Repair order analysis is a valuable tool for an automotive service department. We can automate the analysis of many key data points using software. Some shop management systems like Mitchell Manager 5.9, Mitchell ShopKey 6.4, R.O. Writer and PACE include this feature. Recently, I discovered a tool that automates a key process that only a human could previously audit. Service Intelligence automatically discovers available service work and presents it to the customer.
The typical scenario of a lost sale presents itself when a customer arrives for a repair. The visit was unexpected for both the shop and the customer. The service advisor is focused on his high workload, and the opportunity that just arrived. The customer is presented with a substantial repair that the shop needs to squeeze in to its already resource constrained load. The customer is left without a vehicle and is desperate for the repairs to be completed as quickly as possible. In many of these scenarios opportunistic yet necessary service work is not identified, not presented, and ultimately not completed.
Two common reasons we leave work on the table are that the service advisor did not take the time to research any service due and or does not want to oversell the customer.
"Ms. Customer, I am just too busy to research your vehicle's service schedule, and we are too busy to complete the work anyway."
"Mr. Customer, the replacement of your transmission will be $3,700. I feel bad for you, so I am not going to tell you about the other $300 your car needs in routine maintenance."
Maybe you have been exposed to these types of scenarios, it is likely that there are no checks and balances to catch them when they occur. All too often it is after the customer picks up that they discover the oil service is 1,000 miles overdue, requiring a second visit. Or, even worse, they go elsewhere where they buy the $300 of work your advisor failed to present. Let's take the solution further and give our service team the tools to build a relationship with your customers.
Stop your leaking bucket by looking for an automated solution for building a relationship with your customers at and beyond the service point of sale. An Automotive CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system doesn't cut it anymore. We need to build trust at the service counter through truth, accuracy and authenticity. Give me 20 minutes of your time and I will show you a revolutionary sales process that will change your repair shop forever.
