Any shop owner will tell you that the customers they serve are as different as the cars they bring in for repair. Some are friendly, some are not; some are knowledgeable about cars while others have very little understanding of their vehicle; some are patient, and some are in a hurry. They might be there for a full restoration or simply a scratch. They may be shopping around for the best price or only care about the quality of your work. The potential mix of personalities and situations is endless when you start thinking about it.
In order to run a successful business and work effectively with all of the different kinds of customers you encounter on a daily basis, the approach you take in your communication matters, says Kimberly Pope, etiquette expert and Founder & CEO of The Pope Institute.
“Every touchpoint you have with a customer has the potential to enhance or hurt your brand,” she says. “It takes 3–7 seconds for someone to form an impression, the majority of which is based on how polished and polite you are.”
Maya Angelou said it best, in Pope’s opinion: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Understanding Your Customers
Like any collision shop, Bob Sloan, owner of Sloan Product in North Canton, Ohio, has many different “types” of customers who walk through his door. The key to handling them all, he says, is flexibility.
“You have to be a chameleon when it comes to handling all different types of people,” Sloan shared. “Your personality has to be able to mesh with all the different personalities of the world. You have to be able to take things with a grain of salt and be patient with some people…and you have to be able to adapt, being adaptable is key.”
The longer he’s in business, the better Sloan gets at tailoring his approach depending on the situation.
There’s the cash buyer, for example, who’s always looking for a freebie or discount, he says, and of course the “shopper” who’s getting estimates from several places around town. In Sloan’s experience, these customers are often more concerned with getting a low price than paying for quality craftsmanship.
“In the early years of growing my business, I would often discount my work just to get jobs from these types of customers, even when it didn’t make financial sense,” he recalled. “That was a learning curve. Now, I let those types of customers go down the road to the next shop if they want. I would rather shut the lights off early on Friday then end up paying out of my own pocket for their repairs. I respectfully tell people that if they’re shopping a price, I’m not their guy — our paint quality & workmanship are the reason people come to us.”
Remember what Benjamin Franklin once said, advises Sloan: “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is long forgotten.”
Taking this approach to prioritize quality over price has paid off for Sloan, as his “tried and true” customer base steadily continues to grow.
“On the other end of the spectrum from the price shoppers you have collectors who understand the craftsmanship and art form of a high-quality job, and will wait to get in the door no matter how long it takes. My customers that bring me their custom or restoration projects are currently waiting in line up to a year or longer to get in.”
Those same customers, he says, bring in their daily drivers for both annual maintenance — like detailing, rust proofing before winter, or scratch and dent repair — and collision/insurance work. These types of “tried-and-true” clients, as Sloan calls them, are the ones who will sustain the business long term and bring in more new customers through word of mouth referrals.
How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone
Regardless of the “type” of customer you’re dealing with, the rules of effective communication remain the same across the board, says Pope.
“Think less about customer service being a thing you provide,” she says, “and more about being of service to your customer, having a heart to serve them.”
She advises business owners to keep the following tips in mind when engaging with a customer:
Always give your customers a warm greeting; it sets the tone for the interaction. This should be done intentionally, not just as a formality.
Be an active listener; remember the phrase, "two ears to listen more, one mouth to speak less." Be fully present in the moment when you engage a customer.
How you say things can carry more weight than what you actually say; be mindful of your delivery.
And don’t forget…a smile and being kind can go a long way!
Additionally, Sloan adds, being open and honest with your customers so they clearly understand the repair process, timeline, and project outcome is imperative, too.
“The best way to understand and communicate with your customers is to explain how the repair process and/or different types of repairs work and what’s involved…keep your clients informed throughout the process, every step of the way, until the repairs are complete.”
Tips on Handling a Difficult Customer
Every shop encounters difficult customers from time to time — it’s inevitable when you’re working with such a wide variety of personalities. When you encounter such a person, Pope says, it’s incredibly important to handle the situation in a considerate and respectful way.
Keep calm and do the following if things start to get tense:
- Consider others around you. If it’s possible to redirect the conversation to a separate nearby office, do so. This will minimize the situation from being on display for others not involved in the situation, and allow other employees to focus on servicing other customers with minimal distraction.
- Consider the customer’s perspective. Listen intently to the customer and keep in mind that a difficult customer is a customer frustrated with a “situation” — not you. Don’t take it personally. Your goal is to help the customer resolve the situation.
- Consider how you can defuse the situation. This is where your body language and tone are important. Controlling your breathing, having a welcoming posture (e.g. no folded arms), and a calm tone can go a long way in bringing calm in that moment, and potentially having the customer follow your lead and regain their composure so you can have a less tense, more focused conversation.
- Respect the customer’s concerns and find a way to address them — not dismiss them. Are there any areas for compromise where the customer gets some resolution and you can regain a satisfied customer? Remember, it’s about resolving the situation.
- Be Honest. Be honest and authentic in your engagement with the customer. And be honest in what’s feasible to accommodate them. Then follow-through with that commitment.
The Bottom Line
Just as the way you approach a repair depends on the make and model of the vehicle you’re working on, different types of customers require different approaches, too. The same principles of effective communication apply to them all, though. The better you’re able to communicate and build relationships with a wide variety of people, the more successful your business will be.
“Remember, it only takes a second to hurt a reputation that likely took years to build,” cautions Pope. Always be mindful of your approach!
