How to Get Your Customers to Trust You in a Skeptical World by Ed Attanasio
Do your customers trust you? If so, how and if not―why? People want to trust their financial advisors, teachers, lawyers, doctors, politicians and, yes, the people who work on their cars. But many consumers entering any business transaction are often skeptical at the outset, and that’s why trust has to be established and reinforced over time. Every business wants its customers to trust them and feel comfortable enough to use their services again and refer them to others. A body shop is being judged every day―by its customers, insurance partners and vendors, and in a world of instant transparency, trust is more important. Throw in the pandemic and a full year of uncertainty, and people are more skeptical about everything now. One body shop owner told me recently he doesn’t even ask what’s next, he just puts his head down and gets the work done, in order to maintain his sanity. “20/20,” “60 Minutes,” “Fight Back! With David Horowitz,” “CBC Marketplace,” “Project Bumper” and “The Investigators” have produced multiple TV episodes about body shops ripping off customers. I recently saw a news segment produced by CBS Chicago designed to protect consumers, but they also scare them. As a result, many vehicle owners are wary before they even enter any repair facility for the first time. In the old days, these types of reports appeared on TV once or twice, but now they’re available on YouTube 24/7. Bad press illustrates the importance of building trust with your customers. In general, American drivers don’t trust auto mechanics, according to a AAA survey. It found 66% of drivers do not trust car repair shops in general, though 64% indicated they do take their car currently to a repair shop with a reliable mechanic whom they can trust. The AAA survey also shows 33%―75 million motorists in total―are still trying to find a trusted service department, which leaves
them vulnerable for when their car breaks down. Here are the top reasons why American drivers mistrust automotive repair shops, both mechanical and collision:
Collision repair is one of those trust with your customer. Point them industries where the average custom- out when they show up to your shop er is already disgruntled, so the goal for an estimate, almost like a checkis to both placate them and get them list, because studies prove that when to trust you―and that’s not easy. you show someone five truths, they In most cases, your customer is feel you are trustworthy.” in a rush and wants everything done Here is an example of five truths Recommends unnecessary services yesterday. No one ever says, “Hey― communicated during the first 10 (76%) let’s have some fun and get our car minutes interacting with the cusOvercharges (73%) serviced!” Vehicle repairs rank right tomer for the first time: the appearA negative experience (53%) up there with trips to the dentist. ance of your shop/reception area; the John Stuef is an industry con- way your people dress and speak; Sub-quality work (49%) sultant, life coach and the author the plaques on your walls showing Other main offenders include charging of “From Doing to Leading: Your I-CAR, training and OE certificaGuide for Inspiring People tions; the overall attitude in the shop; for OE parts that are either on the Front Lines.” He has and the thoroughness of the estimate. aftermarket parts, phantom managed MSO shops for repairs, lapses in communiStuef claims you can’t build cation and bait-and-switch decades and dealt with liter- rapport until you establish trust, and tactics. ally thousands of customers, the best way is with the five truisms. Interestingly, older veso the topic of trust is a sub- One way to build trust is by hicle owners from the Baby ject Stuef has been studying using technology to provide a betBoomer generation are John Stuef, industry for decades and developing ter experience for your clients. By most likely to trust car re- consultant, life coach techniques to address it. using today’s tools, you can enable “Trust is built when peo- them to make their lives easier and pair facilities, compared to and author, said if Millennials and Gen-Xers. you can establish ple see that your actions line drama-free. five truisms with Twenty percent of Boomers up with the words you say,” Now they can eliminate phone a new customer, surveyed for the AAA study they will trust you Stuef said. “I often talk about calls and paperwork; they can comsay they “totally trust” the the five truisms and how im- municate instantly via text or email. completely auto repair industry. portant they are to establish If they want photos of the repair, it’s In addition, Boomers are also more likely to have a car repair shop they trust (76%), compared with 55% of Millennials and 56% of Gen-Xers. Philip Reed, a reporter for Edmunds, interviewed a handful of body shop owners for a blog, “Confessions from the Auto Body Shop, Get Your Car Fixed Right Without Getting Ripped Off.” He interviewed shop owners off the record, so he got truly candid reactions. TRUST FORD PARTS Reed heard things like, “I don’t CERTIFIED PARTS WHOLESALING DEALERS care what state you live in, for every 10 body shops, three of them KANSAS NEBRASKA are unethical and five of them do Rusty Eck Ford Fremont Motors of mediocre work at best;” “The last WICHITA Scottsbluff thing we want is a bad reputation or 316-685-9131 SCOTTSBLUFF reports of poor customer service;” 308-635-3701 316-685-7759 Fax “Most body shop owners are very Hours: M-F 8-5 308-635-4981 Fax concerned about getting good feedHours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 9-3 back and building a list of customers jlockwood@fremontmotors.com who’ll come back next time work is needed.” So, if indeed 30% of all the shops out there are shady, how do you convince the public you are a member of that 70% category? How do you build trust with customers who are not in a positive space after an accident has added a bunch of drama to their lives?
38 JUNE 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
