For a business to truly set itself apart from the pack, Jim Murphy, pro service coach at Elite, says it needs to clearly make its services more unique or better than what customers experience with other providers.
Just take a look around the neighborhood at the restaurant or service industry, where customers are often searching for a distinctive experience rather than a simple transaction. Shop owners should take note of this, Murphy says.
“We’re really seeing that it isn’t so much how you fix the car, it’s truly what that customer experience is like, Murphy says. “Are we truly providing a unique experience that folks will say they’d like to go back there.”
One of the tests he says shop owners could apply to their business is the “Well, I would hope so” test. Basically this means that you need to take a clear look at your unique competitive advantages and what you offer that other shops don’t.
If a shop’s claim to fame is “we repair cars well,” a customer’s comment could be “well, I would hope so.” This claim isn't particularly impressive to a customer, and doesn’t differentiate you from the pack.
In the same way a customer would say “I would hope so,” if a restaurant’s claim to fame was offering good food, a business should focus on ways to go above and beyond to give customers the best experience possible. Take a deep look at what you’re offering that other shops aren’t, Murphy says, and promote from there.
Keep an eye out for the September issue of Ratchet+Wrench, when we speak with two restaurant owners to get their tips on providing great customer service and how it can all tie back to the automotive repair industry.
