A successful auto body shop ensures that their customers have a quality experience. The moment customers walk into your shop, you’ll want to make a positive first impression to start building a relationship and hopefully encourage repeat and referral business. To provide excellent customer service you must first understand the customers top concerns when looking for the right auto body shop.
One major concern from customers is the ability to get an exact paint match for the damaged areas of the vehicle. It’s important for a shop to use the latest painting systems and techniques that auto manufacturers use in the original factory paint jobs on their cars.
Repair shops can also find the color code for the original paint by using the car’s identification plate (sometimes called the Service Parts Identification). This, along with the right techniques, can help you achieve a perfect color match.
Customers have concerns about the drivability of the vehicle after the repairs are completed. Using the most advanced alignment machines will ensure that vehicles with suspension damage are exactly aligned after the repair work is finished.
If the customer’s vehicle was towed to the auto body shop in a twisted wreck, they want to know if the shop has the ability to repair frame damage the vehicle may have suffered in a collision. It was almost impossible to repair vehicles with a bent car frame in the past. Today, customers should know that auto body repair shops use the most advanced alignment machines and sophisticated repair equipment to repair damaged car frames so that it exceeds the original specs from the car manufacturer.
There is no question that the auto body industry is changing. The success of your business requires not only the right automotive expertise but also the ability to provide excellent customer service that puts the customer at ease. Every step of the repair process provides an opportunity to build your reputation and encourage repeat and referral business.
Give the customer a personable and welcoming greeting when they enter an auto body shop. Be enthusiastic, stand up, and shake the customer’s hand. Give a positive greeting like “Hi! How are you? How can we help you today?” and remember to smile.
Before launching into the details about the accident and getting into the repairs needed, try to make things less stressful for the customer. Provide them with a comfortable chair and offer refreshments like water, coffee, or tea to help put customers in a more relaxed state of mind.
Allow the customer to introduce themselves and ask them about the accident. Asking about the accident is method of showing compassion for their situation.
Show empathy about their accident and why they are in your auto body shop. Ask several questions about their well-being, if there were any passengers, and show that you are personally concerned. Give them a sense that you understand what they are going through and you will help them feel more at ease with their dilemma while they are in your auto body shop.
Take notes and write down all the details like what happened, how the accident occurred, and jot down any concerns that the customer may have. When the customer sees you taking notes, it shows that you are actively listening, paying close attention to their needs, and conveys that you are taking in all the information they are telling you.
It is best to not only take down the customer’s name, address, phone, and email address, but to offer your contact information to them and let them know how you can be reached if they have any questions.
After getting their information, ask them how they would like to be contacted. Impress your customers by letting them know that your auto body shop can send them frequent repair status updates via email or text message through the Carwise™ Repair Status tool.
Conducting a walk around of the customer’s vehicle while they are present to show that you are thoroughly checking their vehicle. Assess the vehicle’s options, features, mileage, lights, and capture digital images. Mark down all the damage related to the accident and ask the customer if they want any unrelated damages that you find fixed as well.
Try to develop a personal connection with your customers to separate yourself from other auto body shops and establish repeat or referral business.
Usually, the first thing that customers want to know is when their car will be ready. An auto body shop will not offer a completion date until everything is researched and all the parts that are needed are confirmed. You can give an estimate or let them know that you can not only send them email or text messages for update, but they can also check their repair status on their using the Carwise.com website or mobile app.
Sources:
Fenderbender.com
