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Nov 18, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Victor Broski
I finally have supporting evidence for one of the claims I made months ago: if you take care of your customer, they will take care of you. A customer called asking if she could text over picture.She wanted to send a picture of a business card from an A/C shop that she was very happy with. I’ll add some context here. She just wanted a simple A/C recharge on her 2003 BMW 325. She went to a nearby shop that does air conditioning service and repair, but it’s not that shop’s specialty.
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Nov 3, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Victor Broski
You’ve probably heard this current business buzzword: "the experience." You might think that doesn't apply to the straightforward, uneventful auto repair industry, but I see it differently. Following this concept, we can learn something from Disneyland, which just might be the ultimate experience. They even have a Disney Institute, teaching people how they do it.
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Sep 24, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Victor Broski
Two things happened recently that changed my whole perspective regarding the relationship with our customers. I always knew a relationship was important, a priority, but not to this level. A level that makes customer interaction much easier and more fun. We have an older customer, Charles T, who always handles the maintenance of his and his wife’s car. I get a call from his wife, Agnes, whom I’ve never talked to. I’m thinking the worst-case scenario, and now how do I ask the tough question?
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Aug 22, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Victor Broski
You just got the approval for routine maintenance service including cabin and air filters and, also for an oxygen sensor that will take care of the Check Engine Light. Simple, straightforward. But you also sold the customer four additional items by presenting their benefits and value. The customer hangs up. You made the sale and everyone is pleased with the result. Naturally, you think everybody’s happy, but not so fast.
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Jul 18, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Victor Broski
You might wonder if explaining a repair to a customer is worth the effort. You might even think they have no idea what you’re talking about. After all, they aren’t technicians. Let me share something I recently learned. My brother’s buddy, Jaxsonm was driving his old 1959 Metropolitan when it started making a horrible noise from the engine 150 miles from home. He pulled into a gas station and called me to try to decipher the noise. He described it as a rattling sound.
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Jun 11, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Victor Broski
I enjoy buying from Amazon. They have so many choices for each item. And that darn two-day delivery, heck, sometimes its next day! By the way, I have my items delivered to the Amazon lockers near my work to lessen my carbon footprint. I recently got a notice from Amazon that a package was delayed one day. I wasn’t bothered by it because of all the prior quick deliveries and that great selection, which, of course, makes for a good experience.
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May 17, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Victor Broski |Jim Saeli |Chris Jones
Service advisors across the country are working on approvals every day. But most advisors are trying to “sell” those approvals, versus simply explaining why the customer needs them. Do a Google search of “nobody likes to be sold” and note how many links pop up. Seems everybody knows not to push the sale—a challenge facing some industry coaches who keep recommending it. Pushing the sale puts your customer in “defense mode,” making your job of getting the approvals much harder.
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Apr 29, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Greg Bunch |Victor Broski |Mike Bennett
10x Turbocharge Your Life and Business was the name of one of the classes I taught at VISION this year. Just as we shop owners look at our Google reviews to get a pulse on how our clients are feeling, teachers and trainers closely monitor the feedback from our presentations. We know we can't please every auto repair client, and not everyone will resonate with every presentation they hear.
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Apr 23, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Victor Broski |Mike Bennett |Jim Saeli |Chris Jones
How do your customers feel about your auto repair shop? OK, I said “feel,” but let’s keep going. When your customers run errands and drive past your shop, do they smile or frown? Are they tense or relaxed when they pull in for an appointment? Remember, we’re dealing with people, not cars. People have memories, bad experiences, preconceived notions, car repair stories their friends have told them, etc. Aside from having to spend money, what goes through their mind? Was their last experience a good one?
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Mar 25, 2024 | 
ratchetandwrench.com | Kathleen Callahan |Greg Bunch |Mike Bennett |Victor Broski
In February, I attended the Women in Auto Care Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was vividly reminded how critical it is to have positive, uplifting, supportive, and honest people in my life. I often quote Jim Rohn to my daughters: "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." I believe this is a straightforward way to assess your current situation—success or struggle.
