Repair Shop Advice

Posts Tagged ‘repair shop customers’

Repair Shop Websites – How to Get Customer Reviews!

June 30th, 2014

As a repair shop, it is important that you get reviews from your customers. The testimonials that your customers write will help your shop bring in new business and build your brand image. Before customers contact you or choose your shop to have their vehicle serviced, they will look for online reviews.

How can you get reviews?

  • Ask your customers to write testimonials
  • Make it easy for customers to leave reviews
  • Provide excellent service

Where should you have reviews?

  • Google My Business
  • Yelp
  • Company Website

How can reviews help improve your websites ranking on the search engines?

When your customers write reviews about their experience with your business they are considered unique. Search engines love reviews because it is unique content and relevant.  Another tip is to have your customers put their location (city, state) when writing a review.

This is all extremely important for business because it helps your business succeed and search well online!

If are looking to get more reviews, customers can submit testimonials through your website with our Pro+Connect Package.

New and Improved Contact Forms Are Now Available For Your Website!!!

April 1st, 2014

Attention Repair Shop Websites customers, we have listened to our customers’ requests and updated the website forms! Over the next week, we will be rolling out the new forms.

The forms will look more friendly, professional and be easier to fill out. Your customers will appreciate the small amount of time needed to fill out the forms, and how easy it will be to contact your shop. The contact forms on your website are used to help you bring in more business and for customer communication.

If your customers can’t reach your shop online, please contact us at 1-866-665-1605 Option 2.

What Are You Thankful For This Year?

November 26th, 2013

Did your business have a successful year? Were you constantly busy?

One of the reasons your shop was successful was because of your customers. Without your customers you wouldn’t have a business.

Are you doing anything to thank your customers for their business? You need to show appreciation for your customers, it will help form a better relationship and will result in repeat visits.

Some ideas:

  • Customer loyalty program – 4 oil changes = 1 free oil change
  • Coupons – $10 off any service over $100
  • Promotions – 4 tires for the price of 3
  • Party – celebrate the successful year with a pizza party and free oil change
  • Newsletter – ideas, tips, service reminders
  • Social Media – send direct tweets, earn points for checking in

Remember to always thank your customers for coming to your shop. They chose your place of business over all of the competitors in town. Tell them about your loyalty program to keep them coming back!

We would like to thank our customers for their business and hope that they have a great Thanksgiving!

Top 10 Worst Things Your Customers Do

October 14th, 2013

Below is a list of how some of your repair shop customers act. All of the following actions make it harder to provide excellent service.

  1. Not Telling You Everything – your customers might withhold some information about their vehicle to keep it from costing them too much. But this makes solving the problem more difficult and could be more costly in the end.
  2. Blaming You For Their Mistakes – when a vehicle is repaired your customer will most likely notice another problem with their vehicle. They might blame this problem on you because you just touched their car.
  3. Not Letting You Breathe – some customers hover over you while you are working on their vehicle. They walk into the bay, ask questions and constantly watch while their vehicle as is being repaired.
  4. Selfish – your customers want to know everything about everything. They want to ask you lots of questions but there might be a huge line of people behind them. They may be acting selfish by hogging your valuable time.
  5. Assuming you’re not trustworthy – because it is the first time you are working on their vehicle, they might not trust you yet. Make sure you have customer reviews to show your credentials.
  6. Yelling – when something goes wrong your customer will get angry and might start yelling.
  7. Shopping for a quote – you get phone calls all the time asking for a quote on the repair. They also might not tell you that they are shopping around and this can be frustrating if you spent a while on the phone with them.
  8. Taking their car somewhere else after diagnosis – a person might bring their vehicle in to be inspected to see what’s wrong. After giving them a free diagnosis and hoping to earn their business they bring it elsewhere.
  9. Smelly Vehicles – some people have distinct smells and don’t clean their car. While working on a vehicle it might be difficult not to plug your nose.
  10. Expecting way too much – these days everyone is demanding and wants what they want as soon as possible. If you promise them a certain time, they expect the job to be done sooner.

Everyone is different but they are your customers and still need to be treated right. Always do your best to provide excellent customer service so they keep coming back!

The New Consumer – Repair Shop Customer Behavior

June 5th, 2013

How Do Your Customers Behave When Making a Purchase Decision?

The way mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa purchased services has drastically changed.  You almost wonder how they survived having to get product information and contact information via word of mouth, researching using a phone book, or driving from place to place.  Sounds so primitive in this instant gratification world!

Today’s consumer uses multiple platforms to access the same information.  The biggest difference is the New consumer has access to the same information and so much more in about 30 seconds.  The old consumer might have taken hours to gather information to buy.  The new consumer can research multiple places and brands whether local or from around the world in a few minutes.  The new consumer is well prepared and armed with the pros and cons of your product and if they aren’t, you don’t exist.

The internet is the center of the universe for today’s consumers.   Consumers can access the internet via desktop computers, laptops, tablets, TV, and phones.  Are you available?  Is your product relevant, searchable, and of interest?  Is your service portable, personal, and requiring consumer interaction?  If you say “NO” to any of these, you need to revamp your brand to meet the needs of the new consumer.  Join the social media network and get your name known.  Sign up for Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Linkedin, Pinterest, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, and YouTube.

While the most basic trade or commerce continues to take place (exchange of goods/service for money), companies have to think outside the proverbial box to find ways to promote their service and attract younger consumers.  Standing by idly and saying everybody knows my business or all my customers are old customers is the fastest way to close your business   How you plan for the instant gratification crowd today is a great litmus test as to how many NEW Consumers use your services tomorrow.

If you are having a hard time getting your repair shop information on the internet, call us at 866 665 1605.  We have multiple solutions designed to help your budget while growing your business.

Feel free to visit us online at www.repairshopwebsites.com

ClearMechanic Chooses Macs Service Center for Great Use of Images!

November 9th, 2011

Macs Service Center was selected a winner by ClearMechanic for best utilizing repair photos to improve communication with repair shop customers. Mac Service Center in Ashland, VA uses the Visual Inspection Plus (VIP) tool offered by Repair Shop Websites to visually explain suggested repairs. Read more:

https://www.clearmechanic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CM-Blog-Post-Top-5-ClearMechanic-Vehicle-Photos-from-Week-of-October-30th-11-4-112.pdf