When You Match Price, Do You Also Match Value?
Would anyone walk into a Starbucks and ask to lower or match their price on a cup of coffee? We all know the answer to this. Starbucks doesn’t just sell coffee. They sell something special; they sell the experience, the friendly service and the connection they make with you as the customer. The truth is, you can buy coffee anywhere, but you can’t get a Starbucks anywhere. You need to think of your brand in the same way.
When Hiring, Look For Character, Talent And Then Skill
Years back, when I was looking to hire a technician, my first criteria would be the person’s skill level. In fact, I based my decision mainly on the tech’s skill, ASE certifications and experience. The result? High turnover.
Don’t Wait Until You Lose A Tech
Perhaps the worst time to look to hire a technician, is when we lose one. At that point we go into “Crisis Hire” mode. We most often settle for anyone, rather than taking our time to find the right person. We need to take a lesson from large organizations and sports teams. Their strategy? They continually recruit. I did not say continually hire, I said continually recruit.
Encourage Bad News
The other day, one of my service adviser’s came to my office to discuss the past week. We made an agreement that we would meet in private at least once a week to discuss his successes and challenges, and also discuss ways to improve our service. After telling me all the good stuff, he informed me of a situation where he dropped the ball, which resulted in a very upset customer.
Are Low Car Counts The Real Issue?
Car count is a key performance indicator (KPI) that shows you the health of your business. But before we blame low car counts for why we are not achieving our sales goals, we need to take the time to look at all the numbers and analyze labor and part margins, average repair order (ARO), production issues, other critical KPIs, customer retention and workflow processes. Only after a thorough analysis can we begin to work on the issue of car counts.
Be Careful Not To Make A Sale For Your Competition
A few years back, my service advisor was speaking to a customer about the condition of her tires. He explained in detail that the tires on her car were worn to the point that she needed to replace them and recommended that she do this before the winter. She believed my service advisor and was thrilled he took the time to educate her. But, he forgot one important part of the sales cycle; Asking for the sale.
It’s December – Are You Prepared for 2015?
I know that there are many things on your mind this time of the year. With the winter here and the holidays upon us, there’s a lot going on these days. But as a business owner, you need to consider that 2015 is right around the corner. The better you prepare now, the more successful you will be in the New Year and beyond. I have put together a short To-Do list to help you prepare.