Broski: Reprogram How You View Customers

I was an apprentice at a Porsche-only repair shop back in early 80s. Back then, it was predominantly men who owned Porsches, and it was only the 911 models. They were primarily business owners or business managers, so most were good negotiators. In many cases, when they said “no” to additional maintenance or repairs or talked me out of them, they felt as if they “won” because they saved money. It always seemed odd to me.

When you tell today’s customers how much their repair costs, they often say something like, “That’s expensive” and then they’re quiet. I believe some are hoping you’ll lower the price to make it less expensive; perhaps a (subconscious) negotiating tactic? Or they say, “That’s high,” hoping for the same outcome. Or there’s a long pause after you give them the price. People don’t like silence, so they’re hoping you fill it in by lowering the price.

Jumping to Judgement

Too often, if shops hear anything like that, they instantly figure the customer is either cheap, a price shopper, or a bottom feeder. It’s as if anyone who doesn’t instantly say “yes” is cheap. This is where we must reprogram ourselves. We have to let people be people. Did the customer simply say the first thing that popped into their mind? Or did that negotiating technique work in the past?

Years ago, while driving around in a shopping mall looking for a parking place, I encountered a man walking right down the middle of the aisle instead off to one side. I had to slow way down. He wasn’t acting like an aware shopper, and I decided he was a dope for not walking on one side. Several months later, I caught myself doing the exact same thing. I wondered if that made me a dope, too. Or, were we both distracted, thinking of other things? In any event, our actions certainly didn’t make us stupid.

Yet, when we tell a customer what their car needs and they say “no,” we decide they’re a dope or stupid or cheap. But maybe they are distracted, thinking of other things like their car budget, their kids in college, or their hassles at work. Or since we just told them five, six, or seven things their car needs, they go into protection mode, trying to hang onto their money, and say the first thing that pops into their mind: “That’s expensive.” So, how do we deal with these “normal” reactions? We need to let people be people.

Calm Minds Make Sound Decisions

I recently read that calm minds make smart decisions. Yet when we bring up the additional needs of the car, too often that causes anxiety in the car owner who has a knee-jerk response of “No” or “That’s a lot of money.” Instead, we need to calm their mind so they can make a smart decision regarding their car. To do this, try to involve them in the decision-making. People are much happier and more content when making their own money decisions as opposed to feeling pressured by service advisors that they feel are unaware of their perspective.

Encourage your supervisors to use a phrase like: “Let’s come up with a plan.” In this way, the advisor isn’t trying to talk the customer into anything. They aren’t selling, rather, they’re explaining and making it a team decision. More than likely, the customer will feel more relaxed and ultimately make an informed decision.

Another way to let a customer know you understand their mindset is to tell them that some of the issues with their car can wait a few months. This not only goes to show that you want to take good care of them, but that you aren’t just after their money. And since nobody wants to come back in two or three months, they will often say “yes” to many of the additional items.

Rewrite your view of the customers who don’t readily agree with all your recommendations. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are dumb or cheap. It means they’re human.