Adding a Personal Touch

Imagine walking out of a shop and into the freezing cold. You sit in the car waiting for it to warm up thinking about all the other ways you would have preferred to spend that money as you shiver. Then, you back your car out and head on your way. 

Now, imagine: same shop, same bill, but a friendly staff member checks you out and points you to your vehicle, which has been parked in the front and backed into a space. It’s already warmed up and ready to go.

It makes a big difference, doesn’t it?

“We don’t want your baby freezing in the car!” Lauralee Schmidt says of her shop’s post-repair delivery method.

Schmidt, who co-owns Schmidt Auto Care in Springboro, Ohio, with her husband, says they always go the extra mile for their customers. Whether it’s walking customers out with an umbrella when it’s raining or helping make sure an elderly customer gets safely to their car, the team does whatever is necessary to make their customers feel as appreciated as possible.

“It’s well known that we’re going to make it an occasion for you to come and get your car,” Schmidt says.  

Backstory: 

Schmidt came to the shop from corporate America.

“I’m not a tech and I don’t know anything about it,” Schmidt says.

What she does specialize in is the front-of-house duties, such as processes, marketing, and human resources. The shop had always had good customer service, Schmidt says. But when she joined the team, they could really focus on areas that may not have been as fine-tuned as they would have liked.     

 Problem:  

In the beginning, the post-repair delivery process was “messy,” according to Schmidt. 

“We’d bring a car in and take one out. We were short-staffed and in a hurry!” When more team members were added, specifically Savannah Grise, operations assistant, an opportunity opened up to focus on areas in the shop that may have been a little lackluster.

Solution:  

The processes has evolved over the years and continues to, but the current post-repair delivery process at Schmidt Auto Care looks like this:

1. The vehicle is approved to the leave the shop after a quality control process with the techs
2. Technician performs final touches and leaves a business card with a QR code for a Google review and the customer care gift of the month in the vehicle
3. Vehicle is brought to the front and backed into a parking space
4. The customer’s vehicle is either cooled or heated to a comfortable temperature, depending on the weather
5. Inside at the desk, the customer is handed a Tekmetric report that can either be printed out or sent to them.
6. The customer is then asked if they would like to sign up for their next appointment and are invited to join the shop’s app, which is free to join and can be easily accessed right there though a QR code and allows customers to easily book appointments and earn points.
7. Customer is walked out to their vehicle if the weather is rainy or snowy or the customer looks like they may need additional assistance.  

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Aftermath: 

Schmidt says the shop used to average roughly one Google review per week, and now the shop has at least three with a push for five to seven.

“When Savannah came, she had so many ideas that were amazing,” Schmidt says. “She makes it easy to leave a review wherever you want.”

The delivery procedure makes the customers feel good about their experience up to the very last minute, which makes a big difference in customer satisfaction and retention and helps with word-of-mouth referrals.    

Takeaway:  

There are seven or eight shops within a two-mile radius of Schmidt Auto Care.

“We have to do something different to set us apart,” Schmidt says. “Why should you come to me?”

Schmidt explains that she’s aesthetically driven and, in an industry that’s not exactly known for its beauty, she tries to create beautiful moments.

“It feeds my soul. I like to get gifts, why not?” Schmidt says of their post-repair procedure. 

For shop owners who don’t feel it’s worth the time or the energy, Schmidt says to get creative and put thought into it. Not everything costs money. QR codes and backing into a space, for example, are free and can make a world of difference in winning over a customer.

“Think about how your customers feel at the counter. They’ve given you a lot of money. Make them feel good in some way. Make them smile,” Schmidt says.

That takes the exchange from transactional to building a relationship, Schmidt explains.

Be careful, though, once you commit, your customers will come to expect it, which is a good thing. 

“It keeps you at the top of your game.”