It seems like forever ago, but back in the 1990s, I regularly traveled to Atlanta to take PPG MVP Management series classes. One of the frequent instructors at that time was Ron Peretta (another mentor of mine), and I recall participating in role-playing where we would work on our “dialogue.” Ron liked that word, or at least that's the way I remember it. I didn't really know why at the time, but after several years in the industry, the word “dialogue” also became one of my favorite words. I began to realize that what I said and how I said it matters. So, we began to write SOPs that contained a lot of word tracks that are probably very similar to scripts you may hear from an insurance company. It became important for us and our team to say things very similarly when interacting with customers or insurance personnel. After all, we want our customers to have a great experience and no surprises. I will discuss some dialogue and words that we use and avoid using.
Don't Promise Perfection
As an example, when I started in this industry, I would “promise” a customer that their car would be ready on a certain date or “promise” that an insurance company “will” pay their claim. As you know, that never works. So we now say we “anticipate” your car being ready on this date and we are “unsure” how an insurance company might pay a claim. All of our team uses these words…every time. There is a big difference between "promise" and "anticipate" and "will" and "unsure."
The word “Perfect": We never use that word. Customers will sometimes ask if their repair will be “perfect.” The simple answer is NO! I have overheard shops say this and I just cringe. You cannot deliver that; it simply does not exist in anything. Matter of fact, I love cars and I love car shows, but I am that guy who will stand, look and analyze a million-dollar car and find it not to be perfect. We all know that car manufacturers do not build perfect cars, either. I have even found trash in the paint in my new Ford Bronco. You must be willing to tell customers the truth…simply tell them what you are capable of delivering and what to expect and you will save yourself a lot of headaches. If you are going to paint the side of the car and not remove the doors…tell them there will be overspray and tape lines in the jambs. Be honest.
Stop Using the Word 'Deductible'
Another word that we avoid using at our shop is “deductible.” This one is going to mess with a lot of shops, but this word is an insurance term and is defined by Wikipedia as: In an insurance policy, the deductible is the amount paid out of pocket by the policyholder before an insurance provider will pay any expenses. In general usage, the term deductible may be used to describe one of several types of clauses that are used by insurance companies as a threshold for policy payments. We avoid using insurance terminology. We are repair experts, and if we disassemble a vehicle, access the OEM repair procedures, and our repair estimate is $10,000…and the insurance company prepares an estimate for $7,000…then it really doesn't matter how much their deductible is because the difference is $3,000. It really doesn't matter that they have a $500 deductible.
Stop Apologizing for the Repair Cost
I have heard shops apologize for the repair cost. Stop it! Don't apologize for what the repair cost. We don't manufacture vehicles! The way they are built and the way they are damaged dictates the repair cost. We didn't write the repair procedures and we didn't set the price on parts and materials. We are just the service providers.
We do not speak on recorded lines or three-way calls, either. We only have discussions about things we know and can affirm, and those types of calls can catch us off guard and someone on our team speaking about or discussing something that is not part of us repairing a vehicle. We could be put in a position to put our foot in our mouth. I could go on and on about scripts we have written or other processes that we have in place, but I am limited to the number of words that I can write here.
How you say it matters! What do I mean? As a consumer myself, If I call a business and I am met with "Umm, Well, Uhhh, Let’s see…" then I immediately know you are not the person that I need to speak with. I will immediately try to bypass you and get to the next person in line. Customers want to speak with someone who has facts or at least seems to have an answer to their questions. Sometimes in our industry, we may not have all of the information to provide facts and telling the customer the truth sometimes can be hard…but we must be prepared to do just that. We have been told hundreds, perhaps thousands of times, that our customers appreciate us providing them with truthful information, even when it's hard to tell them. For example, if a part is backordered and you have done your best to obtain the part, then you or your staff should be prepared to tell them that you have done your very best to get the part, but the part is currently not available and say it nicely but with authority. Your tone matters. Don't beat around the bush.
