A high customer retention rate is the key to success in the Australian Auto Repair Industry. Sure, trying to gain new customers for your Workshop is equally important but in challenging times like today gaining new customers isn’t particularly easy. In 2022 your Workshop’s number 1 priority should be having a high retention rate.
There are many things that go into having a great customer retention rate, your Workshop must be focussed, keep it’s promise and above all else offer exceptional customer service.
Here are the best strategies your Workshop can use to retain customers.
1. Simplify Your Customers Service or Repair
72% of motorists feel anxiety around visiting an auto repair store. To get customers to return to your Workshop you need to make everything fast and easy. Australians are busier than ever; nobody wants to go through long and stressful service and repair experiences.
From the time your customer makes a booking to the time they come to pick their vehicle up, your process should be easy and stress-free. Provide feedback to your customers, explain to them why something needed to be fixed and notify them when the job is complete or running overtime. The easier you make the service and repair experience for customers the more likely they are to return in the future.
Related Article: Ways your Workshop Can Improve Customer Service in 2022.
2. Surprise Your Customer
When it comes to customer retention, you need to provide something beyond the traditional service and repair experience. To get more customers to return your workshop you need to create a Wow factor.
Great Customer Service wow factors can include providing a discount for loyal customers, giving the customer a small gift like a keychain or fridge magnet, and giving the customers car a quick clean. You need to think outside of the box and provide customers with something they cannot get from other workshops.
Related Article: How to Get More Customers For Your Workshop in 2022.
3. Keep Your Promise
This is a big one! If you want to retain your past customers, you need to do everything in your power to keep your promise. There’s nothing more frustrating for customers than paying for something that doesn’t meet their expectations. When that happens, they will never come back.
Make sure your Workshop is fulfilling everything you say. Make sure your bookings are completed correctly and on time. Most important notify customers ASAP if further works are needed that they were unaware of and tell customers right away if you feel like you are running behind.
4. Ask Your Customers for Feedback
Feedback is king for every business. A great way to retain customers for your Workshop is by getting feedback from them. Ask your customers what they thought of your service, let them critique you and find out where you may need to improve.
The benefit of getting customer feedback is you can instantly change certain parts of your service offering to provide greater customer experiences for future customers.
5. Remind Your Customers
The best thing about having a past customers is you can market to them. A great way to retain customers at your Workshop is by sending service reminders. Send an SMS or Email reminder to your customer to remind them when they are due for a service. Sending a simple heads-up message can be all it takes for a customer to remember and book in again.
Related Article: Double Your Business in Seconds With Cut-Priced SMS Reminders.
Final Word,
Having a strong customer retention rate is vital for success in the Australian Auto Repair Industry. To maximise customer retention, you need to provide a customer service experience that’s second to none. Using the 5 strategies mentioned above your Workshop will go along way to having a strong customer retention rate.
To read more advice like this visit the Workshop Mate latest news page here.
About Workshop Mate
Workshop Mate by Jeal is an Australian Auto Repair Industry Specific, web-based Workshop Management Software that automates the daily tasks of running a Mechanical Workshop.
Get all-in-one quotes, invoices, barcoding, parts inventory, SMS reminders, service history, job allocation and tracking, Xero/MYOB integration, and more in the one central, web-based application.
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