If you’ve been in the auto repair business for any length of time, you know that many consumers are scared to do business with mechanics. They feel that they’ll get overcharged or that they’ll have to pay for poor workmanship. Gaining customer trust is challenging in the auto repair industry.
Many repair businesses rely only on word of mouth to bring in new clients because that is often how car owners choose where to bring their car. However, if they can’t find a good recommendation, most clients choose as best they can. After all, they have to choose someone.
From a consumer’s perspective, it’s a scary thing to blindly choose an auto repair shop.
The more you, as a mechanic, understand the psychology behind these three things, the more clients you’ll retain:
- How much your clients don’t understand about their vehicles
- How anxious or wary your customers are about the fairness of auto repair costs
- How eager customers are to find someone reliable and trustworthy to handle their repairs
One excellent thing about being a part of an industry that induces so much uncertainty and fear is that, if you do good work and charge fair rates, your clients will likely stay with you for the long-haul, because those qualities are often hard to find in a repair shop. Once a client has found a go-to shop, they won’t want to risk going anywhere else.
Are You Missing Trust-Building Opportunities?
Did you know that most consumers would rather shop with local businesses than with national chains, especially if you charge competitive rates? In addition, most auto repair shops are, “local businesses,” but very few of them capitalize on this consumer shopping trend.
Consumers like shopping at local businesses because they like to support the local economy. Many consumers will choose a local business with competitive pricing and a good reputation over national chains that offer things like extensive product selection, convenience, extended hours, rock-bottom prices, and knowledgeable staff.
To tap into this, it is important to spread the word about your shop by using online resources.
Use social media to bring in those local customers and increase business at your auto repair shop.
53% of potential customers would rather shop with a retailer or business they can connect with easily.
- Use your social media pages to share pictures of your staff interacting with the community. Attend charitable events. Sponsor events when you can afford to. Run specials for local customers who are involved with civic organizations and schools.
- Make your business’s social media pages authentic and useful. Interact with your visitors frequently and be as helpful as you can. Comment on your visitors’ posts and answer their questions. Post your own fun stuff. Offer deals. Make your business seem genuine and sincere–a place where any client would feel comfortable.
- Offer incentives, such 10% off or free oil changes with service, for clients who post reviews on social media.
- Offer scan-to-mobile deals that are competitive with larger retailers.
Once you’ve got those new customers into your repair shop, give them plenty of reasons to stick with you. Provide professional repairs and fair prices. Give your customers honest advice, and strive to offer the best possible customer service. Ultimately, your reputation is determined by your customers. The more positive experiences your customers have, the more trust you will build and the more auto repair customers you will attract to your business.
Contact us at RepairPal and start bringing in new clients today. Our resources, expertise, and industry-recognized certification program combine to help auto repair businesses grow and thrive.
