Repair Shop Advice

If you’re a general automotive shop, the odds are pretty good that you’re happy to see customers who need new brake pads and rotors.  When we ran an informal survey of our customers asking them which five services they most prefer to do, brakes were in the list for more than 90% of respondents.  Around half of surveyed shops also listed A/C services and diagnostics in their top five as well.

These might be great profit engines for many shops.  Should they be prioritized in your marketing?  That depends on your situation.

If you live in a rural area, and competition for auto repair customers isn’t particularly strong, these are great services to lead your marketing efforts.  Vehicles aren’t going to make it far with bad brakes, and depending on your climate and the time of year, they aren’t going to go far without A/C either.

But what if your town or city is full of other shops fighting for that business?  It might not make sense to join them.  At some point, fighting to be the shop people think of for a specific type of job only to have to participate in a price war might not end up being all that profitable after all.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid providing brake services – you’ll probably get plenty of brake business even if that’s not what you’re pushing in your advertising.  It especially makes sense to market these services to existing customers, who already trust your shop and are less likely to price shop or start their repair shop search from scratch.  It just means you might want to try a different angle when it comes to prioritizing services on your website or in any print marketing services you’re using. Here are two other ways to go:

Emphasize Ride Quality and Safety – Some shops we surveyed chose to promote suspension and alignment services, and many of these offered tire services as well.  Alignment machines aren’t cheap, so not every shop has them – and it makes sense to capitalize on them if you do!  And while tires are far from a profit center for most repair shops, they can bring in new customers, offering the potential to build a relationship and provide more profitable services down the road.

Niche Services – If you or another technician in your shop has a particularly strong knowledge of specific vehicle models, such as German or Japanese cars, promoting that expertise can bring in many new customers if your area is big enough to have a large volume of those vehicles.  Promoting yourself as an expert may require you to purchase enhanced (OEM) diagnostic tools and build relationships with parts providers, but the customers you earn are more likely to be loyal because they know you are simply a better resource for their vehicles than other shops.

You can also specialize in less common problems such as electrical, engine or transmission services if you have someone with the expertise to perform those services at a higher level.  This can even lead to referrals from competitors who lack those skills.  Just be careful not to get more specific than your market can support.  Finally, don’t feel like you have to discontinue your general automotive services to promote expertise in a specific vehicle model or automotive system!

To learn how Repair Shop Websites can help your repair shop earn more business, call us at 855-294-6397 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.

The national unemployment rate continues to drop after the largest spike since the Great Depression, reaching 8.4% in August.  That’s a massive improvement over April’s 14.7% but it’s still a number reached only once (during the Great Recession) in the past 25 years.  Economists are warning to expect unemployment to remain elevated above historic averages for years.

High unemployment is bad news for the economy, but it’s normally beneficial if you’re trying to find great new employees.  Unfortunately for auto repair shop owners, the unemployment rate isn’t going to matter much when it comes to automotive technicians.  There still won’t be enough.

The auto, diesel and collision industries are expected to need 642,000 technicians to enter the workforce between 2020 and 2024, according to the TechForce Foundation.  The number of students successfully completing programs in each of these three fields in 2018 was down compared to 2017.  And although there are signs of increased interest in studying to become a technician, it will be many years before this interest yields experienced technicians.

We’ve mentioned before that COVID-19 is having an uneven impact across the country, with some shops facing large revenue reductions while others struggle to keep up with increased business levels.  The long-term technician shortage impacts shops facing either scenario.  Shops with too little business who reduce or eliminate a technician’s hours may find that replacing them when business returns is difficult or impossible.  Shops drowning in new work and looking for new technicians now may find that, even in this depressed job market, great technicians are hard to find and even harder to afford.

If your shop is hiring, it’s not likely to be easy.  Here are some tips that will help you with employee recruitment, identification and retention:

• Recruiting Great Techs (Infographic)
• What Makes a Great Auto Repair Shop Employee? (Infographic)
• Five Tips for a Great New Employee Onboarding Process (Infographic)

To learn how Repair Shop Websites can help your auto repair shop grow your business, call us at 855-294-6397 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com

The sweet spot in the market for auto repair shops is vehicles that are 6-12 years old.  The owners of these vehicles have recently gotten rid of their car payment, are no longer under warranty and will have to start investing in their vehicle’s maintenance if they want to avoid having to buy a new one.  Even major repairs can be justified for many of these vehicles, as they are likely to have years of life remaining if they are properly maintained.

That ideal market is about to get a little larger.  The used vehicle market is on fire right now, leading these vehicles to leave car sales lots and get back on the road more quickly than ever.  Average used vehicle prices have increased nearly $2,000 since the beginning of the pandemic, and the average number of days a car sits on a lot is lower than it has been in years.

Before the pandemic, some households had only one car and relied on public transportation or ride sharing when car sharing wasn’t possible.  The pandemic has made each of those alternative transportation options far less appealing, so households are buying vehicles to meet these needs instead.  And since these newly purchased vehicles won’t be the primary family vehicle, many buyers are looking towards a more affordable pre-owned vehicle instead of a new one.

This means that the vehicle is much more likely to leave the lot without any dealer coverage at all.  Independent shops are the perfect maintenance choice for these vehicles due to their affordability and more convenient locations.  If your shop isn’t trying to capture the attention (and business) of people who are considering purchasing or have recently purchased a used vehicle, it’s an excellent opportunity to build trust with these owners.

Providing a discounted or free inspection for recently-purchased vehicles will make it easier for the buyer to visit your shop for maintenance than other shops. If you really want to get crazy you could even offer a free inspection for used vehicle before someone purchases it.  These inspections can effectively build trust, and a pipeline of future business by providing both the customer and your shop with a list of maintenance and repairs needed to keep the vehicle safe and reliable.  And it’s an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you’ll help them make informed decisions instead of pushing for a sale.

If your current customers’ family members are considering a used vehicle, it’s an especially good opportunity for new business.  Since someone in the family already trusts your shop, it’s more likely that the newly purchased vehicle will find its way back to your shop for major repairs when they come due.  Advertising a free inspection of recently-purchased used vehicles in your shop or on your invoices will make it more likely that current customers will see it.  Referrals are one of the most effective ways to earn business – and family referrals are among the most trusted ones!

To learn how Repair Shop Websites can help you get more vehicles into your shop, call us at 855-294-6397 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.