Can I Trust You? What the Auto Repair Industry Can Teach You About Trustworthiness

This week I talked with Scott Santos, owner of an auto repair business and in the industry for 20+ years. What does fixing cars have in common with a dentist? Trust. Your customers have to feel secure in their relationship with you, and they have to come in to your place of business to have the services performed. And truth be told, they’d rather be someplace else. So how do you get your customers to forge a trusting relationship with you?
Trust Is Tops. What’s the most important thing when choosing a repair shop? Trust actually tops out pricing. While pricing is important, if you trust your mechanic, then the pricing falls in line.
Word-of-Mouth. Where do most of their customers come from? Customer referrals. Of all industries, this probably has the highest referral rate of all. What do you do when your car needs to get repaired? Why, you ask a trusted friend where they take their car.
Keep In Touch. They are relying on new technology to bring the customers back in, such as programs that automatically calculate your next oil change appointment, and then send reminders via text message or email.
Best Ways to Attract New Customers? A good promotion – such as a free oil change or a coupon for money off works wonders. But the promo has to be a good one, enough to entice the prospect to give your service a try. Then you wow them with your service and woo them back as a recurring customer.
Touch the Customer. For current customers, there’s lots of “touches” involved – newsletters, surveys, coupons, rebates, gifts in their car after a service appointment, so that you stay top of mind.
Location, Location. For this industry, location is key. Their core customer base may span just a five-mile radius. So it’s important to be a part of the community, via sponsorships, giving back and getting involved in town events. These help to build trust and a presence in the community.
The Big Question. What do you do when something goes wrong? Santos says that how you react when something goes wrong can sometimes cement that relationship. Honest is the best policy – don’t sugarcoat things, don’t lie, and don’t “low ball” just to get the job.
So while they may be talking spark plugs, the auto industry has alot of valuable take-aways for other service-rleated industries where trust is a must. What are you doing to establish trust?
Source: Advantage Auto
To listen to this segment in its entirety, go to: Marketing Chat with Nancy Sipera, 4/23/13