Failure to pay attention to detail can cost the business a lot of money in liability and repair cost. And what’s really frustrating is the negative publicity that comes with a service gone awry. Technicians should never take their job lightly. Negligence can easily lead to a premature or catastrophic engine failure. Your shop’s policy should include verification and documentation of any repair suggestions or abnormalities on the repair order. This simple step will save a lot of frustration and possibly prevent having to make some repairs for free.
Looking for more information on how to improve your vehicle inspection form? Click here and enter promotion code BFE2014.
Don’t overwhelm the customer with a long list of required and suggested services. Even if it is accurate, you run the risk of scaring the customer away. Any estimating processes should be prioritized:
1. Address the reason why they came to your shop.
2. Safety-related items that should be done now like tires, brakes and lights.
3. Items that can wait until the next visit.
4. Maintenance items that are coming up soon. It could be a 90,000-mile timing belt replacement or a 100,000-mile spark plug replacement.
Color codes of red, green and yellow can help explain the items to the customer. Never fail to tell the customer the true condition of their vehicle. By doing this, you are losing potential sales and maybe leave the customer stranded by the side of the road.
Looking for more information on how to improve your vehicle inspection form? Click here and enter promotion code BFE2014.
“People like to talk about a job well done and equally like to complain when a job is badly done.”
– Fred G. Wacker, president, Ammco Tools
Word of mouth has been the best advertising tool for shops since the birth of the car. This is more true today with the invention of social media websites like Facebook and online review websites like Yelp. Take the time to investigate and manage your online image. An active and engaged shop shows a positive image to potential customers.
Click here to visit Mighty’s Facebook Page.
What do you call your inspection form? How is it labeled? What it is called is just as important as how it is presented to the customer. It sets the tone.
Courtesy Inspection: Conveys low pressure and will be seen by the customer as an extra service.
Service Alert: Commands attention and a sense of urgency.
Vehicle Condition Check: More matter of fact; no sales hype.
Vehicle Condition Report: More matter of fact; no sales hype.
Multi-Point Inspection: Dealerships often use this phrase. But what points and how many are inspected?
The Wallet Flush: May not go over too well.
WARNING: Avoid using the word “safety” in the title. Be careful about conveying any idea that you are doing a complete safety inspection on their vehicle. This could lead to liability issues if something happens later on.
Looking for more information on how to improve your vehicle inspection form? Click here and enter promotion code BFE2014.
“Why so many boxes?” When most technicians see an inspection form the first thing they notice is the number of check boxes. After a while, they start to check boxes without performing a real inspection and they will walk around the vehicle like a zombie. What a lot of technicians forget is that every item represents an opportunity for your shop. Also, every box is a potential problem that could diminish the value of their vehicle or leave them stranded by the side of the road. How do you fight the Check-box Zombie Syndrome?
1. Reduce the number of boxes: Group items into their respective systems like HVAC, visibility and chassis.
2. Develop an inspection routine: Every inspection should have the same flow and pattern.
3. Inspect the inspectors: Mystery shop you own shop. You can set up a car with items like burnt-out bulbs, bad wipers and dirty filters to see if your technicians are really performing a thorough inspection.
Looking for more information on how to improve your vehicle inspection form? Click here and enter promotion code BFE2014.
