As an auto repair shop owner, you know that an empty loading bay can mean an empty bank account. And if you aren’t an expert marketer, automotive marketing tactics can feel impossible to lock down. So ask yourself, how can I get more customers in my auto repair shop?
Here are some tips to help you answer that very question.
Establish Yourself as the Expert in the Community
It’s not uncommon to hear people say that they don’t trust their mechanic. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, consumers lose tens of billions of dollars each year due to unnecessary repairs, further reinforcing the negative relationship between mechanics and customers.
With that in mind, customers will be much more likely to return to a shop for future repairs if they had a good initial experience and feel that they can trust your word. By establishing yourself as that industry expert, you can build an ongoing customer relationship that lasts. Here are some engaging ways you can establish yourself as that go-to expert, every time:
- Create an automotive repair blog that showcases your knowledge of industry news, trends, customer needs, and the importance of frequent car maintenance.
- Hold monthly car care clinic demonstrations on topics like how to change a tire or check your oil and other fluid levels.
- Offer to show the customer what the problem is when offering to service their vehicle so they can understand why a repair is necessary. Showing the customer their scalloped tires, oil leaks, and worn brake pads is an important step in building trust.
Stay in Contact
It’s difficult to stay relevant as a repair shop because customers can go months without ever needing work done on their cars. That’s why it’s important to maintain a consistent channel of communication in between visits.
Encouraging return visits can be done through a number methods including:
- Email - Email marketing produces a higher return on investment than any of the other digital marketing channels.
- Text - Text message notifications have the highest open rates of any communication platform.
You can and should use these platforms to notify customers of anything relevant to their experience. For example, you could run a newsletter that notifies past customers about new blog posts or upcoming events or text customers about deals or service reminders. Which leads us perfectly into our next topic...
Send Service Reminders
Staying in touch with your customer means more than just driving a repeat sale, it’s also a way for you to forge a long-term relationship with your customers. A great way you can do that is to send service reminders.
With the data collected in your point-of-sale system, you can build out individual profiles with information about the customer’s vehicle history. From there your team can issue reminders for oil changes, tire rotations, and other general routine milestone vehicle services. Not only does this help the customer keep their car in top shape, it makes your team seem diligent and reliable.
With auto repair marketing software like BayIQ, you can automate this process making it easier for your team to focus on more important things like customer service!
Be Accommodating
Your current and prospective customers are people with busy lives. Generally speaking, most will opt out of routine maintenance because they can’t imagine a day without their car. So, when you are setting up appointments for your customers, you should be empathetic to their needs and preferences. Offer them some additional flexibility by:
- Giving multiple scheduling dates and times
- Providing customer drop-offs and pick-ups
- Creating a comfortable waiting area with cushy chairs and available drinks and snacks
- Give them options for the services they need and tell them the pros and cons of each.
Offer Loyalty Rewards
The main goal of getting customers back in your shop, whether it’s through text promotions, service reminders, or a killer snack bar, is to create loyal customers that will continue to use you as their exclusive auto repair shop. But loyalty is a 2-way street.
By offering an auto service rewards program, you can incentivise return visits while building trust between you and your customers. With BayIQ, you can easily integrate a custom rewards program directly into your existing sales system.
Additionally, by integrating a rewards program, you can gather valuable data about your existing customer base. You can use this information to optimize your advertisement spending when selecting your target audience.
Make it Happen with BayIQ
Integrating all of these new tactics to drive sales doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking. With BayIQ you can completely unload most of these efforts on to people who know marketing for the automotive industry like the back of their hand. With our well rounded automotive marketing platform, you can focus your energy on building long-lasting relationships with your customers.
Ready to increase your revenue?
