I know we appreciate our customers. We help them have a great experience at our shop and thank them for being there. They’re the ones who keep us in business and get us a paycheck.
But I think there’s another side. I think they should appreciate us. Heck, we fix their car, charge a fair price, and inspect their car like a doctor at a yearly physical checking for health issues that need attention. Except that we check car issues they need now or in the future.
I first got this notion at the Porsche shop I worked at in the ‘90’s when the only models were the 911 and 928. One of the Porsche club magazines said that if you find a good Porsche mechanic, treasure them. Wow, that felt good! Then one customer said that we were a “find" given that we were on a side street. Now-a-days it seems, as shops, we’re supposed to jump through hoops to keep the customers coming to our shop. I recently read that customers are always on the verge of leaving their current repair shop and going to another one. I don’t think great customers leave that easily. We take care of them, we do some extras, we throw in some freebies, etc. We’re friends. If something doesn’t go quite right, we work it out, because we’re friends.
It used to surprise me when customers thanked us as they were picking up their car. They just gave us some of their money, but we gave them something in return: peace of mind. We earned that “thanks.” These newer cars take a lot of time, knowledge, and mental energy to repair, with all the computers talking to each other and needing input from many sources.
We are all things “car” for them so we belong on their list of important places. The former CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, said they wanted to be our third place, after home and work. I think we should remind our customers that we’re on that list, probably behind the gym and their church, but then jokingly tell them that we hope were above the dentist (no offense to the great dentists out there.)
So what do I mean when I say that they should appreciate us? It doesn’t mean get a big head and be arrogant. It means understanding our place. It’s like we’re on level ground, needing each other. We supply a great service and appreciation just makes sense.
Give your customers some subtle reminders about that situation. Let them know that cars are getting tougher to repair. Some dealerships haven’t even been able to fix some of their brand new cars because they are so complicated. Quality parts are getting harder to source with so many coming from China. Let them know that scan tools are expensive and need costly upgrades. Technicians are specializing these days. Their computer skills alone are impressive.
I also think that doing the above tells to the customer to not try to grind me down on the cost of the repair. The scan doesn’t tell the tech what’s wrong, it gives them a direction. And occasionally tell a customer the technician deserves a trophy for this repair since they sifted through a ton data to find the problem. I will sometimes tell a customer I became a service advisor just in time, as the cars were becoming very sophisticated. Don’t treat us like the parts-replacer shop down the road. We deserve better.
So put on your “appreciate us” hat and carry yourself a little taller. Your shop has earned it.
