Car count is top of mind for just about every operator. To increase car counts, shops can target both new and existing customers. Targeted messaging helps foster relationships with existing customers and can bring them into a bay for service with the right communications.

Bringing in those customers often takes more resources than a shop's POS software, but that POS system is a solid base to build on.

The Challenge

Customers don't always keep to their service schedule. A sticker on the windshield can list the mileage and date to come in for an oil change, but it doesn't always get the customer's attention. A reminder is often helpful for the operator and the customer.

"Folks come to us," says Brian Isemann, client relationship manager at Matrix Imaging and its automotive unit, Throttle. "The two things about which they're most concerned are car count, how many invoices they get through in a day, and how they can get greater revenue every day."

That traffic can come from new customers. However, shops can tap into their existing customer base through their POS system to generate more business.

The Solutions

"What we feel is an obvious thing is the value clients (operators) provide to customers," Isemann tells NOLN. "They want to get them to the shop faster and offer services. We can tap into a client's point-of-sale system."

Throttle uses the customer's POS system to spot opportunities to bring customers into the shop and send targeted messages.

"We can help notify and educate customers," Isemann explains.

Messaging queries might include time since last visit, whether the POS shows the customer is overdue for an oil change, or whether the customer declined recommended services. The shop can use targeting to identify the customer group and send messaging specific to that customer. Messaging can include discounts and other incentives to bring the car in for service.

The Aftermath

An offering such as Throttle can fill in missing customer contact information. If a shop has an email or phone number, the platform can draw on provider data to match an address or other details and increase contact points.

"The appendage mailing: If you give us email addresses, we can backfill that with mailing addresses. If you're missing a piece of that information, we can backfill with other data," Matrix Imaging Senior Director of Sales and Emerging Products, Colin Dentino, explained.

With information and communication points filled in, operators have more ways to contact customers. The next step is to identify occasions to contact customers. Shops can use the demographic and psychographic data to target customers at the right moment. That moment might be reaching out to a customer three months after an oil change, or after an estimated number of miles for high-mileage drivers.

If the shop advised a customer of a needed or upcoming service during the last visit, communications can remind the customer it's time to have the work done.

Using data, shops can target customers with specialized coupons specific to the needed service. Operators can also provide additional service information to educate customers. Messaging can be tailored to the shop and even the individual customer.

The Takeaway

Operators can use data to target customers and increase visits by reminding customers whose due date for an oil change or other service has passed. It is an effective way to stay connected with loyal customers and foster loyalty.

Shops working with Throttle are advised to give the service 60 to 90 days to review results, although many shops have reported seeing an impact on their bottom line within a shorter time frame.

Messaging can start with a short communication.

"It's as simple as sending a thank-you email or text message, 'leave us a review on Google,'" Isemann states.

The first step in using data to target and bring in customers is maintaining a POS system. The next step is to find ways to leverage the collected data and add services that let a shop segment it and reach customers in relevant ways and at the right times.

"We provide the tools to help people," says Dentino. "We can provide the tools and provide informed decisions on that marketing because it's such a science now."

Most shops follow a similar progression. Move from keeping customer records in a spreadsheet to upgrading to a POS system, adding a marketing provider to leverage marketing and communications, and optimizing communications with customers.

"You have to start to treat it like a science," Dentino states.