Repair Shop Advice

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the damage that a high-performing jerk can do to your auto repair shop.  It might seem like it’s impossible for your shop to survive without them, until you get rid of them.  Then everyone else’s performance improves, and you learn about all the problems that were simmering under the surface every single workday.

It’s easy to talk about destructive employees, though.  How about finding a good one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?

If you’re looking for an employee in this market, especially a technician, that doesn’t want a six-figure salary, you’re going to be looking for someone with dedication, growth potential… and not a lot of experience.  These employees are among the most difficult to assess.  You can’t test their knowledge to determine their value to the team.  You can’t call a long list of references, because their career is limited in duration.  You can’t even judge them based on certifications, because they don’t have many.

That doesn’t mean you have to take a shot in the dark.  Patrick Lencioni’s book The Ideal Team Player identifies three characteristics to look for in any candidate:

Humble team players aren’t ego-driven.  They’re quick to talk about the people who have helped them succeed, and slow to assign credit to themselves.

Hungry team players are always focused on what else they can take on.  Growth and success are natural consequences of their self-motivation.

Smart team players understand how to interact with others due to their intuition and good judgement.  Smart in this context isn’t about book-smarts, but about people-smarts – knowing how to deal well with people.

If you can find an employee with these three characteristics, the sky is the limit for their ability to help your shop succeed.  And although it’s somewhat implied by these, it’s almost important to mention Honesty.  If your employees aren’t honest, nothing else matters.  You’ll lose every time.

To learn how Repair Shop Websites can help your shop improve its hiring process with our Hiring Assessment Survey, call us at 866-665-1605 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.

There are so many factors that go into selling auto repair services.  We’ve covered the importance of phone-based service, building long-term trust, and dealing with sales objections.  But there’s more to communication than what you’re saying – more than half of in-person communication comes from body language.  When you say it can be done next week, does your customer believe it?  When you provide an estimate, does your customer believe that you’ll stick to it?  Here are a few ideas on how to convince a customer that you’re going to do a great job for them – and (almost) none of them involve words!

Convey Honesty

Seeming dishonest is a surefire deal killer.  The first rule of projecting honesty is to be honest.  If you only present one option when there are really others, it will be difficult to cover up your body language, which will be saying otherwise.  You should also avoid touching your face while you’re communicating; people sometimes subconsciously see this as hiding your face, and it makes them distrust you.  Don’t cross your arms, because it seems defensive.  Finally, make eye contact regularly throughout the conversation – but don’t stare!

Listen to Them

Some people can listen and think at the same time.  But it’s difficult to look like you’re listening and thinking at the same time.  And if a customer doesn’t think you’re listening to them, they aren’t going to trust you.

When a customer is talking to you, make sure you follow both their verbal and non-verbal cues.  If they reference a particular part of the vehicle, take a look at it for a second while they’re talking about it.  Otherwise, maintain eye contact while the customer is talking, and nod periodically to indicate you’re taking in what they’re saying.  Finally, don’t be afraid to repeat back to them what they said if you think it’s particularly important to them – it indicates that you heard them, and have committed it to memory.

Meet Customers Where They Are

You can tell what a customer is thinking based on their own behavior.  Are they in a time crunch?  Then what they’re looking for is confidence.  Lean into the conversation, and try to avoid long pauses that might indicate you’re having to move other jobs around in your head to fit this one in your schedule.

Are they looking for someone who cares about doing a great job?  Show them some excitement – slightly increase the speed and volume of your speech and use some hand gestures.   In many cases, this will flow naturally – if you take the time to consider the customer’s mindset, your body language will naturally adjust to respond to it.

To learn more about how Repair Shop Websites can help increase your profit margins, call us at 866-665-1605 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.