Car Count Daily | Edition #13
Hi, shop owners, Ron Ipach here. Sometimes people call me Captain Car Count. Welcome to yet another edition of Car Count Daily. Now before I get started did you know that you can go down below this video and leave me a comment, leave me a question, maybe a suggestion? Yes, you can. As soon as this video is done, please go down and tell me what you think about these episodes, ask some questions, maybe even give me some suggestions for what I should be covering on future episodes. I would really appreciate that. As soon as we’re done with this, please go down and type something in that bar down there, so I could read it. I will respond to them. I try to respond to every one of the questions, comments and suggestions that I’ve been given.
On today’s episode we’re going to actually be addressing a question from a shop owner named Dave who’s been in business for 28 years. He asked, “Is there anything new in the automotive repair industry?” In a word, yeah. A lot has changed in these 28 years. If we look at the car itself, obviously, you know the cars are made a whole lot better than they used to be. You’re more in a maintenance business than you were in a repair business. That has changed drastically over these 28 years. Also, what’s changed is the consumer, the consumer habits. The way of contacting them has changed enormously. The buying habits of the consumer have changed drastically. Your share of their attention, trying to grab their attention when they’re being bombarded by all the advertising that’s out there has changed drastically.
When we think about it, millennials, which is now the largest group of people that are out there, they grew up with cell phones in their hands. Everything is online. They’re doing mobile searches instead of looking through the yellow pages. They buy things differently and at different times. You and I have changed a lot as well with that. When was the last time that you did some online shopping? I know I did a lot of my Christmas shopping online. I didn’t even have to leave the house to whittle down that Christmas list. A lot of people are driving less because they can simply go on Amazon and have it delivered in a couple hours. That’s changed drastically, the amount of miles that people are driving as well as people are using services like Uber and Lift for other people to drive them. It’s very inexpensive for people to get driven around. Their driving habits are changing a lot.
The one thing I can tell you is the marketing principles have not changed. The way we contact people have changed. The messages we give them have changed. The people we’re marketing to have changed. All of those have changed drastically over the past 28 years, but the main principles, the core competencies of marketing really haven’t changed much at all. What am I talking about? First off, we got to find the right person to market to, the person we want to attract to our shop. Second, we have to give them a very compelling message. We got to grab their attenton. As I said before, there’s a lot more competition for those eyeballs. People are looking at email, they’re online. They’re seeing advertisements bombarding from all these different areas. We have to be a lot more savvy in how we try to attract their attention. That hasn’t changed.
Then we need to give them a very compelling offer. We got to give them a reason to come to our shop versus go anywhere else. Why do people want to do business with you versus anybody else? That’s a good core competency and make sure that you have that in all of your marketing as well as you got to give them a sense of urgency, so they get off the couch and come into you right now versus thinking about it and thinking maybe later on I’ll do that. We got to have the right target. We have to have the right message. We have to have the right offer, and we have to give them that sense of urgency, so that they come in right now. That all has been the same. Everything else about running the business has totally changed. If you’re not keeping up with that, you’re going to be left behind. Again, the marketing, the core competencies haven’t changed, but everything that layers on top of that, how we deliver that message, that’s changed drastically. Who we’re delivering it to has changed drastically.
Dave, yes, a lot has changed over the 28 years. Very little has stayed the same, so from a marketing standpoint you got to make sure that you pay attention to those things that have always been tried and true that work, but everything else has changed drastically. I hope that helps. I hope that’s a better explanation than the little blurb that I left below your question before. Now that will conclude today’s episode, but please as I mentioned at the very beginning of this, go down. Leave your questions, comments and suggestions. I’ve love to read them, and I’d love to respond to them. I need to know if you like what you’re seeing. Let me know how I can do better for you.
what percentage of coupons versus sales is acceptable ?
Jeff, coupons should be only a tiny percentage of your sales because they are used simply to get the customer in the door. Once they are in your shop, it’s your job to do a thorough inspection and upsell the additional needed work.
Just a note to let you know that we have been dialed in to your broadcasts for a little while now and look forward to your messages. We often get good, useful information and ideas and have put some of them to use at our shop. Curious though, from where do you tape your messages? It looks more like an office building than a shop environment.
Hi Jack. So far I’ve recorded many of the episodes from my home office because it’s nice and quiet with no distractions.
Could you talk about customer furnished parts and how to deal with this problem. I t seems to be getting worse. We have started not accepting the repair if the customer wants to furnish their own parts. How is everone else handling this situation?
Hawker Automotive
Doug, that’s a subject that has been coming up more and more since anyone with a computer or phone can order parts and have them delivered in a matter of days (or hours). If you want to remain profitable on that job, you’re going to have to take the profit that you would normally make on the part and add it onto the bill elsewhere – so the money they save by supplying the part will be gone.
If you choose to forego your parts profits, you’re likely to be doing that job for free or very little profit — and then — dealing with that open can of worms if the part is bad (who will pay to remove and replace it?), very low quality (and will go bad soon), not being able to offer a proper warranty, risking bad reviews, etc.
I tell people my insurance company doesn’t allow me to install parts we didn’t buy, stops them in their tracks.
Greetings Ron;
I’ve been using a four postcard follow up for clients which have not been to my shop in 18 months. Each postcard has a unique special offer valid for 15 days. This is a strategy I learned from you many years ago. I have noticed in the last few years this strategy has not been as effective as say ten years ago, or even five years ago. My questions is: What is the best strategy for enticing clients which have not been in the shop in awhile? BTW – This is just one spoke of my marketing wheel. Thanks, Jim Lefeber
Jim, that’s a great idea to cover on a future episode. Thanks for the idea!
I think all of us in the Independent Auto Repair Industry need to band together and start out own you tube videos that lead to our own online warehouse that is owned by all of us. We are seeing more and more people wanting to buy on line and I think it is only going to increase. Let’s find a way to control this and drive the sales back to us! I leave this idea in your capable hand Captain Car Count as you have the Knowledge and contacts to turn this into reality! Just don’t forget to include us shop owners up here in Canada in on the strategy.
All my best ideas come from your inspiration.
Rita
Mewassin Automotive Ltd.
That’s an interesting idea Rita, but in the meanwhile, focus on attracting the majority of folks that aren’t price driven to the point that they shop for their own parts. Thanks for the kind words.
Somehow I just started getting your emails. I’m sure you know how I started
getting them (smile). I have reviewed each one and you have a lot of good
advise. In your opinion, what type of marketing seems to work best in attracting
new customers in to your location? As far as current customers go, we send
email follow ups, thank you emails and reminders for Oil changes, State Safety
Inspections, maintenance suggestions and etc on a daily basis.
Hi David, before looking to get new customers, I’d take a longer look at what you’re doing to maintain the ones you already have. It’s much cheaper to retain them than it is to go get new ones.
I recommend that you contact every one of your clients a minimum of 4 times per month, using vaired media. Right now, you’re only using email – and since most emails never get delivered, opened, or read – most of your clients aren’t seeing your messages. I suggest you add direct mail, text, and phone calls to the mix and you’ll see your results grow very quickly.
Hi Ron,
I love your daily messages, I watch them all. The only one I have difficulty with is on text message marketing. I’ve seen other “marketing gurus” tout this as the best method of contacting your customers. My shop is in Venice Florida with most customer’s being over 70 years old. I just can’t image using their personal cell phone as a means of advertising to them. I think that’s crossing the line of invasion of privacy. I do use email with customers, but if I were to get spammed by businesses on my cell phone, I would not be happy with them. My phone number is “personal” and I believe most people feel that way.
Jim, thanks for your comments. I want to be very clear that you are not spamming your clients with text messages because they have already given you permission to send the messages in the first place. Just because you have their mobile number in your database, you do NOT have permission to text them.
Have asked your clients or are you going by your own preferences here? The only thing that really matters is what your clients say and prefer.