We have had this as our motto for years, “Our best customer, is an educated buyer”! Training, service, values, knowledge, learning and skills all play a role in how we help educate or how we are educated. Think about it, if you are making a decision wouldn’t you want to make an educated decision?
Customers should trust and believe in you, they should not feel they are being told what to do or given one-word explanations. A customer deserves to understand the value of your services. Picture this, “Ma’am, uh, I have your air filter here and it is dirty. Would you like it replaced?” The customer replies, “No.” Why would they have said yes? Because it is dirty? Do they understand what dirty means? They probably don’t understand the benefits of having a clean air filter or replacing an air filter in a timely manner. In this instance, the customer said no because they did not understand the value of the service. You have to remember to answer who, why, what, when, where and how questions for the customer. Customers deserve to understand and then respond. If they understand they will be more likely to trust you and you will probably be more successful making sales.
Make it a policy to train, educate and build on value and service. If you do every employee will live it. In turn, customers will see the difference. There will be a difference in the level of service offered if it is a policy to train on service, a policy to train on value and education. Remember employees have to be educated on policy and services before they can educate the customer.
Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Think about your favorite customers who trust you. They trust you because they understand what you are doing. This customer comes in and because you are so comfortable with them, you feel like you can offer them anything because they believe in you. You are their hero. You keep their vehicle on the road. You spend time with them and you explain the services they need. If you think about it, your best customers are educated buyers. When your customer trusts you and believes in you, they make an educated decision to come to you to have their vehicle serviced.
Believe in yourself. Don’t let the word no dictate the next customer and how the rest of your day goes. Continue on and remember to ask every time. These are services that protect your customer’s investment. Whether it is an oil change, oil system cleaner, engine treatment, or a fuel system cleaner, the services you offer are helping keep your customer’s vehicle on the road longer.
I am sure you are familiar with the saying, “Maintain it now or repair it later.” Well, the average age of a vehicle on the road today is almost 12 years old. That means it is cheaper to maintain your customers vehicle than for them to have a car payment. Believe in what you are doing. Believe in the services you offer and educate your customers.
AMBER KOSSAK is president and CEO of Solid Start, manufacturer of True Brand Products. She has been in the automotive industry for almost 20 years and is serving on the AOCA board of directors. She can be contacted at: [email protected] For more information please visit: www.solidstart.biz
