Let’s face it, getting bookings for your workshop is tough. To be successful, workshop owners need to understand what customers are looking for and what competitors are offering.
Here are 5 tips to get more bookings for your workshop:
1. Identify your target market
For any business to be successful you need to know who you are targeting your services to. If you ask workshop owners who they market to, many will say “anyone who has a car” but, this is too vague.
You need to dig a little deeper, you need to know the type of customer you want, the vehicle types they have and more importantly the price are willing to pay. Depending on the location of your workshop, prices can fluctuate.
Once you narrow down who you are marketing to you will find it so much easier to attract the right customers into your workshop.
Related article: How to use social media to grow your workshop.
2. Research your competition
Arguably the most important factor in customer acquisition is researching your competition. To get more bookings for your workshop you need to be on top of what your competitors are doing. If competitors are offering customers something better, why would they choose you?
You need to make sure you know what competitors are offering, their prices, and any other things that they are using to persuade customers to book with them. Once you understand what they are doing put a strategy in place that either matches them or offers something better.
3. Increase efficiency
Before looking to increase your bookings, you need to be 100% sure you can carter for a surge. The only way to cater for a surge is either by hiring more hands which is expensive or increasing your efficiency. Increasing your efficiency is some much cheaper and provides many added benefits.
When customers choose their mechanic, they want a fast and easy process. The faster you can service or repair a customer’s car, the more bookings you will get it’s as simple as that. If a customer is so impressed with your speed of service, they won’t want to go anywhere else – they will even likely recommend your shop to their friends and family.
Related article: How to increase your workshop efficiency.
4. Customer reminders
47% of customers in the auto repair industry are repeats. It’s so important that you have strategy in place that retains your existing customers. You can’t put all your efforts into new customer acquisition, if you forget about your existing customers, you could lose half your revenue.
The best way to keep your existing customers is to automate customer reminders. Remind customers when they are due for a service, send them a text message, follow up with them, even book in a recurring service for the same time in 12 months’ time.
5. Give customers something they don’t expect
To get more bookings you need to provide a wow factor. You need to stand out from your competition. If a customer gets something they haven’t received before they won’t want to go anywhere else. They will tell their friends and family and your bookings will grow exponentially.
Some great wow factor tips include:
- Give the customers car a quick clean
- Provide a small gift (magnet, stickers, keychains etc.)
- Send live update reminders to customers
- Provide visual reports
Final Word,
To grow bookings for your workshop you need to understand who you’re marketing to, what your competition is doing and provide customers with something they haven’t got before. Using the tips mentioned above your workshop will go a long way to growing bookings.
About Workshop Mate
Workshop Mate by Jeal is a web-based workshop management software that simplifies and automates daily workshop tasks. Using the latest features Workshop Mate removes common frustrations experienced in the workshop – opening your doors for future growth and higher profitability.
Workshop Mate includes, parts inventory, job management, service history, booking diary, photo app, customer reminders, service history, Xero/MYOB integration, and so more – everything you need to run a successful workshop.
If you have never used workshop mate now is the best time to give it a go. Call us on 1300 473 744 to see what sets us apart or click the button below to start your 14-day free trial.