CUSTOMER SERVICE

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STRAIGHT TALK

How to Win Back Lost Customers

Expert tips for bringing customers back after a bad experience

BY MEGAN GOSCH

It’s been months since Mrs. Cline’s

been back to Kovac Automotive for her regular service and owner Joe Kovac’s taken note.

Has she been busy? She did mention she had a few trips planned. Maybe she’s driving less and spacing out her service? Maybe she’s moved? Or worse yet, maybe she’s had a negative experience and decided to take her car somewhere else?

The possibilities are endless, but Kovac knows one thing for sure. If there’s anything he can do to remedy a bad experience he’s not giving up without a fight.

“Not everyone is looking to be a regular, but the loss of a longtime customer can be a punch to the gut,” he says. “With that one customer you could be losing future business from their neighbors, their friends, or their kids down the line along with that regular business. That’s business you don’t just want to let walk away.”

Kovac says he’s fortunate to have a solid staff and loyal customers, so he’s not often in the position of wooing back wary customers, but when he does he’s found a few helpful tactics are key.

Here, he and customer service expert Laurie Guest share their tips for winning back lost customers.

Mine your shop data.

Chances are, you’re already keeping tabs on your customers in some form or other, but a thorough analysis of those key stats can build a baseline understanding of your customer’s behavior.

“If I’m a regular customer that usually comes in every four to six months, but I haven’t been back in a year, how will you know? What are you doing to track that?” says Guest. “How will you know who needs to be won back if you’re not really tracking those you’ve lost?”

Kovac currently uses MechanicNet, a web-based customer retention software, to track the habits of his repeat customers,

but Guest notes that data analysis could also be an ideal research project for a shop intern. “Tracking those ‘voting with your feet’ trends is time consuming and more college students are looking for internship opportunities now than ever.”

Perfect a prompt response.

“The speed at which your absence as a customer is missed is critical,” says Guest. “If a shop is taking a year to check in with me, they’re not winning me back. But a six-month check-in might have been another story.”

Kovac checks his customer retention data twice a year, sits down with his general manager to analyze the results and talk through any shared intel on why a customer might not have been back recently, then he gets to work sending personal emails and placing calls.

Take an empathetic approach.

A call to a customer gone MIA might be a fact-finding mission, but Kovac and Guest recommend framing the conversation from a place of concern for the customer. Those who feel put on the spot aren’t likely to be honest or come back in the long run.

“You have to ask, ‘what is my motivation for the call and how is that going to make the customer feel?’ If someone calls me asking, ‘What’s it going to take to get you back in?’ that’s a very uncomfortable situation and I’m going to feel pressured and try to get off the line as quick as I can,” says Guest. “If it feels like you’re really trying to help me or change things in your shop for the better, I get to feel like I’m helping out by opening up.”

When reaching out to customers, Kovac first checks to see how the customer and their vehicle are doing. “I’ll say, ‘We haven’t seen you in a while and just wanted to check and see how everything’s going? How’s that new battery holding up?”

If a customer begins to open up about a problem, “I immediately express empathy,” says Kovac. “I always start with an apology for what they’ve experienced, let them know that if they’re not happy I’m not happy, and explain what we can do to get them fixed up.”

Ask open-ended questions.

Through years of experience, Kovac has learned it can take some coaxing to get customers talking openly about the real reason they haven’t returned.

He advises asking open-ended questions. “If something went wrong, they’re going to have something to say about it, and avoiding those yes or no questions gives them more room to say what’s on their mind,” he says.

Kovac also stresses leaving space in the conversation for customers to vent. “If you’re lucky enough to get them talking, the best thing you can do is close your mouth and just listen. You can absorb everything that really happened if you sit back, listen and let them unload a bit. Then you can say, ‘This is how I’m going to fix this.’”

Create a VIP experience.

When customers do return after a negative encounter, a seamless, personalized experience is a must.

“If you’re lucky enough to get them back a second time and something else goes wrong, they’re not coming back for a third visit,” says Guest. “Everyone on the team should be informed of the situation so they’re ready to greet and guide that person through their next visit.”

Kovac sets customers up with a specific appointment time during his check-in calls and immediately writes up a ticket while the details of the situation are fresh in his mind. When the customer returns, he greets them personally, then explains the next steps to the customer and his team.

“They might feel a little apprehensive or frustrated or embarrassed coming back in and we want them to feel special and that we understand their needs right when they walk in,” he says. “They shouldn’t have to explain the situation to me or a service writer all over again. They can walk in and know that we remember who they are, what they need, and that we’re ready with a fix.”

Planning For Profit Sharing

Provide financial incentives for current and prospective employees

BY PAUL HODOWANIC

Hiring is at the top of every shop

owner’s mind. Are there enough qualified technicians, service advisors and shop managers? And how do I get them to come to my shop?

Shop owners increasingly need to find ways to get the best candidates interested in their shop. Vacation and sick days are becoming a basic necessity. Roughly 88 percent of shops offer vacation days and nearly two-thirds provide sick days, according to the 2020 Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey.

To stand out, shops may need to go beyond that. Having a good work environment and committed workforce is a start, but there are increasingly popular ways to get more money into the pockets of your employees.

Ratchet+Wrench spoke with a pair of shop owners who have different philosophies on profit-sharing incentives to understand what they offer and why.

Tiers To Succeed

Ramy Nazim’s background is in the software industry. That’s where he saw the basic outline of the profit-sharing system that he’s now implemented as marketing director for the Texas-based Integrity 1st Automotive.

He looked around the organization, which had a traditional linear bonus structure across its six shops, and sought to create something more dynamic. The idea was to create a meritocracy of sorts.

“I wanted to allow shop managers to reap the benefits of their merit,” he says.

What he came up with was a tiered

WHAT IS PROFIT-SHARING?

Profit-sharing is an incentivized compensation program that awards employees a percentage of the company’s profits. The amount awarded is based on the company’s earnings over a set period of time, usually once a year. Unlike employee bonuses, profit sharing is only applied when the company sees a profit.

system that would award shop managers exponentially as profits increased. Nazim was reluctant to share the specific details of his plan for competitive reasons, but outlined an example of the structure.

First the company identifies the average monthly break-even point for the store. Once the shop goes above that and has a cash flow positive month, the benefits start to kick in. Nazim suggests tiers based on consistent increments that are reasonable for the specific business. In his example, that was $10,000. In that first tier the shop manager gets 5 percent of the profits. For every $10,000 increment that the shop passed after that increases the manager’s percentage by 3 percent.

Nazim says the program has helped in recruiting and piqued the interest of many in the company’s latest round of hiring. But the program was also designed to give shop managers more accountability, autonomy, and ownership over the business. With just a guaranteed salary or hourly wage, the incentive to grow and maximize profits isn’t there. With this system, it is.

The shop managers are more engaged in understanding the business’ financials, where the break-even point is and how to maximize the company’s profits and losses.

However, Nazim warns that maintaining the integrity of the company is vital. If managers get their sights set solely on maximizing profits, it can risk customer service and competitive pricing. Nazim says the company is very transparent in telling shop managers that it has to maintain competitive pricing, and frequently audits invoices to ensure those processes are being followed.

Before a shop implements the program, Nazim recommends having a strong understanding of the financials. The foundation of the program rests on knowing the company’s breakeven points, which may fluctuate during different times of the year. Shops need to establish that before a system is in place.

Long-term approach

Greg Skolnik, an industry coach and owner of Motor Works Inc. in Rockville, Md., has a different take on profit-sharing, one that’s much more focused on the long-term than on short term benefits.

He believes the future of incentivizing is in retirement plans. In fact, he’s had a retirement plan established at his business for more than 20 years.

However according to the 2020 Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey, only 44 percent of repair shops offer a retirement plan or 401(k). “It’s not common enough,” Skolnik says.

Skolnik said he has floated the idea of a system like Nazim’s in the past, but his workers preferred a retirement plan, which benefits all employees as well as business owners, who can put profits from the company into their own retirement and receive tax breaks.

Skolnik’s 401(k) program mirrors many of the plans that are becoming standard in society today. After accruing a year of work for the company, a 401(k) is opened for workers. Skolnik contributes three percent of the employees salary to the fund whether the employee contributes individually or not. That way, even employees who believe “savings is for the birds,” are receiving money towards retirement.

Then, at the end of the year, if the company turned a profit, Skolnik will reinvest the remaining money back into the retirement fund. Some years that has amounted to roughly 10 percent of the employees yearly salary that is reinvested into their individual plan.

Implementing a retirement plan comes with a necessity to educate. Both shop owners and entry-level employees often struggle to see the benefits of a retirement plan as there are immediate earnings that are being sacrificed for long-term financial success.

In that way, retirement plans don’t seem like the obvious definition of a profitsharing incentive. Skolnik brings in an accountant yearly to talk through the plans and educate the staff about the benefits.

Skolnik expects retirement plans will continue to become more popular as the industry tries to attract talent.

“If you don’t have [retirement] benefits in place, you’re going to be left out in the cold,” he says.

The bottom line

Nazim’s profit-sharing system and Skolnik’s retirement plan are just two of many ways to get more money to your employees and further incentivize talent to choose your shop. Not every plan may make sense for every business. Understand the shop’s finances and what it has the room to do. Nazim recognizes his plan might not make sense for franchises while MSOs might receive the greatest benefit. But whether it’s one of these plans, or a simple bonus structure, shops need to do something.

“You obvioulsy want to have a way to provide a guaranteed salary, but whether it’s a bonus or commission, employees are looking for those incentives,” Nazim says.

Taking the Guessing Game out of Battery and Tire Service

Accurately assessing vehicular components is key to long-term success

Batteries and tires. It won’t surprise that these vehicle parts reside right and test batteries that are low or nearly completely discharged. With the at the top of the list of most often replaced vehicle components. Because BT608, the technician doesn’t have to charge the battery for two to three batteries have a life span between three to five years and tires are deemed hours to see if it can conduct a charge. “expired” at six years, it makes sense that they have a high change rate. The Autel tool similarly uses Adaptive Conductance to test the

Still, recent studies and inspections of vehicles have found that battery’s partnering components—the alternator and the starter. Testing batteries and tires are usually only replaced when they fail, leaving a the alternator is particularly useful as it too is one of the most frequently driver stuck with a vehicle that doesn’t start or, worse, with one involved replaced vehicle components. It is also one of the most misdiagnosed. in a blowout or an accident. In 2017, 738 road deaths occurred due to The BT608 analyzes the entire system to see if a “no start” is caused by a tire failures. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) failed battery or starter or none of the above. research found that of the 11,500 passenger vehicles they inspected, The tool is simple to use with on-tool guidance to ensure the almost half had at least one tire with only 50 percent tread remaining. An technician performs each of the needed steps, such as turning on additional 10 percent had at least one bald tire. headlights or revving the engine to simulate load for a proper test of the

Complimentary inspections of vehicle tires and the starter and alternator. The results of each component starting and charging system can offer technicians test display in detail. (knowing how often these parts need replacement) The BT608’s reports document the service provided real opportunities to sell more batteries and tires Batteries and for the customer and support a battery, starter or if warranted. Such a service, especially during the tires are too alternator replacement if needed. Technicians can print upcoming summer vacation months as family vehicles crucial for reports directly from the tool’s built-in thermal printer start to take to the nation’s roads, can increase guessing games. or wirelessly to a network printer. Though the color customer loyalty, especially if the tires and charging reports are exceptional in detail and presentation, the system test well. black and white thermal prints present the system’s

Offering such inspections can be time-consuming health in easy-to-understand graphics and service and labor-intensive, however, and therefore are often recommendations just as well. difficult for shops to justify. But the development of user-guided Tire inspection has always been subjective, with technicians giving a smart diagnostic tablets and tools specifically designed for analysis cursory look and feel and maybe even taking out the old penny to gauge of starting and charging systems and tire wear makes such inspections tread depth. The Autel MaxiTPMS TBE200 brings tire inspection into quick and easy. the modern age. It’s a wand-like, laser-enabled device that scans a tire

One of the tablets, the Autel MaxiBAS BT608, is an Android-based surface to determine the tire’s condition. The TBE200 provides uneven touchscreen tablet that performs an extraordinary number of battery- wear analysis and displays the analysis and service recommendations on related tasks, from out-of-vehicle and in-vehicle battery testing and its 1.65-inch-high resolution AMOLED display. starter and alternator tests to battery registration and electrical The tool can also scan the Tire Identification Number (TIN) and will components (think power windows) relearns. Add the optional multimeter alert the user if its manufacturer has recalled the tire. The TBE200 and amp clamp to root out parasitic draws or detect amperage leakage. also prints detailed reports and pairs with the Autel MaxiTPMS ITS600

The BT608 truly excels at defining a battery’s State of Charge but also to complete the analysis of the vehicle’s tires and Tire Pressure its State of Health. The BT608 uses Adaptive Conductance to gauge a Monitoring System. battery’s conductance health. A low-frequency alternating current is sent Batteries and tires are too crucial for guessing games. Today’s tools through the battery to determine its remaining plate area. As the battery enable busy technicians to provide their customers with an accurate degrades, the plates degrade, as does its capacity and its conductance. assessment of these vital vehicle components, allowing them to make an Besides its consistent results, this method’s advantage over typical load informed decision about parts replacement before they leave the shop testers is its ability to allow multiple tests without draining the battery and get back on the road.

There is a Fortune to be Found in the Follow-up

What to do when the shop isn’t full

It’s the third day in a row where you’ve had one bay open every day. people can publicly review or rate businesses. Unfortunately, bad reviews Your advertising is providing a steady flow of customers into your shop, can have a devastating effect on shops if issues aren’t addressed quickly. but the bays still aren’t full. Maintaining a good reputation takes much more work once negative

A great remedy for empty service bays is a solid follow-up campaign reviews have been posted. where you reach out to current customers to book more service time. In addition, it’s hard to identify areas of improvement for your shop Follow-up campaigns for auto repair shops have been gaining momentum when you fail to understand customer experiences. And if you don’t work over the past several years and represents a short- and long-term strategy to improve situations that make customers unhappy, you’re more likely for keeping your shop full during any season. to keep losing them.

There may be a variety of reasons to make a follow-up call after a On the other hand, happy customers may not provide positive reviews service visit. You can follow up to: without prompting. Daily life takes over and they move on to other • Say thank you things. If there is no follow-up, you may never capture that satisfying • Discuss upcoming scheduled maintenance experience where it can be seen by others. • Review a previous visit with declined services • Announce a new product Lower Attrition after a Poor Experience • Request a referral and Google review People like to Follow-up can have a positive effect on attrition (loss) • Make a special offer for minor repairs feel appreciated rates. With a well-executed follow-up program, auto Your current customer base is a great place to find more and following up shops can see a significant reduction in attrition. business, which is why follow-up campaigns yield great results for shops everywhere. with customers During follow-ups, customers are more likely to share comments or complaints since you have taken the first can do that. step to contact them. Why Follow-up is Critical to Keeping your Shop Busy There is an age-old mantra that goes, “a bird in the Despite the challenges, follow-up campaigns can boost hand is worth two in the bush.” Retaining a satisfied your bottom line significantly if your shop isn’t full at all customer is much easier than gaining a new one. times. First of all, it’s no secret that people lead busy lives; automobile According to the Harvard Business Review, selling to a new customer can maintenance isn’t always front-and-center with so many other cost five to 25 times more than selling to an existing customer. A good responsibilities to manage. Without a helpful reminder, unscheduled follow-up campaign can save you money. needs can be overlooked. These are missed opportunities for your shop.

Using a follow-up campaign to alert customers about special offers, Improve Customer Relationships routine maintenance or new products can add hundreds to thousands of People like to feel appreciated and following up with customers can dollars to your weekly revenues. do that. Whether you offer a personalized special or simply check in to see if a recent visit went well, following up with them can generate a Maintain a Good Reputation positive feeling. When they need a repair or scheduled maintenance, they A follow-up call can help you understand your customers better and will remember your efforts. A follow-up campaign lets them know you how your business is performing from their point-of-view. For many appreciate their trust in your business. years, customers would voice their opinion about a poor experience with Follow-up calls to your customers is a compelling strategy to not a company by never doing business with it again without a word. That only increase your revenue but also to foster customer loyalty. When behavior would not be recognized until it was too late. How would a shop your shop personally reaches out whether it’s to say thank you for their owner understand their perspectives? Even more importantly, how could trust in your services or reminding them about a critically needed repair, a shop retain unhappy customers? following up can go a long way toward increasing your retention rates

Now there are plenty of review websites and other places where and building customer loyalty.

Practicing Shop Safety

A technician’s life may depend on it

Many of you have been involved in the automotive field for years and may have experienced firsthand how minor negligence can lead to a major event. Some technicians fall into a pattern of negligent habits that could result in personal injury or damage to the customer’s vehicle. It is human nature to relax in comfortable environments (even the shop) and that’s when unnecessary chances are taken. While there are too many safety precautions to list in this writing, let us consider a few that generate major concerns. These points may be a great refresher for established technicians or even apprentices who desire to grow within the shop environment.

Batteries

Batteries contain sulfuric acid and produce explosive gases. Precautions must be taken to prevent sparks from occurring at the battery and igniting those gases, resulting in a catastrophic event. Take precautions when jump starting or charging the battery. Never disconnect a battery charger lead from the battery until the charger has been turned off. When jump starting, attach the negative lead to a good engine ground instead of the negative post of the battery. comes with safety measures that must be considered to prevent injury. Imagine making repairs in the engine compartment from beneath the vehicle with the hood closed. Suddenly the vehicle starts. Hopefully, the technician’s hands are clear from pulleys and belts. Two scenarios that could promote a sudden start: 1) The vehicle owner mistakenly starts their vehicle using the remote start feature from a mobile app. 2) Due to a mix-up of key fobs in the service department a technician accidently remote starts the wrong vehicle. Some vehicles note that the hood should be fully opened or opened to the second latch when performing any repairs to the engine or under the vehicle, disabling the Some technicians remote start feature via the key fob. Familiarize yourself with the safety procedures of the vehicle fall into a pattern of being serviced. negligent habits that could result in personal PPE/Safety Items injury or damage to the Wear safety glasses to protect the eyes from debris and liquids. Wear gloves to protect the skin from customer’s vehicle. scratches and chemicals. Wear earplugs when operating noisy tools like impacts and cutting tools.

Fuel

Never disconnect a fuel line or fuel system component until the system pressure has been relieved. The system is still under pressure even with the engine off. Flammable mixtures are present and things can go south when subjected to a spark or flame. Do not carry or operate electronic devices when servicing fuel-related components.

Airbags

When servicing the electrical system, take special precautions to prevent accidental airbag deployment. When handling, point the trim or cover away from you when transporting the component. Never place an airbag on the bench or floor with the trim cover or tear seam facing down, as an accidental deployment can propel the assembly like a rocket. Note that memory-saving devices can keep the system active with the battery disconnected. An airbag deployment can rearrange your day, your face, have you smelling funny for days and can damage your hearing.

Lift Safety

According to the law of gravity, if it goes up it must come down. The primary objective is to prevent the vehicle from crashing to the shop floor. Lift accidents are often from misuse when positioning the lift arms or exceeding the weight capacity. The center of gravity must be determined for equal weight distribution prior to lifting the vehicle.

Be aware of extra weight: a truck may contain heavy objects in the bed or any service causing a sudden change in the center of gravity, such as the removal of the transmission, etc. Once the vehicle is a foot off the floor, shake it to determine if it is positioned safely on the lift arms. Always make certain the vehicle is resting on the safety locks prior to getting underneath it. When lowering the vehicle, make certain objects such as toolboxes, oil drain containers and more have been cleared. Reference the lift manufacturer’s safety manual and service recommendations.

In Summary

Pay attention to detail, be alert, look out for yourself and your fellow technicians!

Fast Delivery or Quality Parts— How About Both?

New on-demand delivery services connect buyers with OEM parts directly from the dealership

For those who avoided using delivery services prior to 2020, As you are aware, parts delivery can be a hassle. Plus, when you the pandemic forced (or convinced) many to use delivery options get tied up in a repair job while not knowing when the part will out of necessity or for personal safety out of a need driven by arrive, it distracts from getting cars in and out of the garage. Which stay-at-home orders or to avoid shared spaces. Need groceries? is to say, it distracts from running the business and making money. Have ‘em delivered. Hungry? Dinner is en route. That new tool? At So, the development and launch of on-demand OEM part delivery your doorstep. Delivery services are everywhere (see: those blue means buyers get the parts they ordered in a timely manner—right delivery vans) and continuing to expand into new from the dealership. And the dealerships that facets of our lives. provide a seamless solution for getting parts to

Delivery options, of course, are not new to the buyers are the ones you will return to for future parts aftersales business. Aftermarket suppliers parts orders. have offered same-day part delivery for quite Buyers are no When you think of delivery services these days, some time. Likewise, some dealerships, with the available internal resources, provide their own longer forced to we no longer think of the old-fashioned pizza delivery—college kids trying to make a couple parts deliveries, but the availability of these choose between of bucks. That has changed and the competition services for OEM parts has lagged compared to quick delivery or a has grown. On-demand delivery services are the aftermarket and varies from dealer to dealer. quality part. now available from places that didn’t previously This is a pain point routinely identified as an provide that service in diverse industries from obstacle for both the buyers and the dealerships. electronics to pet food. There are all sorts of

Fortunately, that’s starting to change. delivery apps (you know the ones) that connect

Newly established on-demand delivery drivers with orders and, ultimately, with the buyer. platforms utilize well-known technologies—for This is now true with OEM part ordering. OEM part ordering and for the delivery leg of the transaction—to Think about it like this: Restaurants no longer rely solely on inconnect parts orders with repair facilities, taking the logical next house resources. If they did, we would all be waiting for that pizza step in the OEM part sourcing process. This means it is now easier we ordered in 2020. The same is true for dealerships as fleets of for dealers to schedule parts to be delivered to the customer using professional drivers are now used to deliver OEM parts. While we proven delivery methods. New services, such as DeliverNow from can debate the merits of cold pizza, late or slow part deliveries are OEC, complete the part sourcing network, bridging the physical a nonstarter for repairers, especially with the expectation of quick distance between part and buyer and connecting the final dot in cycle time and vehicle turnaround. the part ordering cycle. Today, buyers are no longer forced to choose between quick

While new on-demand services are designed for all use cases, delivery or a quality part. With on-demand delivery, buyers can they really come in handy when you need a part ASAP and the expect both and it’s also why these new delivery solutions are (no dealership doesn’t have the current capacity to deliver. These pun intended) in demand. And the results are clear: you can get the on-demand part delivery solutions connect buyers with the quality OEM part, with the timeliness of on-demand delivery, and, dealership’s parts department using crowd-sourced delivery in many cases, at prices that compete with the aftermarket. drivers. The result? The repairer gets the part it needs fast because dealerships can now accommodate a variety of delivery orders, Interested in using on-demand delivery? Visit repairlinkshop.com including those unexpected part requests. for your next OEM parts order.

Best Practices for Creating a Compelling Direct Mail Campaign

What’s old is new (and better) again

In the evolving age of digital marketing, direct mail may seem like an outdated tactic. You might be thinking that email marketing and social media are more successful marketing strategies to focus on as they seem to be dominating the marketing landscape. Direct mail was popular before the rise of mobile phones, and now that more people—like yourself—have turned to digital media, it has become all but forgotten.

Here’s the thing, however—direct mail, on average, has an open rate of 90 percent, almost guaranteeing your message will be consumed by your target audience. And although emails are becoming a popular medium for increasing brand awareness and engagement, they have an average open rate of only 20-30 percent. postcard, it will be ignored. With so many options and brands reaching your prospects, you’ll need a strong, attention-grabbing message if you want to stand out and see conversions.

Crafting a Killer Call-to-Action that Converts

Start by developing a clear strategy. Think about your specific goal and what it is that you want your prospects to do. What do you want to accomplish? Is it to call your auto shop? Schedule a maintenance appointment online? Visit in person? Whatever the desired outcome, keep this in mind when creating the copy of your mailer: Don’t give them several options. You want a singular next step to send your customer through your sales funnel. Lack of clarity results in no action. Where Do I Even Start With My Automotive Direct mail has an After developing your plan of action, use eyecatching design to highlight your CTA and draw in Direct Mail? average open rate your readers. The use of certain colors and bold fonts It’s not uncommon for many business owners to of 90 percent. can incite action and emphasize the next step. struggle with getting a meaningful ROI from their Although the visual appeal is important, you can’t direct mail campaigns, but don’t let this deter you; convince your reader to act based on that alone. Use when executed correctly, direct mail remains a highly action words and create a sense of urgency in your effective marketing tactic. message. Be careful not to be too passive in your

Did you know that email campaigns have a response rate of 0.12 content as you want your prospects to act and you need to give them percent on average, whereas the response rate for direct mail campaigns a reason. Selecting a few command verbs is a good place to start. Talk reached 4.9 percent last year? That’s a huge increase by comparison. about the immediate benefits and why they should take action today. The issue with creating a successful direct mail campaign doesn’t lie When you add that sense of urgency (such as a time-sensitive, exclusive with the recipients or their motivation (the numbers don’t lie), but rather offer), readers are generally more likely to respond. It’s that whole “fear with sending the right message to the right audience, incorporating a of missing out” mindset that you want to invoke with your message. compelling call-to-action (CTA) and accurately measuring your returns. Finally, be simple and concise. The best CTAs are short and sweet.

Your message hierarchy and design are key to moving your reader You don’t need anything lengthy to convert your audience. The simpler through your mail piece, but most importantly, your call-to-action and easier it is to take advantage of your offer, the better. should never be an afterthought. It’s often the last thing slapped on Direct mail is a highly targeted, powerful marketing tool. When the postcard. targeting the right individuals with the right message, your campaign

Even after selecting the right words, colors and visual narrative of will no doubt get you the leads and conversions you need to start your postcard, if your CTA isn’t persuasive or doesn’t fit the tone of your seeing business growth.

Find Gold in Unexpected Places

Building power management can o er more savings than you thought

In the quest to increase profits, the conversation generally shifts to increasing income. Increasing income, however, involves more work, more people, more time...and more infinite variables for which to account.

Getting Started

You are likely leaving money on the table that is easy to retain. Saved money goes directly to the bottom line and in this case requires a minimal one-time effort for recurring monthly returns. It’s easy money and the first step is as simple as addressing leaks in your compressor and air delivery systems; listen and fix them.

Next, shut o your compressor and time the bleed down. In my shop, pressure bleed-down was near zero overnight. Think of it like your water system—can you imagine water leaking all over the shop? Buy a vibration hour meter (see image) and check the compressor run time for one week. Then fi x your leaks and compare (the hour meter is also important for compressor service intervals).

IR Thermometer

Power consumers make heat. Want to know what draws extra power from your shop? Assess some of your electronics with an infrared thermometer and it will reveal the high consumers. Well behaved chargers have electronics to shut down transformers when devices are charged and eliminate excess heat gain. Cheap chargers don’t shut down; many cable boxes are hotter than a firecracker!

Measure—Analyze—Control

The top figure in the image shows about a year and a half of daily power use. The arrows point out the start and end of the summer rainy season when A/C use is mandatory. This type of macro data can isolate major changes in use year over year.

The second graph, however, is the money maker. This is one day’s power use recorded minute by minute. Number 1 is a base usage of 320 watts and all the devices running 24/7. What are the worst offenders? The four cable TV boxes. Chargers for cell phones, tablets and laptops didn’t account for much energy and heat loss. Monitoring the circuit breaker, however, is one of the best strategies for isolating power savings; you can determine where and what the consumers are. Does the cost of your shop lighting concern you? If so, consider what switching to LED lighting could save you over time.

The Setup

There are many power monitoring units on the market, so do your research. The image features two snap-over cable pickups; a wireless communications box for the pickups; a wireless network hub; and the desktop display. Clamp the pickups around the main power cables, plug in the transmitter, connect the hub by ethernet cable and power, load up the software and you’re ready to go. You’ll soon have 24/7 internet access to your data and power usage from anywhere and from any device.

Monitoring Bonuses

There are ancillary benefits to this approach as well. Did your power ramp up one night? Was someone in the shop when they shouldn’t have been? Did your crew close early or stay open late? There’s much more information available to you besides simple power savings. Also, a desktop savings monitor is awesome for carrying around for breaker panel power use analysis. Simply shut off all breakers and turn them on one-by-one to find that mystery power user.

There are many strategies to increase revenue; monitoring your power usage is one of the easiest. For other savings strategies, visit worldpac.com.

Monitoring power usage is a simple way to increase revenue.