Motorist Interaction Has Moved Online. Have You?
The numbers are mind-boggling: 134 million smartphones are used in the U.S. alone and every quarter 8% more Americans select a smartphone. If that doesn’t surprise you, maybe the following facts will: 59% of auto service customers under the age of 35 want to be communicated with via mobile applications and 31% of American mobile Internet users say that’s the primary way they access the web.
Executive Interview: Fran Labun, Vice President, Sales Group, DENSO Products & Services Americas, Inc.
Fran Labun is vice president of the Sales Group for DENSO Products and Services Americas, Inc., the Long Beach-based affiliate of Japan-based DENSO Corporation. He oversees automotive aftermarket and OES sales for the Americas; U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin and South Americas. Labun also oversees the product development and sales for Heavy Duty OES and aftermarket channels and directs the DENSO non-automotive product lines for robotics, heat management and hand scanners.
Certified Express Lube And Auto Service: Owner Takes Unconventional Route To Shop Owner Status
By all accounts, if you walked into Certified Express Lube & Auto Service in Crestwood, KY, you’d probably think it was owned by a former technician who decided to venture into shop ownership. The waiting area is inviting and features AAA-approved signage. The shop’s four technicians have ample room to work in the shop’s 13 service bays, and customer service is priority number one for each and every repair.
Selling A Multi-Site Auto Service Enterprise: Utilizing The Services Of A Broker
Just a few short decades ago, when Terry Flaherty was in his early 30s, he set a goal to retire at age 55. “I also set targets for what I wanted to make and my net worth at that age. So when I had been in the auto service business for 35 years as the business got tougher and tougher all the time, for me it was the right time to exit.”
The Six Rules Of Maximizing Customer Retention
We all know that there are many things you can do when it comes to customer retention. The list includes follow-up calls, sending out service reminder notices, ongoing advertising campaigns that keep your name at the top of the customer’s mind and scheduling the next visit at the time of car delivery, to name a few.
Six Tips To Reducing Comebacks
Comebacks kill. There’s no denying it. While we can never eliminate all comebacks, we can work to reduce them. The more you reduce comebacks, the more money you put to your bottom line. I want to share with you six tips that I use in my shop.
Time To Expand Your Business?
With today’s uncertainty, and with all the restraints that lenders have put into place, this still may be the best time for you to expand your business. It’s during these times that many of your competitors will struggle, hunt for a way out, and find that there are no buyers.
If You Haven’t Seen That Long-Time Customer For A While, Don’t Send A Service Reminder!
If you haven’t heard from a customer for a longer than usual period of time, pick up the phone and give them a call! Years ago I developed a really easy way to start the conversation without sounding awkward or as though we were just looking for additional sales.
Publicity: Sometimes Better Than Advertising
I am a believer in “guerrilla marketing,” which is a strategy that allows us to compete with the big guys, without going head to head with them. Most of us cannot compete on the same level as a large dealership or national account, and we shouldn’t. It’s actually more important to find out what the competition is doing and do the opposite.
5 Tips On Handling Price Shoppers
In order for people to buy from you, three things need to occur: they need to like you, trust you and view you as a credible expert. Accordingly, the first thing you need to sell to any caller is you; not your shop, or any repair. The best way to accomplish this goal is by smiling, answering the phone with a salutation, providing the caller with your name and the name of your company, and then ending with a question that invites a response.
Glenway Auto Center: Building Customer Confidence Through Consistency
Having been a car dealership for 90 years has its benefits.
Glenway Auto Center in Cincinnati, OH, opened in 1919 and serviced Chevy vehicles until the doors were shuttered in 2009, in the wake of dealership closings across the country. But, as the saying goes, when one door closes, another often opens – and, in this case, it was as an independent repair facility and body shop less than a year later in June 2010.
Case Study: Buying And Selling An Auto Service Business – A Look At The Perspectives Of Both Buyer And Seller
I’ve found that every new listing is like a fresh new project. Although the perfect outcome is always a Win:Win situation for both buyer and seller, the backgrounds and experiences of the people involved and the steps to getting there are always different. For example, although many business sales involve a retiring, older owner selling to a younger buyer, here’s one that was just the opposite.
