The first impression upon calling Toole’s Garage is a good one. If a service advisor can’t answer right away, callers are automatically put on hold long before the third or fourth ring. The hold music is casual, sunny, and driven by a bass guitar—Toole’s Garage is in California, after all.
“We call that the ‘garage funk,’” says Dave Toole, owner and operator, smiling through the phone.
First impressions matter—perception matters, whether in person or online. To bolster the qualities of the shop that bears his name, Toole looks to KUKUI.
Good Business in the City of Good Living
Toole’s Garage is located in San Carlos, Cali., a.k.a. “The City of Good Living.” The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the top hotspots in the world for tech, and Toole knew that if his shop was going to be seen—he took over ownership in 2009—he’d have to use the resources available to him.
Tesla’s U.S. headquarters are a short drive away. And so is KUKUI.
“We were on board very early,” Toole says.
“KUKUI helped strategically put me on the map as a new business and in immediate competition with shops that had been around for years. The software suite helped visually grow our presence.”
Customer perception is one aspect of consumer satisfaction. In other words, how much the actions of business can be divorced from the business of business is one way your shop can stand out from its competitors. If a shop offers “service with a smile” and you don’t get one, what are your perceptions of that shop?
Toole cites the digital vehicle inspection (DVI) tool as being particularly useful to his client’s perceptions (and repairs) within his shop.
“Being a technician by trade, our goal is always to fix the car. As a service advisor, you have to translate that to a customer—’the mechanic sees this, etc. etc.’—and in the past, there had always been a loss in translation,” he says. “Now, the ability to show clients the recommended repair digitally in the comfort of their own home is huge for transparency.”
Diagnosing Your Money
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are becoming increasingly common as shops track their input, output, revenue, challenges and opportunities. Micromanaging everything from first point of contact and post-appointment follow-up to monitoring daily ad spend and click-through rate is now the norm rather than the exception.
Toole cites the “leads” tab as another way to elevate the customer experience (even potential customers).
“As far as marketing and advertising goes, it’s scary to throw money out there and hope people get a hold of you,” he says. “This tool allows you to really dive in and get technical; I can access unique leads from the Google ad campaign, how many came in, and see our conversion rate. I can diagnose what’s worth spending time and money on.”
The daily review of KUKUI dashboard coupled with its ability to schedule, track, and summarize long-term shop goals and campaigns allows Toole to get a bird’s-eye view of his own company in a way not really possible before.
“Like many shop-owners-as-techs, I like to figure stuff out—that’s why we are who we are,” he says.
“This tool allows you to tailor and diagnose your money.”
If his leads aren’t converting, he can tell. And then he can adjust at a moment’s notice.
Smart Shops Get Smart Consumers
No one window-shops anymore (at least, not in the sense of browsing the holiday displays up and down Union Street in nearby San Francisco).
Customers certainly fire up their browser windows, however, and conduct some due diligence.
“That’s why the KUKUI Reviews l is important,” Toole says.
“If you’re any kind of savvy consumer, the first thing you do is look up your potential company and see how they treat people and what people think of them. KUKUI Reviews helps you continually better your business by the comments from the people you bring in your door.”
Toole also uses the main control panel as a way to train his staff. The software records inbound calls from specific locations, and he uses the recordings to strategize how to better capture clients next time they call.
“There’s nothing worse than hearing yourself stumble through a conversation or speech,” Toole says.
“The control panel is a phenomenal tool. It helps us to track how our dollars are being spent and allows us to refine the people directly affecting that potential revenue—our service advisors.”
Toole also uses other features of the software to write blogs, view and comment upon digital inspections shared across his shop’s desktop and mobile platforms, and make quick adjustments to his website to offer a special or update the company pages.
“Not many web companies allow you to make an immediate edit,” he says, “whether it’s text, a photo, or a special something you want to add today, you can get it uploaded and ad-worded immediately.”
“KUKUI is trying to improve what we do,” Toole adds.
For him, that’s everything. In a year in which he’s looking forward to growth, he’s confident he’s equipped with the right shop success tools.
If you would like to learn more about the programs KUKUI has to offer, visit KUKUI.COM/ADWORDS or call 877.695.6008.
