1. Stay calm
Make sure you speak to customers respectfully. Don’t talk down to them. Instead, try to be understanding and empathetic to their situation. Phrases like “Yes Sir/Ma’am, I understand” can go a long way in helping the other party calm down. You might want to add a note about what the customer didn’t like in your auto repair shop management software to prevent it from happening in the future.
2. Guide them away from other customers
3. Let them vent
4. Be transparent
Don’t ever lie to your customers. Be transparent and make sure they understand what you’re trying to say. Hiding things from your customers or lying to them can have very serious repercussions. Make sure you let them know everything they need to make an informed decision. A good way of increasing transparency with customers is conducting digital vehicle inspections (DVI).
If a customer brings in their own parts, it’s a good idea to inform them about the consequences from the start. A lack of transparency in an effort to increase the number of jobs you do per day is usually not a good idea. In short, it’s better to avoid using use customer supplied parts.
5. Offer a complementary service
Closing thoughts
You’ll likely encounter a number of unhappy customers in your auto repair shop—whether it’s due to a fault on your end or not. Remember to keep these tips in mind and you might be able to win over disgruntled customers and get repeat business from them.
