Repair Shop Advice

Archive for November, 2016

How to Gain Business with a Positive First Impression – Repair Shop Websites Webinar

November 30th, 2016

Do you struggle to attract potential customers? What about turning customers into lifelong customers?

Join Repair Shop Websites Team Lead, Stephen Bus, as he explains what your auto repair shop should be doing to make that great first impression – the type of impression and experience that will get customers in your shop and keep them coming back for years.  During this webinar you’ll find out what your customers are looking for in a shop and how to provide them with the best experience. We’ll share tips and important information on how to get them in the door and to form that long-term relationship.

https://youtu.be/g7hkH4oxyok

Coppa’s Service Center & Towing, Providing Middlesex County with Superior Automotive Service Since 1977

November 29th, 2016

Coppa’s Service Center & Towing Inc. is an ACDelco Service & Towing Center that has been family owned and operated for over thirty years.  They can handle anything from Factory Scheduled Maintenance, Tire Repairs and Balancing, NJ State Inspection and Emissions, Brake and Rotor Repairs, and a variety of towing services.  Give them a call today 732-297-7530 or stop by the shopat 1 Moore Road North Brunswick, NJ 08902 to see what everyone’s talking about!

“Massey Auto Works is a rare find in the mechanic industry…” per a satisfied customer!

November 28th, 2016

Where do you go for an honest estimate, outstanding customer service, and helpful, knowledgeable staff? Massey Auto Works, of course! Their customers rave about this family owned business located at 101 South First Ave in Knightdale, NC 27545. Drop by to see how they can help you or give them a call for a free estimate today!!

Warzecha Auto Parts |The Best Place for Car Parts!

November 22nd, 2016

Warzecha Auto Parts is the preferred auto parts store in Zimmerman, MN.  Their qualified auto parts specialist are there to make sure you get the right automobile parts the first time.  They don’t want you to second guess.  Located at 26233 2nd St. E Suite 400, they can get those hard to find auto parts.   They have the state of Minnesota covered for all of your auto parts needs.   Call 763-854-3850 to see why they are the #1 auto parts store in MN.

Millennials and your Auto Repair Shop

November 14th, 2016

Earlier this year, Entrepreneur magazine ranked Millennials as the number one small business trend in 2016.  How is an entire generation a trend?  With the oldest millennials now in their early 30s, they are beginning to represent a large portion of the consumer base – and employee base – for most small businesses.  Every year, successful businesses will need to dedicate more focus towards their desires and interests.  And that’s as true for independent auto repair shops as any industry.

So what makes a Millennial a Millennial?  Here are three factors that Entrepreneur magazine argues are uniquely Millennial – and our take on what this means for your repair shop.

Millennials and Your Shop

“Millennials demand comprehensive leadership and opportunities for growth within every position they fulfill.”

One of the biggest complaints young technicians have against shops is that there are few training opportunities – tire techs get stuck fixing tires, without a lot of training opportunities provided.  They don’t have the opportunity to collaborate with Master Technicians.  Smaller shops, however, require employees to be more versatile – because at smaller shops, sometimes there aren’t any tires to change.  This means that younger techs will have opportunities to assist Master Technicians, which they wouldn’t have at dealerships.   If this sounds like your shop, make sure to highlight that in your job descriptions, as it can help attract hard-working young technicians that want to learn more advanced skills.

 

“For entrepreneurs from the millennial generation, the ability to rapidly spread information is key to successful marketing.”

It used to be the case that some businesses had an online presence, and some didn’t.  That’s generally not true anymore.  Some businesses manage their online presence, and others allow it to be controlled by everyone else – their customers, their competitors, and information brokers.

Even repair shops without a website have online reviews.  They may not know it, but their customers (and, in some cases, people who aren’t their customers but are pretending to be) are talking about them. Some of these views are positive and some are negative, but all provide an opinion to the world about whether they should visit the shop or not.

This makes it more important than ever to manage your online presence – to have professionals who know what’s being said about you, and helping you project the best possible image of your repair shop.  That’s because, if your image becomes negative while you aren’t around to combat it, it will take many months to address the damage that’s been done while you were absent.

 

“And because millennials place so much value on quality and ethics, they prefer to use technology to take care of the busywork.”

Millennials are accustomed to switching tasks very quickly.  The world moves faster to them than the rest of the population – they maintain communication with a larger group of people than ever before, thanks in part to social media.

With so many things competing for their attention, they aren’t willing to spend as much time on tasks and decisions as other people.  It’s possible they’ll select a shop in 3 minutes of online research – and they expect to be able to book an appointment 3 minutes after that.

This is why our websites make communication with your shop easy. We do this in a number of ways:

  • Phone numbers are placed very prominently on our sites, in part because of the number of users you lose after only ten seconds on your site!
  • Many of our customers take advantage of our online appointment request forms, because some customers prefer not to communicate via phone at all.
  • We also provide drop-off forms for shops that want to allow key drop-off before work.

 

To learn more about how to attract Millennials to your auto repair shop, call us at 855-219-7506 or email Team_RSW@repairshopwebsites.com

You can count on Vail Automotive for your auto repair needs!

November 7th, 2016

Welcome to Vail Automotive, conveniently located at 757 South Ave, Rochester NY 14620. We’ve been serving the residents of Rochester since 1991, and our services include inspections & emissions, alignments, brakes, transmissions, a/c & radiators, diagnostics, check engine light, and more. We have years of experience working on both domestic and import vehicles of all makes and models, and our goal is to offer the best services available at affordable prices to get you back on the road in no time. Stop by our shop or call us at 585-271-2406 to learn more.

Dealer Connection, Offering Dependable Automotive Repair!

November 7th, 2016

Dealer Connection has been providing motorists in the Bedford, OH 44146 area with trustworthy and reliable vehicle repair services since 2000.  Their services include the following: General Services, Car & Truck Care, Inspections and Emissions, Undercar Services, Alignment, Brakes, Tires, Engine & Transmission, Engine Maintenance, Transmission Services, 4×4 Services, Heating and Cooling Services, Electrical Services, Electronic Services, Miscellaneous Services, Domestic Cars & Trucks, Import Cars & Trucks and Quick Lube Services.  Stop by 25 West Monroe Ave or call today (440) 786-8986 to schedule your next maintenance appointment!

Five Tips to Turn First-time Customers Into Long-Term Customers

November 4th, 2016

Last week, we discussed the best ways to convert a shopper into a customer in a short phone call. (here’s a link to our infographic on the topic).  But it’s much more expensive to gain a new customer than to keep an existing one.  So once that customer decides to give your automotive repair shop a chance, how do you convert them into a long-term customer?

Here are five tips that will help your shop stand out in a sea of uncaring franchises and dealerships.

  • Be available. Customers want a hassle-free experience that fits into their schedule. If it’s a drop-off service, make sure to minimize the amount of time they wait before they are talking to someone who’s working to get their questions answered and get them out the door.  If it’s a longer repair that needs to be scheduled, give them several options, and make sure you’re giving them times when they can be a priority as soon as they show up.
  • Show sympathy. It’s nothing personal, but unless they’re dropping their car off for a detail, they’re probably not happy to be in your repair shop. Best case scenario, they’ve shown up for routine maintenance like an oil change or new tires, and they’re spending time and money they’d prefer to use elsewhere.  If it was an unplanned repair, their entire day probably just got wrecked by their vehicle. When you’re dealing with customers like this, ask yourself what would be the best thing that could happen to you if you were in their shoes, and try to offer it.  Maybe they need a referral for a rental car that can come pick them up, or you have a loaner you could offer them.  Maybe they’d appreciate it if you could offer them some certainty as to what the problem is or how long they’ll be out of a vehicle.  Even acknowledging how frustrating it is for that to happen can make them feel better.  It’s uncommon to get great service like this these days – those conversations stick out in a customer’s mind.
  • When telling the customer about any unexpected repairs that need to be made, make sure to mention things that are in good shape, and other things that may need to happen later but you wouldn’t recommend yet.  This indicates that you’re not trying to find every possible thing wrong with the car and get them to fix it today.  It also makes them feel less like their car is ‘bad luck’, which can cause frustration that they might take out on the nearest person (that’s you).
  • When recommending unexpected auto repairs, also make it clear you know it’s a surprise and you want to be as transparent as possible. Offer to show them the issue on their vehicle.  If there’s another vehicle in the shop where you can show them what it should look like, show them that too.  If it’s a serious issue, indicate that, but take extra effort not to come off as pushy, especially on their first visit to your shop.
  • Meet your price and time estimates. A shop being able to meet their price and time estimates is not just a sign they are honest and customer-focused. It also means that a shop can accurately diagnose a problem, how long a car will be ‘in line’ and how long it will take to fix.  If you run into ‘unexpected delays’, customers might wonder why you weren’t expecting them. That being said, no shop can meet their estimates 100% of the time.  Sometimes digging further into a problem reveals more problems.  Sometimes part suppliers are flaky.  If you are unable to get the vehicle back to a customer when they were expecting it, apologize, acknowledge the impact that’s going to have on them, and work with them to make sure they aren’t left stranded.

To learn about how Repair Shop Websites can help you better serve your shop’s customers, call us at 855-219-7506 or email us at Team_RSW@repairshopwebsites.com.

Trim’s Automotive Repair Is Here For All Your Automotive Needs!

November 4th, 2016

Trim’s Automotive Repair offers a full-service center to cover all of your vehicles needs. We have been servicing the Lebanon, Pa. area for over 45 years, specializing in all types of repairs from minor to major services. Specializing in Foreign, Domestic as well as Truck and Suv.  Trim’s offers general service from Oil, Filter and Lube to Complete Engine and Transmission Service and Rebuilding. State Inspections and Emission Testing, Diagnostic work, Tune-Up, Brakes, Heating and Cooling, Air Conditioning Service, Drivetrain and Suspension Repairs, Electrical and Fuel Management Systems as well. Wheels, Tires and Accessories such as Tonneau Covers, Rain Guards, Exhaust Systems along with a variety of OEM and After Market Specialty items available through our Parts Store.  Call us today at 717-273-4348 or stop by 888 Kimmerlings Rd. We look forward to seeing you!

Trustworthy, upfront, and honest at Auto Service Mall

November 3rd, 2016

Auto Service Mall provides a variety of services ranging from factory scheduled maintenance, oil changes, alignments, brakes, transmission services, engine maintenance, and also electronic services.  They offer honest and reliable vehicle repairs and only fix what needs to be done.  Stop by 2522 Brandt School Rd Wexford, PA 15090 or call (724) 964-4019 to see what they can do for you!