Every month, like clockwork, I get vehicle trade-in offers in the mail from the local Nissan dealership where I bought my 2009 Maxima almost seven years ago. Worded as an offer I can’t refuse, I take one look and then dispose of them.
The one that came the other day briefly caught my eye, only because it was not from the all-too-familiar Nissan dealer, but rather from a Kia dealer. Regardless of the offer, none of them move me to want to get into a new vehicle.
For starters, I don’t want a car payment. Plus, I happen to love my car and truly enjoy driving it! You wouldn’t know it has 110,000 miles on the odometer — I keep it in tip-top shape, run it through the car wash weekly (sometimes more than once) and abide by the routine maintenance intervals.
But, I wouldn’t be able to do that, if I didn’t have a service provider who I could trust. He does great work, uses high-quality parts and has my best interests in mind. I can get my vehicle into his shop with little notice, he has late and weekend hours so I’m rarely inconvenienced with drop off or pick up, and he fully explains the extent of every repair, even showing me the worn parts that are in need of replacement.
Can your customers say the same things about you?
Consider the following items that help earn customer trust:
First Impressions. You should be creating a vehicle repair “experience,” from the moment the customer walks through the front door and is greeted by the service advisor, to the time he/she pays the bill. So, think about changes you can make to elevate customer first impressions.
Don’t take customers for granted. Once you get customers in your shop, you need to re-earn their business with every subsequent repair. Your reputation, as well as your customers’ trust and respect, are riding on the quality and effectiveness of every repair.
Get Your Entire Team Onboard. You are doing much more than just fixing cars, and that takes a team effort. Every part of the service experience should reflect quality, service excellence and professionalism, as you work together as a team to make customers return to your shop with confidence and commitment.
