There are many auto repair shops that provide repair services to customers but fail to keep those customers for a long period of time. “Customer Retention” is a BIG challenge for auto repair shops. For new customers, you have to put in extra effort to sell your service. So keeping old customers should take a front seat in your auto repair business plan. In this case, managing your existing customer base is important to manage all existing customers’ data using auto repair management software.
This software helps you keep track of all customers that took services from your shop, check most selling repair services, past invoices. Rather than looking at customers’ data in your diaries and files. Get data with a few taps in front of you. Have smooth sailing in your business.
According to a survey, new customers cost you 5 times more than existing customers. You make a successful sale to existing customers 60-70% more new customers. Because first, you have to make them believe that you are a shop of trust who doesn’t upsell customers. Which consumes a lot of your time and you even don’t know in the end whether they are really convinced or not.
Grab your popcorn, because this blog is going to be interesting. 🍿🍿
By the end of this blog post, you will find out ways that will help you retain your customers. Let’s get started!
Why Is Customer Retention Important?
As discussed above, getting new customers is much, much more difficult than retaining old ones.
Let’s get into a scenario, where we will apply a similar situation with a new customer and an existing customer.
Scenario #1:
Suppose a new customer named Linda arrives at your shop and asks you to give her vehicle a general inspection and estimates of those repairs. Your service advisor and technician collaborate with each other and spend their hours finding those issues. Then your service advisor re-writes the estimates given by the technician because the page is not presentable to the customer.
After all this hard work, Linda refuses to take services suggested by your shop. She doubts that you are trying to upsell your services to her.
Now at this point, where you are losing a customer. Your service advisors might start using all technical jargon just to make customers understand why these repairs are necessary.
However, later you got to know that she went to another auto repair shop in your area ( might be next to your shop) and got her vehicle repaired for less money. This will hurt you, for sure.
But I have a question here: are such customers loyal to your auto repair shops?
Of course not, they will never be loyal to one shop, they will instantly fly to another shop. As soon as they know some other Tom, Harry, Larry shop is giving repairs in less money. They will compromise on quality just to save a few pennies.
Scenario #2:
But let’s say you find another Linda. Now you are back to square one and you have to convince her that your services are better than those of your competitors.
In a parallel dimension, now you are using auto repair management software for inspecting her vehicle. You finished your inspection using OBD scanners within a few seconds, you diagnosed general problems in her vehicle.
In the next step, you generated an estimate using auto repair estimating software. If she rejects some repairs, you edit them instantly and prepare them according to her concerns. It’s just so easy.
This ease is appreciated by Linda and the technician repaired her vehicle just according to her concerns. Linda thanks you, pays you right away and leaves satisfied.
Next time when Linda comes to your shop, she will never think so much before getting your services. in fact, she will just drop her vehicle and trust you with it. In this case, you can tell her what extra improvements her vehicle needs. Like you can tell her that her vehicle’s headlights are not in a good condition but they don’t require immediate action (Try to sell her additional services).
Now, what would you prefer? The latter, right?
Moral of the story: It’s easy to sell your existing customers your services 60%-70% of the time, rather than to a new customer. Just update your methods using auto repair software.
How To Increase Your Customer Retention?
As we discussed, Linda’s scenario so you can offer your loyal customers discounts, or you can offer them freebies like keychains, car air freshers, floor mats & liners.
At this point, we are well aware of why customer retention is important. But how do you do it? Is there a one size fits all solution?
Unfortunately not, you see, keeping your customers coming back to your business is not all that simple. You have to implement a few strategies that will help you to hold on to your customers with your auto repair shop.
Let’s ride into those strategies that will keep your customer services on point.
Better Customer Experience
Whenever your existing customer enters your shop, try to make them feel at “home”. So when they come for repairs, greet them well from the doorstep. Provide customers digital solutions for their problems, like using auto repair invoicing software and asking them to pay you online.
Trustful Communication
Customers are the biggest source of learning. So on their checkouts, you can request them to share their valuable feedback about the services they got.
Tell them their opinion does matter to you, that’s why you want to know how you can improve your services and give them a seamless experience in your auto repair shops.
Track Their Upcoming Appointments
This is the easy and simplest way to retain your customers. Make sure you schedule their next maintenance with your auto repair shop. Send them automatic reminders using auto repair scheduling software and keep your bays full even in the slow season.
Read more on auto repair tips to make the most of a slow season. No more twiddling thumbs, keep scheduling with your old customers.
Build Transparency
Transparency is very important in every relationship whether it’s a husband or a wife or between customers and a shop where they trust and take services.
A customer shows their reservation when they feel you are not giving your best or trying to make a fool of them. Don’t let customers go to this point.
To avoid such a case, be transparent with your customers and explain in simple terms why their vehicles need such repairs. Rather than using difficult technical language. Speak with their mind and language.
Final Words
Customer retention is very important for all businesses especially when it comes to auto repair. They are the lifeblood of the business.
Old customers cost you way less than a new customer. You don’t have to invest your time in making them trust you and your prices. To retain customers you have to come up with different strategies and give them a better customer experience using auto repair management software.
