How to Keep Returning Customers at an Auto Shop After Business Manager Training

One of the foundations of any business is having customers return to your business repeatedly. It is well-known that it is more expensive to get a new customer than it is to keep an old customer. Returning customers will provide your business with more consistent income, positive word-of-mouth, and improved credibility. Therefore, as a business manager, you must implement steps to ensure that your auto shop has as many returning customers as possible. These steps should be primarily based on building a relationship with the customer so that they feel valued by your auto shop. During automotive business manager training, you will learn about the value of keeping customers happy and providing good service. Here are some tips to remember throughout your career.

1. Offer Excellent Customer Service

Great customer service could mean the difference between retaining or losing a client. Ensuring clients are happy will also encourage them to remain loyal. As an automotive business manager, you will need to understand this importance throughout your career. When interacting with clients, it’s important to always strive to not only meet their needs but also exceed their expectations, delighting them. For instance, if you’re able to get a job done earlier than anticipated, do so. Your clients will remember this. It’s also important to never over-promise and under-deliver. If you’re not sure when a client’s car will be ready, for example, a best practice is to give them a later delivery date. This way, if their car is ready before the expected date, they will be pleased.

Providing clients with a tailored experience is also critical and will help set your auto shop apart from others. This can be achieved by sending personalized messages to customers reminding them of service appointments or when their car is due for an oil change. Remember not to spam them with too many messages and only send information that’s valuable to them. This will help you build long-standing relationships with your clients.

2. Leverage Feedback As An Automotive Business Manager

Feedback is critical to any business, and after automotive business manager training, you’ll want to leverage any feedback you receive from clients to continue with what’s working and make the correct improvements to things that are not. One thing that’s incredibly important for a business is growth, and in order to grow, a business must listen to its clients, making any necessary changes that benefit both the business and the clients. 

Positive feedback is great. Through positive feedback, you will learn about all of your business’s strengths and strategize ways you can build on them. However, it’s normal for mistakes to happen and for clients to have negative feedback every now and then. It’s what happens afterwards that can make a huge difference. As a business manager, you must address the complaint, resolve the issue, and make sure the client leaves feeling heard and satisfied with the solution. It’s also important to remember each incident and make changes to ensure it does not happen again.

3. Reward Ongoing Customer Loyalty 

Customers that are loyal to your auto shop should be rewarded for their continuous business. These rewards do not have to be anything over the top, but they can still be a sign of your appreciation for them. This indicates to a client that they are valued. For example, you could offer an incentive for continuous support in the form of a discount on a client’s third service or oil change. These small perks can help build lasting relationships with your clients, incentivizing them to return to your shop for all their auto needs. 

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