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So, satisfied customers = more money.

Now we simply ask our customers to point out areas that we were less than perfect and then we change our systems and procedures to correct our weaknesses.

The best tool for this task is the customer satisfaction survey.

Several shops already utilize a customer satisfaction survey system. Some shops use an outside company to handle the process and other shops handle everything in house and there are a few shops that handle everything electronically through their website or email.

Regardless of how you decide to do it, here are a few tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your customer surveys.

• Tip 1: Do it! The vast majority of shop owners that I talk to admit that they either don’t have a customer survey system in place or they have one in place but they don’t really use it.
• Tip 2: Use two surveys, one for customers that came by for an estimate and another for customers after you have repaired their vehicle.
  Most shops don’t survey customers that come in for an estimate. That’s a mistake. If you are missing sales because your office is dirty or your office personnel were having a bad day, you need to know.
• Tip 3: Give your customers the opportunity to complete the survey anonymously. You will get a more honest evaluation of your business.
• Tip 4: Look for trends.
  If one person says bolts were missing or loose, it’s probably an isolated incident, but a number of people complain about the same thing then you need to evaluate your processes or your quality control systems.
• Tip 5: Focus on the details.
  You might have a 90% satisfaction rating overall, but you could have one area that consistently scores lower. Look at the details and implement corrections.
• Trick 1: Try these for your last two questions-
  (next to last question) On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate us overall?
  (last question) If we did not earn a 10, tell us what we could do to improve.
  When you use this trick you are more likely to find out what the customer really thinks.
• Trick 2: Change the questions on your survey from time-to-time. Use the survey as a tool to help you find your weaknesses.

No matter what size your shop is, you will benefit from the help of a customer satisfaction survey. Whether you receive negative or positive feedback it is important that you use it to make any necessary changes. If you continually listen to customer feedback and then make changes based on that feedback, you will have a more satisfied customer and remember, satisfied customers = more money.

Here are some links to some great articles about Customer Satisfaction Surveys

http://management.about.com/od/competitiveinfo/a/CustomerSatSurv.htm

http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/measuring_customer_satisfaction_in_a_survey

http://www.flyingsolo.com.au/p204697145_Customer-feedback-Ten-steps-to-great-survey-design.html

If you want to begin a Customer Satisfaction Survey program but you don’t know how to get started contact me and I’ll be happy to share some survey examples with you.

In an effort to improve communication throughout the industry, we are now offering free websites for collision repair associations. Any and all recognized collision repair associations are eligible. Domain registration, hosting, and monthly maintenance are included.

The website consists of a home page, about us page, contact us page and a current news page. The website’s content will be editable using our EZ Edit feature. This will enable the association to inform members of current news and events and to keep their website updated. Additionally, we are offering free consultation / instructions on how collision repair associations can utilize Facebook and Twitter accounts to improve member communication.

Any associations interested in getting a website should contact David Moore at 866-341-9636 or email.

You can read the full story here.

But wait… nothing happened.

A long of nothing happened. How can this be? Something must be wrong! Everyone said, “Get a website!”, so I got a website. But nothing happened. If fact, I’ve had a website for several months and no one even knows that I have it!

Did I get ripped off? Answer: Maybe, but most likely you didn’t.

Let’s look at how to make your website work for you.

First let’s focus on the website itself:

• Does it look professional?  Is it easy to read and easy to navigate through? Make sure you don’t have anything spinning or blinking. That’s a dead giveaway that you have an amateur looking site.
• Does everything work? You should personally check every button or link on your website. If something doesn’t seem to working properly, contact your website design immediately. Like it or not, in your customers’ minds, the quality of your website is representative of the quality of your work.
• Have real pictures on your site. When I say “real”, I mean pictures of your actual shop, technicians working on cars, or photos of cars that you’ve fixed. If you have “stock” photos on your website, that’s okay to get started, but you should be looking for opportunities to replace them with “real” photos.
  By the way, clean up a little before you take pictures. It doesn’t have to be spotless, but you shouldn’t have a week’s worth of filler dust on the floor and old masking paper in the corner.
   For tips on taking good pictures go to this website, www.kodak.com/global/en/corp/top10tips

Now let’s turn our attention to getting the word out about your website:

• Run an ad in the local newspaper that points to your website. Give them a reason to go to your website. For example, offer something for free (what-to-do in case of an accident brochure, car buying tips, maintenance tips, motorist bill of rights).
• Send out a letter to all of your previous customers. Again, give them a reason to go to the website.
• Start capturing the emails of everyone that comes in for an estimate and then send them a “Thank you” email that has a link to your website.
• Email a newsletter to your customers which links to your website, of course. Make sure they know that you don’t share their information and always offer them the option to opt out of future emails.
• Let the insurance agents and dealerships in your area know that you have a new informative website (to better serve their customers).
• If you have the budget, do a targeted direct mail program or doorknob hanger campaign.
• And of course, the most obvious thing is to put your website address on EVERYTHING, business cards, estimates, billboard, and all signage.

Lastly, let’s focus on the reason for getting a website, to bring customers in the door.

The overwhelming majority of people will search the internet before deciding to do business with someone. In fact, 83% of your potential customers will look online for a collision repair center. Your shop needs to show up on the search results. But how can you make that happen without spending big bucks on Google ads? Well, that can be challenging. Two things that dramatically affect your search engine ranking are the size and content of your website, as well as the longevity of your website. If you recently put up a small website you already have a few obstacles to overcome.

The topic of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is very involved and not within the scope of this article. There are entire books and week-long seminars on the subject of SEO. However, there are a few things you can do with a little help from your website person.

Let’s look at a few ways to improve your chances of being found online:

• Make sure your website has been submitted to the major search engines.
• Links to your website from other reputable websites help your search engine ranking. Find businesses that offer complementary services (mechanical shop, detail shop, glass shop, local tire store, local parts store) and offer to link to them if they will link to you. Obviously you don’t want to trade links with someone who offers the same services you offer.
• Search engines prefer blogs that are updated regularly. Consider adding a blog to your website. Meet with your website designer to get you started on successful blogging.
• Change your website content from time-to-time.
• Be patient. Results may not happen overnight, but if you develop a plan and stick with it, you’ll reap the benefits down the road.

Well, there you have it. If you follow these strategies you will be well on your way to generating more traffic to your website and more customers though your door.

I, personally, am thankful for my wonderful family, my talented and hard-working co-workers, and my faithful clients. God bless each one of you.

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FREE Car wash!

This guerrilla marketing tactic goes something like this – When you complete a job for a customer, you give the happy customer 2 coupons for free car washes. Then you tell the customer that 1 of the coupons is for them to use and the other is for them to give to a friend. The only stipulation is that they need to call a day or two in advance to schedule the car wash (you wouldn’t want them showing up Friday evening a 4:00 when you have your detail man buried).

When your customer comes back for their car wash spend a few minutes with them to make sure they’re happy and then move on to an up-sell. For example, you might point out a few dings and offer your PDR services or, if you are into the accessories services, you can offer pin striping or window tinting. If their car is perfect you can offer them your detail services.

Warning! These people are already your customer, so don’t run them off by using high pressure sales tactics. Simply offer your services and wait for their answer and keep smiling, even if they turn you down.

Now your customer’s friend comes in for a free car wash. It’s time to “Roll out the Red Carpet”! Give this potential customer the grand tour. Show them your shop, your credentials and your before and after portfolio (you have one, right?!?). Introduce them to your estimators, office manager, and shop foreman. Be sure to give them a “What to do in case of an accident” brochure. Above all, be enthusiastic about your shop and personnel.

If you do this right, it could win you a new customer. Think about the impact of this marketing tactic. You are given the chance to spend some one-on-one time with a potential customer. And the next time they, or any of their family and friends, need their car fixed you will be on their mind.

Well, there you have it. I hope this gives you some ideas. I’d love to hear your thought and marketing ideas that you have used. Feel free to leave a comment or send me a personal email.