“A Shop Owner’s Guide to Handling Phone Shoppers”, from Elite.
Today’s consumers have more choices than ever before. When it comes to choosing someone to take care of their automotive needs, they turn to their friends, family and co-workers for recommendations, they consider brands that they have heard of, and they search the web as well. Once they have a shop in mind, they may then either reach out over the web or stop by your shop, but the majority of your potential customers will pick up the phone and give you a call. Since you’ve spent a good amount of money to make the phone ring, and because most of today’s consumers are well-armed with information, you and your employees need to be far more than just good on the phone: You need to be extraordinary. I have created this particular guide to help you do one thing; Create an experience that will turn those difficult phone shoppers into lifelong customers.
1. Start with the end in mind. You need to ensure your advisors and support staff have clearly defined car count goals. Start each day with a predetermined number of vehicles you want to get into your service bays, and then have your team monitor that number throughout the day. For example, if based on your ARO you need 8 cars a day to reach your sales goal, then your advisors simply begin the day with the number 8 on a note pad, and once the first customer comes in, they strike a line through the 8, and write a 7 underneath it. This easy-to-use method of tracking your progress throughout the day will bring a whole new level of focus to your advisors, and time and time again I’ve been amazed at how effectively this focus helps advisors bring in more phone shoppers. Additionally, this approach will provide you with the opportunity to acknowledge the success of your staff when they reach the daily car count goal. I used this simple technique to grow some of the most successful shops in America, so I know it will work for you.
