The lack of communication between auto service providers and customers about auto repair estimation is sometimes capable of causing a discontinuance of relationship. It’s likely that a particular customer endures this for a while then looks elsewhere for a better service offering. It is, therefore, incumbent on you, as an auto shop operator, to find ways of carrying your customers along when it comes to doing repair estimation.
You should see to it that you clearly break every cost implication down in a way your customer can understand. You can send this through mail where they may not be readily available due to a tight schedule. This should be followed up by checking to confirm if they are fine with the estimation before proceeding to request that they enter in their order on any software.
How walking customers through auto repair estimating can help your business
It’s a no-brainer that there are multiple auto repair shops around so, why should a customer stick with you? This question should be enough to give you an inkling of where this discourse is headed – providing value-added services, and this could be established by the simple act of walking through customers through the repair estimating of their cars. Let’s shed more light on this in the discussion that follows hereafter.
Transparency/trustworthiness
When you formed a habit around ensuring that your customers know everything that goes into the estimating, you’re very likely to be regarded as being trustworthy. This could aid the advancement of your business in ways you barely imagined. While repair order software may be valuable in ensuring better organization, it is a relationship based on trust that would sustain the relationship between you and your customers. And, this can begin with how you bring your customers into the repair estimating processes.
Sustained ethical/professional standard
Many persons may not see it this way, but a business model that is customer-inclusive to the point of cost estimating speaks volumes of the level of professionalism that is exhibited in your shop. You will, most likely, be seen as an individual who knows his onions as you break down the whole thing for your customer to understand. On the other hand, this could help your customer to be more relaxed to negotiate the price with you rather than taking off to see what better offer might exist somewhere else.
Competitive edge
Gaining a competitive edge over rival auto repair shops – who may not deem it fit to walk customers through auto estimating – is also more likely in the instance where you’ve established a good rapport with your customers. This would see your business thriving for a long time to come.
Conclusion
Every sustainable business is built on customer satisfaction and this can only evolve from the place of value. So, if you intend to build a customer-first model, you should take customer relations to heart as much as you do for quality – and this can be maintained or started via cost estimating.