The Shop Management Show, AutoLeap’s new podcast, recently covered the fundamentals of digital marketing and referrals in auto repair shops.
How does word-of-mouth marketing create shop referrals in a digital age? What aspects of a shop’s customer experience affect referrals and digital marketing efforts?
We dug for answers to these questions with an in-depth podcast discussion.
Recap from episode thirteen
In episode 13 of The Shop Management Show, I was thrilled to be joined by Murray Voth, President of RPM Training.
Murray and I covered:Â
- Marketing history in the context of auto repairÂ
- Social media and word-of-mouth marketingÂ
- Optimizing your customer experience to increase shop referrals (and improve marketing)
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- And much moreÂ
Let’s cover some takeaways from our conversation.
On the impact of shop referrals in a digital age
The influence of online search is alive and well. But when it comes to choosing an auto repair shop, don’t forget about a critical step in the final decision-making process.Â
Human referrals still have plenty of power, even in a digital era of social media platforms and search engines! For many shoppers, the past customer experiences of family and friends will factor heavily into their choice of an auto repair business.Â
That’s great news for auto repair shops! It means by controlling what you can control – delivering an excellent customer service experience – you can still generate plenty of qualified business referrals, even when competing against the latest digital marketing trends.Â
On how the success of referrals (and marketing) boil down to your shop’s experience
Murray and I covered plenty of digital marketing insights throughout our two-part discussion. But one common theme, your shop’s behavior throughout its transactions with customers, came up again and again.Â
For shop owners, that important detail makes a regular evaluation of your shop experience even more valuable. Keep your referral potential sky high with a superior customer service experience. Periodically address the following questions about your business:Â
Closing thoughts
Download the full episode to discover more referral insights and digital marketing tips.
Subscribe to the Shop Management Show today! The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most popular streaming services.
