The “easy button” in auto repair shops is the “create estimate” button in the point of sale system. But, making this single click probably does more to cost your business than any other action you can take.
I know this is a strong statement right out of the blocks but hear me out.
If an employee is actively sabotaging your business, you’re bound to find out, replace the employee and create policies to prevent it from happening again. You can’t fire the “create estimate” button, but you can make a choice to use it or not.
But the “create estimate” button is an accepted part of a point of sale. It seems innocuous. It feels harmless to push. What’s the worst thing that could happen?
I’m here to tell you that pushing that button whenever a price shopper calls your shop is -- in nearly every circumstance -- not what the customer needs, not what your shop wants and will not create more sales, strengthen the relationship or help anybody on either side of the call.
The “worst thing that could happen” is you waste time creating the estimate and the customer doesn’t take your offer. Or worse, get the customer to bite on the lowball offer and throw good money after potentially misguided advice. Neither is a particularly great result.
In our shop, the “create estimate” option might as well not exist, because our team has a proven method for dealing with price shoppers on the phone. The first step of which is to remember that they’re not really looking for a price.
Care > Money
It’s true; price is not the answer. Ignore all your instincts, because they’re not looking for you to lowball them. They don’t need or even want to find the least expensive shop.
That price shopper simply doesn’t know what else to ask.
You know it and I know it, but I’ll say it out loud anyway: automotive repair isn’t a commodity. If you are buying a pair of Levi’s jeans, you can call around, provide measurements and confidently get an apples-to-apples comparison.
But repairing a car isn’t the same as buying a pair of jeans. And treating it that way creates the wrong expectation. When you push the “create estimate” button and create a quote, when you lowball the offer, cut profits and quote the cheapest parts, all in an effort to get them through the door the first time, you make that transaction about money. The next time that customer needs a repair, they’ll go through the same process. After all, there’s nothing to separate you from every other repair shop – you confirmed that belief when you created that estimate and gave that quote.
And that’s the best-case scenario. In all likelihood, you’ll be lowballed by somebody else and have to void yet another estimate from your point of sale system.
When a customer doesn’t know how else to tell repair shops apart, they ask about price. After all, they’ve seen the nightly news reports about shady shops running scams. Customers are led to believe every shop is out to get them, so why not get away for as little money as possible?
Which is why our service advisors know the first job is to educate the customer. When a caller asks for a price, we know the customer doesn’t know how else to tell shops apart and the best thing we can do to help them is give them the tools needed to make the best decision for their vehicle. It’s as simple as, “If you’ll give me five minutes, I’ll give you better questions to ask so you can make the best decision for yourself and your family.”
And just like that, you’ve changed the conversation. Without even using the words, you said, “We care more about you than the money.”
Perfecting trust
What comes next, of course, is unique to your shop. What sets you apart? What are your distinct and meaningful differences?
My shop has been serving our community for more than 45 years, which immediately sets us apart. We have excellent BBB and AAA ratings. And, we stand behind our work with a strong nationwide warranty.
The last item is particularly important, because customers don’t seek perfect repairs. Parts fail and problems happen, and customers understand this reality. They do expect perfect trust, though. You can’t control the failures, but you can control how you deal with them. And our warranty is a critical part of representing that to our customers.
But what sets my shop apart isn’t nearly as important as what sets yours apart. Do you know what makes your shop unique? Have you thought about it?
Once you know how to set yourself apart, get this on a card and put it by the phone in your shop. Nobody has a perfect memory and trying to memorize your unique and meaningful differences is an invitation to forget a critical bullet point at a key moment.
Actions speak louder than rote estimates
Of course, bullet points can only do so much, because your tone does all of the work for you. When the customer asks for a quote if you sound too busy, if you sigh, if you give any indication they’re not important, the relationship is dead on arrival.
Which is really part of the bigger picture here. The reason why you shouldn’t give quotes. The reason why you should educate customers even though you might lose the sale from some price shoppers. The reason why spending time with the customer like this is all the same. You have to be the people you say you’re going to be.
When you make that card with a few statements about why your shop stands apart from others and put it by the phone, when you teach customers how and why to make a decision about their vehicle, what you do is show them you care. You demonstrate through your actions that you’re not just after their money.
Chances are, no other shop has ever taken the time to show the customer they’re cared about. That’s why they’re searching around, asking the wrong questions in the first place. They need that connection. They need that care. And if you take the time, there’s a good chance you’ll become the trusted shop for them.
And if not? If they were only chasing price? So much the better. That customer was never going to value your relationship, and you remained committed to doing what is best for your business in the long run. You’re both better off, and there’s no estimate work order to void from your system.
If you’ve made it this far, it’s clear you’re the kind of shop owner who values transparency, who cares about customers, and who understands the importance of setting expectations and delivering on what you promise. To help you expand that care and commitment to other areas of the advising process, head to https://explore2.shop4d.com/podcast-how-to-deal-with-price-shoppers/ to download a free podcast to help you apply this same education to advising customers about preventive maintenance.
