Repair Shop Advice

Archive for June, 2018

Philcron Auto Service | Serving Charlotte NC Since 1979

June 29th, 2018

Since 1979, Philcron Auto Service has provided personalized customer care for our patrons with high quality automotive maintenance and repair services including: General Maintenance, Oil Changes, Brakes, Factory Recommended Maintenance, Alignments, Engine Repair, Transmission Repairs, Electronic Repair, A/C & Heating Services, and also 4×4 Repairs . We use high-tech diagnostic equipment to guarantee your vehicle is repaired and/or serviced correctly the first time around. Come see us at 144 Manley Street, Charlotte NC 28216, or you may reach us at 704-372-3429. Let our expert mechanics at Philcron Auto Service work their magic on your trusted vehicle.

Al Dean’s Auto Repair | The Epitome of Customer Service in Auburn Hills

June 29th, 2018

Al Dean’s Auto Repair in Auburn Hills MI is willing to listen carefully and provide you with the information you need about your vehicle concerns. They have the knowledge to service and repair even the most challenging auto problems on all makes and models of domestic and import vehicles. They can handle everything from Oil Changes, Factory Recommended Maintenance, Brakes, Alignments, Undercar Services, Electrical Repairs, Engine Repairs, Transmission Repairs, 4×4 Services, and also Check Engine Light Diagnostics. Call them at 248-852-3095 to schedule an appointment or stop by the shop at 3191 Auburn Rd. Auburn Hills, MI 48326 to speak to Chuck in person!

Central Bergen Auto & Light Truck | The Best Automotive Repair Facility in North Jersey!

June 29th, 2018

Being a car owner is made infinitely easier by having a trustworthy mechanic like Central Bergen Auto & Light Truck. You can trust the expertise of these honest and knowledgeable technicians. From oil changes and tire rotations, to the more complicated engine rebuilds, this North Jersey auto repair shop offers all general auto repair services at reasonable rates. Call (201) 384-8787 or drop by 51 Woodbine St, Bergenfield, NJ 07621 to schedule your maintenance or repair service today!

Technology Is Only a Great Assistant

June 28th, 2018

Have you ever had trouble with a product and tried to call customer service?  The phone only rings one time and the line is picked up – unfortunately, it’s a robot.  It presents a list of options, and none of them quite fit your problem, so you pick a number, and it gives you another menu.  None of those fit either, so you press 0 to speak to a customer service representative.  After 10 minutes of bad hold music, someone picks up, asks you a few questions, and tells you that you’ve called the wrong department.


What you’ve experienced is a company using technology to solve a problem (more customer calls than they can answer) that can’t be solved with technology.  Technology can help solve this problem when used properly, but technology can’t solve the problem by itself.

Many of the big dealership and franchise service centers try to do the same thing.  They invest tens of millions of dollars into technology to solve problems.  They buy televisions to advertise products in their waiting rooms, but don’t train their service writers on how to sell them.  They develop technician training videos but nobody watches them.  They use phone trees to reduce the time their employees spend routing calls, but don’t test the system to ensure that customers really get where they need to go.

Unfortunately, in the auto repair business, technology can’t fix much by itself.  That’s great for technicians and service writers, because it means their skills will be in demand for some time to come.  But if you’re trying to increase your close rate without increasing costs, technology alone isn’t going to fix your problem.  And if you’re hoping to reduce service costs without reducing service quality, the same holds true.

The good news is that independent repair shops are perfectly positioned to capitalize on this corporate deficiency.  So why give up the advantage?   When customers call, don’t let a robot pick up the call – let a human answer it.  If you’re advertising anything in your shop, make sure that your customer-facing employees can impress the customer with their knowledge about that product.  And if the customer does have a problem with their service, address it with a human touch.

That’s not to say that technology isn’t a part of the equation – we happen to be big fans of lead-generating websites.  But while technology is great at helping your shop find new customers, it’s ultimately your customer service that’s going to help close the sale.  So if you’ve got employees that believe that human interaction is more important to customer satisfaction than new technology, you can tell them that this technology company agrees with them.  In fact, we practice it ourselves; our websites deliver results, but it’s our customer service that separates us from our competitors.

To learn how Repair Shop Websites can bring more business to your shop, call us at 866-665-1605 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.

Right Stop Garage

June 25th, 2018

Right Stop Garage provides comprehensive auto repair services in the Safford, AZ 85546 area that include check engine light, alignments, minor bodywork, oil changes, auto maintenance, brakes, engine repair & services, transmission services, and more. For a high-performing vehicle, trust Right Stop Garage with your car, truck, or van. To learn more about the services we offer, please contact us by phone at 928-348-0100 or visit us at 102 W 5th St, Safford AZ 85546.

Three Ways to Enhance Your Waiting Room Experience

June 22nd, 2018

Your waiting room is the public face of your shop.  Just as the condition of your shop floor indicates how much you care about your mechanics or the vehicles you service, the condition of your waiting room indicates how much you care about your customers.  And you always want to care more about your customers than their vehicles.

This might seem counter-intuitive – you probably spend a lot of time talking about fixing customers’ cars, and very little about fixing their lives. But as a service provider, an auto repair shop’s most important job is to improve the customer’s life – it just so happens that maintaining and repairing cars is a huge part of how shops improve lives.

If you don’t believe this, answer this question.  Which shop is going to earn a better review: the one who is rude and demeaning to the customer but fixes the vehicle, or the one who makes a mistake on the repair but apologizes profusely and goes way out of the their way to make the customer happy?  The second one wins every time.


Your waiting area is going to be the environment customers are in when you ask them for a review and send them a link to their email or smartphone to complete.  What can you provide in that environment that will really help you stand out from the rest of the independent auto repair shops in the area?  Here are three ideas:

Food or drinks through a local business partnership

If you have a local bakery or sweet shop nearby, offer their snacks in your waiting area.  If you have a coffee or tea shop nearby, offer their blends in a hot drink area stocked with cream, sugar, and a nice coffee or teapot.  The business providing the snacks will likely appreciate the opportunity to advertise their goods as much as they enjoy your business, and you may be able to negotiate a significant discount for daily deliveries.  Customers will be surprised to find high-quality snacks in the waiting room.

A comfortable place to get some work done

Most auto repair shop waiting rooms have a TV, some chairs, and maybe some magazines.  But these days, most people are going to be glued to a screen of their own while they’re in your waiting room – either their laptop or their cell phone.  What they really need to do is to get some work done in a comfortable environment.  If you can provide comfortable, wide seats, WiFi access, and an environment that isn’t excessively loud, you’ll earn more goodwill than the best cable package or magazine subscriptions could ever get you.

Great Communication

Inside every waiting area is a service writer – the person responsible for the customer relationship.  That person needs, at a minimum, the same level of customer service skills as you’d expect from a waiter at a nice restaurant.  They should focus on the customer when talking with them.  They should get an understanding of what the customer wants – the services to be performed, and the expected timeline – and quickly let the customer know if anything is going to impact the shop’s ability to meet those needs, even if it’s just an extra 10 minutes.  They should also be able to determine whether the customer wants something or is content being left alone, and interact with them accordingly.

If this seems easy, it isn’t – especially at a busy shop.  In addition to taking care of customers in the lobby, a service writer is also taking phone calls, relaying information from technicians to customers, scheduling part deliveries, and handling whoever comes through the front door.  A service writer that can juggle all of this while convincing customers that they truly care about their experience is a very talented one, indeed.

Does Your Shop Pass the Test?

Of course, it’s difficult to be price competitive and offer every possible waiting room perk.  The main question is, when your customer receives that request for a review while you’re handing back their keys, and they’re still in your waiting area, does anything they’ve experienced prompt them to leave an especially positive review?  If so, your waiting room has accomplished its objective – improving the customer experience!

To learn how Repair Shop Websites can help your shop get more business, call us at 866-665-1605 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.

Union Weber Autocare – Your Trusted Source for Auto Repair

June 21st, 2018

Union Weber Autocare is a full-service preventive maintenance and auto repair center in the Saint Louis area. Our experts have the knowledge to service and repair even the most challenging auto problems on all makes and models of domestic and import vehicles. Our services include auto maintenance, tires, brakes, alignments, a/c services, transmission services, oil changes, diagnostics, check engine light, and more! Call us today at 314-631-8947 or visit our shop at 645 Union Rd, Saint Louis MO 63123.

Fast, Friendly, & Knowledgeable ~ Ambs Auto Clinic | Jackson, MI

June 18th, 2018

Honest automotive repair is hard to come by, but customers in Jackson, MI lucked up with Ambs Auto Clinic! The friendly staff puts customer satisfaction first, and always willing to explain the repairs and address any questions or concerns you may have. They provide heating and cooling services, brake and alignment services, engine and transmission services, as well as domestic and import repair and much more. Don’t hesitate to give them a call to schedule your service at 517-784-5774, or drop by in person at 427 Laurence Ave, Jackson, MI 49202 today!

Three Reasons Auto Repair Shops Fail (And How To Avoid Them)

June 15th, 2018

It takes hard work to run an auto repair shop. While you’re focused on getting cars in and out of the shop, other major issues can drag you down. Here are three of them, along with suggestions on how to deal with them. 

Duck’s Garage | Auto Repair You Can Quack About!

June 12th, 2018

In Benton, Arkansas is a shop called Duck’s Garage where they work on just about anything. From regular cars, to fleets, to diesel repair your in great hands. Some of their services include oil changes, brakes, transmission, engine services, fleet work, and performance work.  One of their customers even said “Reliable and good quality work not found anywhere else.” Stop on the shop at 1511 Airlane Dr or call the shop at 501-778-2886 today!