Monday, November 29, 2010

Become A Successful Auto Repair Shop

The auto repair business is one that can be lucrative, but only for the shops that work to separate themselves from their competitors and retain the loyalty of their mechanics and customers. Growing your auto repair business into a success doesn't necessarily involve spending a great deal of time or funds, but it does require that you evaluate your policies and implement certain changes.


Instructions


1. Refuse to operate unethically or dishonestly, and make sure your employees stand by your practices. Auto repair shops have a shady reputation among consumers, and refusing to price gouge, overcharge and suggest unneeded repairs will help separate your business from others.


2. Establish a service guarantee and offer it to all customers. Since most car repairs are expensive, customers that receive a service guarantee will have peace of mind that they are getting their money's worth, and they won't have to spend more in case you don't do the job right the first time.


3. Retain your mechanics and offer them quality training to not only improve your service, but employee morale. Working as a mechanic often means long hours servicing anxious, worried and upset customers, so try to make their job as rewarding as possible. Customers also prefer to take their car to the same mechanic rather than constantly having to switch to a different technician.


4. Care about your customer’s complaints and do your best to resolve them--this will differentiate your auto shop, as most are not known for their customer service quality. Whether it's a complaint about faulty work, prices or a long wait time, take your customer's suggestions and try to implement changes whenever necessary. Even if the customer is being unreasonable, thank them for their suggestions and welcome their future comments and questions.


5. Offer incentives to keep customers coming back. This doesn't necessarily mean lowering prices, but offering extras such as a children's play area, free coffee in your waiting room, a television for waiting customers or loyalty coupons for repeat customers.







Tags: auto repair, auto repair business, doesn necessarily, repair business, service guarantee, your auto