many of my referrals were from people that have not come in. .

When cars become fully self driving themselves to dealerships i'll be in the collector car tinkering business.

It's part of the game. Times are tough. Most people just want someone to listen to there plight. Listen and speak with soft compassion because there but the grace goes you and I.

I remember seeing fist fights at the dealer in 1970,s over the $29.00 per hour rate or a price of a $1.25 spark plug.

Always price your job's with a discount in mind.

Referrals are what you want.

Pearl Harbor Lives. The shock waves are still travelling. Our spending habit's reveal a loss of memory. imo

All Giving is done with a grateful heart. A lot of giving takes place during the year.

I've sometimes in the heat of the moment said $1000.00, Is that too High? To low? Please you tell me. and I may tell them $1.99 plus parts,plus fluids,plus labor, plus tax, plus fee's. I then ask that they bring the car in for a free service estimate and a hand wash. If they don't like what I have to say they owe me nothing.

Like Bullitt said in the movie "You work your side of the street and I'll work mine"

Information that leaves your shop not controlled by you is being paid for by someone at no cash flow to you. Vehicle's will soon be recording and videotaping all repairs to "Increase safety and reduce incompetence during. We had a son of a customer can send a drone helicopter with camera into our shop to check out the progress.

In my 45 years of dealing with Gomer And Goober or the very best mechanics that I knew NEVER leave loose lug nuts. Then the phone call and the unexplained wheel fastener failure. I have seem more failures with the Euro cars, customer universal mount wheels, and vehicles parked outside in apartments or townhomes. Thus far no injuries or major property damage thank God.

I guess I caused a lttle confusion with my testing diag policy? Let me explain. If a customer comes to us with a check engine light, one of the first things asked is, "How much will it cost to fix" or "How much to diagnose it". Years back I would tell the customer to read the codes and diagnose the problem is $xx.xx. That would lead us down a path of no return, "How Much, just to see what's wrong? Will you take the diag fee off the repair? Other shops don't charge diagnostic charges!" On and On and on.

 

Soooo, now when the customer comes in with a check check engine light, here is the process:

• Educate the customer about the check engine light
• Inform the customer that until we access the on board computer, we really do not have a direction
• We inform the customer to access the codes, a road test (if possible) and visual inspection will be performed at no charge
• After the intial checks, we will then discuss what testing is needed to start the diagnostic process
• We then sell the tests after the intial no charge checks
• Perform the tests that were authorized
• We get back to the customer after the tests are done
• We sell the repair
• End of process

There are other variables, such as more testing needed, intermitent problems, etc. But this process has been a gold mine for us. We give a little in the beginning, and we end up selling the needed tests, with very little push back, if any, from customers.

Treat others as you would want to be treated.

"You have to attract the minnows or the BIG FI$H WON'T COME"

Partners and landlords are bad news.

The customer is armed with more "knowledge" but little wisdom. In most cases people just hear BLAH BLAH BLAH PRICE. Check out what your GOOD customers tweet about you. It might surprise you. I saved a customer $1000.00 on a repair only to have her daughter curse us on twitter. Wait until the Liars app becomes common. The customer will be able to record your voice pattern and scan your face to be able to tell if your employees are lying or not.

We often loose sight that the paper, cleaning products of all kinds and ink cartridges needs to be paid for.

loose lips sink ships.

Don't ever think think the dealer is your friend. With gps and smart phones your customers cars are almost driving themselves to the dealer.

I try to Jog the customers memory at some point that they may have towing on their cell phone package, insurance , credit card,etc. Excludes me from all towing issue liability while it was being towed to me.If not a organize the tow up front to a limit of my cost $100.00 as long as it comes to us.

I ask them where they are calling from. If they are in my city I invite them in for auto service check up explaining that we like doing business with customers. If the are out of town I say thanks but no thanks and they are one call closer to a sale, then I hang up.

Most times if you perform a "I will pay you later repair " do it with the knowledge that you will not get paid back and they will bad mouth your work. It's amazing how people that owe me for a repair job can afford the work I suggest at another shop, or they can smoke cigarettes, have the latest I-phone,etc. .

You guys are seeing it. Customers seem to be spoiled to the Free stuff at the dealer that the manufacturer pays the dealer to do or was priced into the car. Many more people under 30 don't even want to own a car. For the first time in 30 years only 50 percent of 17 year olds in USA have a license to drive. They travel by I Phone .

The greatest do it for me generation is dying off and who will/what will replace them? Any thoughts?