By Bob Cooper
Heard this one before? When a first-time customer comes into a service facility, it’s not uncommon for service advisors to “hold back” on some of the recommendations. Their thinking is that they don’t want to scare the customer away by telling them they need a long list of repairs or services. So even though the vehicle needs those seals and a transmission service, they’ll just recommend the brake service that the customer came in for. Their plan is to then recommend those additional services the next time the customer comes in. Unfortunately, this leads to having to tell your customers something during each subsequent visit that they should have heard during their first visit! It’s also your ethical responsibility to tell your customers EVERYTHING that is wrong with their vehicles.
To make matters worse, what if another shop discovers the need for those services that you “overlooked?” So, do a complete and thorough inspection with every first time customer, tell them everything you discover, and then use your sales skills to help them see the value in authorizing all the repairs. If they decide to pass on some of your recommendations, then one thing is for certain: There will be no surprises the next time they come in. Hold back … and both you and your customers lose!
For the last 20 years, Bob Cooper has been the president of Elite Worldwide, Inc. (www.EliteWorldwideStore.com), offering shop owners sales, marketing and employee management audio training courses available for instant download. The company also offers coaching and service advisor training services. You can contact Cooper at [email protected], or by calling (800) 204-3548.
