By Jody DeVere
CEO, AskPatty.com
Testimonials from customers who are raving fans of your shop are among the best methods for gaining new customers. And a major segment of that word-of-mouth promotion is made up of your female customers.
Women more frequently will be the ones to write online customer testimonials and reviews, and are becoming a powerful source of positive — or not so positive — recommendations for automotive repair shops in their local markets. These online third-party reviews also are a key ingredient in local search ranking results on Google, Yahoo and other search engines.
Today, women influence more than 85% of consumer purchasing decisions, represent 65% of the automotive service business, buy 60% of passenger tires sold and complete eight out of 10 customer satisfaction index (CSI) surveys. Developing and maintaining best practices for marketing to women can pay dividends in building loyalty, positive word-of-mouth referrals and testimonials.
And the added bonus of making your shop more appealing to women is that you’ll also attract and retain male customers in the process.
For excellent examples of marketing to women, one does not need to look very far – successful case studies can be seen in 2010 Top Shop Award finalists Waukegan Tire & Supply Co. and Community Tire & Auto Repair, as well as 2009 finalist Curry’s Auto Service. (The Top Shop program is affiliated with Shop Owner’s sister publication, Tire Review magazine.) Each of these businesses has used marketing to women “best practices” that have helped them gain positive word-of-mouth and new business from referrals in their respective local communities.
Community Leader, Contributor
Women want to do business with companies that are “good community citizens” and local contributors.
Over the years, Waukegan Tire has been a member of and sponsored countless organizations. Last year, the tire dealership, with four locations in Waukegan, Park City and Grayslake, IL, partnered with United Way of Lake County to help families prepare their children for success in school and life by sponsoring the “Success by Six” initiative.
They also have been partners with Uniroyal in Youth Soccer for more than 10 years. During that time, they have given away roughly 10,000 soccer balls and more than $30,000 to local youth soccer organizations. Waukegan Tire also makes donations to numerous organizations ranging from local schools to sports teams to health research.
Many tire dealers and repair shops across North America can boast comparable lists of achievements, but what sets Waukegan Tire apart is the way the owners and staff get involved. For St. Patrick’s Day, the business raised funds for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) by creating custom-designed “Kiss Me – I’m Sober” buttons, and sold them at its four retail locations for $1 each. For every button purchased, Waukegan matched the donation and raised funds for the Chicagoland Chapter of MADD.
The company places links to the websites of all charitable causes it supports on its own website, which serves as a visible reminder of Waukegan’s support. This speaks volumes to women – and certainly all – customers, who can easily see who and what Waukegan Tire cares about.
This type of community involvement is very meaningful to women, who will take note and make your shop a preferred location, as well as recommend you to friends and family.
Education is Marketing
Community Tire is reaching out to consumers with a monthly segment on a local television show, as well as regular radio spots that feature educational information on tire- and car care-related topics. This is especially important to women, who appreciate any effort made to educate them about their vehicles.
Phoenix, AZ-based Community Tire, with five locations and plans to open two more shops this year, also uses social media in a format that incorporates education rather than straight selling. The shop wants women customers to feel comfortable recommending the shop to their friends and family, and through these various initiatives, the dealership is committed to creating an environment that fosters long-term relationships with women consumers.
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has said, “The world’s gone social. And women are more social than men.” It’s true: Facebook, the largest social networking tool in the world, is dominated by women.
With that said, Community Tire’s website and Facebook page have become the primary source of communication of the company’s business values, while it’s also developing the use of Twitter.
Providing women with educational content to empower them in traditional venues, like local radio and TV, as well as new mediums such as Facebook and Twitter, will drive more business to your shop’s door.
Going Green Resonates
Curry’s Auto Service, with five locations in Northern Virginia, is a leader in “green” shop operations. In fact, company president Matt Curry discusses how turning one’s business green can be good for its bottom line and image, especially with women, who are driving many eco-conscious initiatives globally.
Management and staff at Curry’s are doing their part to help preserve the planet. They recycle metal, plastic, tires, wheels (aluminum and steel), lead wheel weights, oil and oil filters, printer cartridges, cardboard, plastic and automotive batteries at each location. All of Curry’s communications have become electronic throughout the organization, and additional marketing via social media is used to further reduce paper waste.
The shops even have a fleet of hybrid cars that customers can use as loaners while their vehicles are being repaired.
In addition, Curry’s offers Be Green Checkups for all customers to help them contribute to preserving the environment. These “10-Point Green Checkups” offer an inspection that will ensure the fuel economy of a customer’s vehicle is up to speed, with attention placed on motor oil, oil and air filters, engine performance, evaporative emission controls and tires — both for wear and correct inflation pressure.
Being environmentally-friendly helps set Curry’s Auto Service apart from competing businesses with eco-conscious customers, the majority of whom are women.
As you can see from these three successful case studies, leveraging education, social media, community involvement and eco-friendly/green best practices are winning combinations to attract more customers, men and women alike, allowing your shop to gain their trust, loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals.
Jody DeVere is the CEO of AskPatty.com. Visit www.askpatty.com/getcertified to learn more about how to become a Certified Female Friendly Shop.
