AutoFix AdvisorCast

Michael Doherty [00:00:00]:
This is the AutoFix Advisor cast powered by Worldpac. Hey, welcome to another episode of Autofix AdvisorCast with your host Michael Doherty. And we would like to thank our sponsor, Worldpac and the Worldpac Training Institute. WTI this podcast is your go to source for service, advising and automotive industry insights. Be sure to check out www.worldpack.com for the latest in auto parts distribution and www.wtitraining.com to explore training programs that can take your career to the next level. So again, thank you, World Pac. In this episode, I would like to talk about client guided sales. And what does that mean? In my head, in my terminology, client guided sales is not really selling, that is.

Michael Doherty [00:00:58]:
Well, let me format it this way. You receive a ro back from the technician or write up back from the technician. You review the DVI information and you start building an estimate for that client. And when you're doing that, there are several key components. Number one is make sure you're taking the adequate time and that you're not rushed to build that estimate. I've seen far too often in the past where people just burn through it. Job one, job two, job three, job four, and send it out to the client. And the secret ingredient that's missing is patience.

Michael Doherty [00:01:38]:
So take a breath, review the information the technician has sent you. Make sure that it makes sense to you before you start building an estimate to supply to that client. And if there are questions you have on that ro or that invoice you've gotten back from the technician from the DVI, go speak to them before you start putting that estimate together. And reason I say that is it's important. Without a doubt, you got to do it. Guessing, assuming doesn't work, and hopefully, if the technician has done a great job doing the write up in the DVI, which most of them do these days, a lot of information is there for you. Pictures supplied on the DVI are essential. And the reason I say that is because I had a client in today.

Michael Doherty [00:02:32]:
First time client. This gentleman had a Toyota tundra. He had a primary concern with shaking when braking at a particular speed and some noise in the front end. And the technician performed some testing. Evaluation time determined that the driver's front brake caliper is seized and the brake pads for that caliper are metal to metal. There were some other ancillary things with the vehicle as well. In the front end, sway bar links kind of shot. And I believe the passenger front or the passenger side steering rack boot was tornado.

Michael Doherty [00:03:13]:
It was torn because I saw the picture of that. But for the primary concern, I was able to build the estimate based on the technicians. DVI supplied pictures, and there were other things as well. Engine oil leaks, valve cover gaskets, things of that nature. Again, with pictures, which are great, because when you are providing the estimate to a client and letting them know to review the pictures, that builds trust. It's showing the client that what you're saying is going on with the vehicle is going on with the vehicle, and that trust is important. That trust allows them to kind of put their guard down. And because they're seeing what you're saying and it's believable, and then you have a conversation about it.

Michael Doherty [00:04:04]:
Ask them if they have any questions about the information you're supplying them. And that is another key component, asking questions, letting them know why, what you're recommending, letting them know why it's important, why it's needed and why you're recommending it. It sounds simple, but most people. I'm sorry, not most people. Most service advisors that I've worked with in the past failed to do that. They're just in a rush to crank out an estimate, hopefully get an approval and send it back to the shop. And I feel from years of experience, when the client feels that you're rushing them, they automatically pick up on the fact that you really don't care, that you're just out for the quick buck, that you're just trying to get them to authorize a job and move on. And that doesn't work these days.

Michael Doherty [00:04:57]:
People are a lot more educated. There's this little thing called the Internet, and everybody's got a video on how to do this and how to do that. Oh, yeah. I mean, you get clients that, you know, they look at an estimate and they want to call you back. Well, hey, I saw this online and, you know, doing spark plugs on a Lexus RX 350 V six. Got to take the intake plumb off. Took the guy 20 minutes. And you're trying to charge me 3 hours of labor? Yeah, well, if I could do it in 20 minutes, I'd be doing something else, believe me.

Michael Doherty [00:05:25]:
So, no, it doesn't work like that. But again, the pictures really, really help on the DVI. And when we have morning meetings, we ask the technicians to make sure that they're supplying pictures for things that they can supply pictures for. And not all the time do we get pictures for some things, but most of the time it works out. So I'd say from, we're probably about 75% on pictures and getting stronger every day. But as you're writing up the estimate for the client, making sure that you are prioritizing their primary concerns or concern first because that's what they came in for, then I would say you need to look at potential safety issues, safety issues that maybe they're not aware of. I had a vehicle that was in today. The client brought the vehicle in because another place failed first date inspection because they said that the rear tires had to be replaced.

Michael Doherty [00:06:21]:
So when the vehicle came in today to our shop, we verified that the rear tires were, in fact, in need of replacement. And then the technician came up to me maybe 20 minutes later and showed me a picture of the passenger front tire, inner side wall, where there's definitely an impact bubble and the tires coming apart. The other shop didn't see that. I called the client, couldn't get him directly, left him a voicemail, told him that I sent a picture of that passenger front tire, and I posted it to the invoice and asked him to review it and get back to me. And not ten minutes later, he called and he said, hey, I've got another two tires on the way. It wasn't a question. It wasn't. I might get back to you.

Michael Doherty [00:07:06]:
I might want to do it. I might not want to do it. No, it was. It was that much of an issue. And this is his son's car. He's taking it off to college or uses it for college. But I. I'm glad that he brought it in.

Michael Doherty [00:07:15]:
I'm glad that we were able to intercept that and let him know that it wasn't just the rears. He needed two front tires as well. So again, the pictures. The pictures are huge, and you cannot refute the pictures on the client side. And I really haven't had a client tell me those aren't pictures of my vehicle. Those aren't pictures of what my car needs. No, it's. It's the truth.

Michael Doherty [00:07:41]:
And, you know, let's stick to the truth. So those pictures really help. And when you're putting estimate together, so it gives you kind of a frame of mind of how you want to make the estimate. Build the estimate as you're building the estimate, it is very important to, and I know it sounds simple, but review the estimate. Review as you're building it, go back to it. Once you've built a job, two jobs, three jobs, before you send it out to a client, before you text it to them, email it to them, call them about it, review it. And the reason I say that is because if you're speeding through it, you're gonna miss something. You're gonna miss something like maybe you built one brake rotor instead of two.

Michael Doherty [00:08:25]:
Maybe you didn't build coolant to a water pump job or a radiator. It's easy to overlook. And I know there's a lot of places that do can jobs, and that's great if your point of sale system allows you to do that. But I've seen mess ups on there as well. It's not always accurate. So don't just, you know, speed through it and call somebody or text them or email them the estimate and just, you know, hope that they want to do it. Take the time, build it the right way, review it, and then once you've done that, send it off to them. Send it off to them.

Michael Doherty [00:09:00]:
Text, email. Typically that's how it goes these days. If you have a point of sale system that allows you or tells you once the client has viewed it, that's great and that's a good notification. And give it maybe five or ten minutes and then call them. Call them. Ask them if they have a moment that you'd like to talk to them about the information that you sent them. And then ask them if they have any questions about the information that you sent them. And that is key.

Michael Doherty [00:09:29]:
That is key. Asking questions, letting them know why what you're recommending is needed. Letting them know why it's important that they do it now. And they may not purchase everything from you, but you're going to have a great conversation with that client. You're going to establish a couple things in that conversation. Transparency, trust and that you care. And those things, once people experience that and see that you're not trying to sell them something, it makes it a lot easier for them to want to participate in your services and purchase work from you. It's, it's, it's an effortless process.

Michael Doherty [00:10:11]:
It really is. It's not kissing somebody's butt and you're actually doing them a service. You're letting them know, you're showing them that you care by asking those questions, by asking them to look at the pictures, you know, go over it with them, you know, for as long as it takes. And I've been on the phone with some people for 40 minutes. And during that 40 minutes, yeah, the, they tend to ask some of the same questions over and over. But you know what? It's okay. It's their money. It's their money.

Michael Doherty [00:10:42]:
And if they see that you are engaged in listening and answering their questions and breaking down the why of what's needed and why it's recommended. I'm telling you, I promise you, if you do it that way, they're going to call it client guided sales. You're not really selling them. They are letting you know what they want to do because they feel comfortable that you're taking the time with them. They feel comfortable that you're being honest with them. They feel comfortable that you're sharing these pictures with them of their car or the write up or whatever needs to be done with their vehicle. I think a lot of places just don't do that these days. They're just cars in the shop.

Michael Doherty [00:11:22]:
Here's what it needs. Here's a quick number. Do you want to do it or not? And on to the next one. And that just kind of put them through the wringer. I wouldn't want to go to a place like that. And people have a lot of choices these days. The shop that I work at, currently there's probably six shops on our street, honestly, mostly european and asian. Six shops.

Michael Doherty [00:11:47]:
That's a lot. And it's not a big street. And it didn't used to be like that. You have competitors right next door, quarter mile down the road. Mile down the road. Have you gone on Google and look to see how many shops are in a five mile radius of you? It's staggering. They're popping up all over the place. And you have to separate yourself, you have to separate the way that you're doing things because you need the business, you need the clients.

Michael Doherty [00:12:17]:
And also when that client has had a great experience with you and they refer a friend, a family member, a co worker, that's a high compliment. Right? And don't take that lightly. And I say that because, you know, I'm thankful that the phone rings every day, multiple, multiple times. I really do. I'm thankful for that, that, you know, we're helping people, we're getting clients in the door, we're giving them positive experiences. But you need to ask them when they're picking up their vehicle if they've had a good experience at that moment and if they say no, find out why. Find out why. Just like with your client guided sales, you know, you need to know why.

Michael Doherty [00:13:01]:
Why did you have a bad experience? And if they didn't have a bad experience, had a great experience, which I know most shops are doing these days. So congrats to you guys. Ask them, do you have any friends, co workers, family members that are interested in the level of service that we provide that we showed you today with your vehicle? And how we took care of you and give them a couple business cards, ask them to come, you know, ask them for referrals, and people talk. It's great, you know, ask them for a review, ask them to maybe book an appointment in six months, you know, pre booking appointments. That's something I need to get in a better job of doing. So just things like that. But again, client guided sales, I don't view it as you're really selling somebody something. You are taking the time to go over the estimate you've provided them, patiently answering questions, letting them know why.

Michael Doherty [00:13:59]:
And it's refreshing. You know, I don't feel rushed doing it. I know I've got a bunch of other stuff I got to do when I get off the phone with that client. But in that moment, that client that you're dealing with needs to feel special, needs to feel that you're being genuine with them and they're not just pushing numbers in front of them and saying, okay, you know, looking at your watch, I gotta go. I gotta do this. You know, this is taking more time than I wanted to take the time that you need to help that client and make them feel special, and that is what is going to get them to want to purchase work from you and come back. And also, I've had a couple clients in where we've done an oil service and their car hasn't needed anything else. And it does happen from time to time, believe it or not.

Michael Doherty [00:14:47]:
Let them know. Tell them we checked over your vehicle and it's in great shape. It doesn't need anything. Or if you've got a couple things to estimate for them when you're talking to them with your client guided sales, if there's only a couple things, tell them. Tell them your car is in great condition. You know, we're so used to delivering not so great news to people. Hey, you need brakes, you need bushings, you need engine mounts, you need lots of money worth of work. But how often are you telling clients that? Are you giving them positives as well? I guess is what I should have said.

Michael Doherty [00:15:22]:
Are you telling them positives about their vehicle as well? Because if they're. All they're hearing is, you know, job one, job two, job three, job four. I mean, start off with some positives or halfway in between what you're recommending to them. Give them some positives about their vehicle. There's got to be some. And that's going to help, too. There's not a lot of places to do that. So, you know, letting them know that your vehicle is in good shape, or here's some things that you don't have to worry about right now.

Michael Doherty [00:15:49]:
Kind of gives them a phew. Okay. It's. It's. It's worth keeping. It's worth hanging on to. And there's a lot of sentimental value as well with vehicles. I have seen some vehicles in the past, and to this day still, that I would consider my version of.

Michael Doherty [00:16:05]:
I will call it a swamp donkey. Yes, a swamp donkey. Michael, what is a swamp donkey? All right, so here's my version of a swamp donkey. Personal experience. I think it was a 2012, maybe 2013 Mercedes E 350. Client came in and said that she was having a problem with the driver's front window. So I went out to the vehicle, and when I walked in the parking lot, I looked at this car and I said, oh, my God. This car looks like it was attacked by a pack of wild jackals.

Michael Doherty [00:16:40]:
Every body panel has got a scratch or a scrape or a dent. The tires, the sidewalls have chunks of rubber missing out of them. The inner fender liners hanging, rubbing on the tire. The windshield is cracked. It's just. It's not great looking by any means. Now I open up the driver's door to get on the inside, and the inside of the vehicle looks like it was lived in by a family of honey badgers. There is food wrappers everywhere.

Michael Doherty [00:17:11]:
There is one shoe under the brake pedal, of all places. Don't know where the second shoe was. Maybe it's under the driver's seat. I have no idea. Trash piled up all the way up to the glovebox on the passenger side. The seat cushions? Yes. Plural. Cushions are like, ripped out.

Michael Doherty [00:17:29]:
As a service advisor, do you still put a floor cover and a seat or a seat mat and a floor cover in this vehicle? The answer is yes. I've learned to never assume. Never assume that a car in that condition, that the person that owns it is not going to want to do fix the car. I've been surprised a lot of times, and I think it's very easy to be judgmental of people's vehicles based on the way that they look, the way that they smell, etcetera. But at the end of the day, they're still driving that car. And a lot of the variables are it means something to them. It was something that was passed on from a family member that maybe isn't around anymore. Maybe it's the only thing that they can afford.

Michael Doherty [00:18:16]:
Maybe they just really love the car. But I have found if you assume and you go into it mentally, that they're not going to purchase anything, then you've already, you know, it's not worth, it's not worth your time. And it doesn't work like that. They're there because they need help. Help them. But that is my version of a swamp donkey vehicle. And to top it off, the caveat to that vehicle, the lady that owned it owns a home cleaning business. Shame on you.

Michael Doherty [00:18:48]:
Shame on you. Shame on you. Yes, there were business cards in there for a home cleaning business. So I don't know how that all works out. Transpires. But in any event, she ended up purchasing work and we did work. And again, don't assume that they're not going to purchase anything from you. So as a service advisor, what is your swamp donkey vehicle experience? I'd be curious to know in the comments, you know, I'm sure everybody's had one that comes to mind.

Michael Doherty [00:19:15]:
I just think it's a funny topic, to be honest. But again, that's what I consider a swamp donkey. But in any event, again, client guided sales is not selling. It is guiding the client through what's going on, letting them know why you're recommending what you're recommending, sharing the pictures or information. You know, again, it's transfer of information. They need to know what's going on with the vehicle and just having a conversation about it. You know, if you're pushing for selling something, it comes off that way and people feel that and that's a turn off. And when you don't go into the conversation like that and you're really just going into it with facts and transparency and product knowledge and comparing things.

Michael Doherty [00:20:06]:
And what I mean by that is, you know, hey, I had the, I had a car like this in last week and it had similar things going on. No, it's not just your car, again, you know, breaking down those barriers and making them feel important, and they are, because they're there doing business with you, that is important. So I wish all the service advisors out there now to have a great week, to have a great day. And again, when you're going into it, client guided sales, I think that's really important to mentally prepare yourself to explain things in that nature to the client so that they really get a feeling, a connection, a rapport with you. And again, the things that they're going to get from that is transparency, trust, communication. And you watch. You watch. I promise you they're, they're going to be buying more work from you because they feel the genuine, they feel the honesty, they feel that you're really trying to help them out, and I've never had that backfire on me, and it won't for you either.

Michael Doherty [00:21:10]:
So this is Michael Doherty for Autofix Advisor cast. And again, I really thank our sponsor, world pack, and I hope you have a great evening. Hey, thanks for listening to the Autofix Advisor cast. If you're ready to take your shop to the next level, check out our sponsor, Worldpac, and the Worldpac Training Institute, WTI. Big thanks to them for their sponsorship. Follow the podcast on social media for more insights. And subscribe so you never miss an episode. Oh, and tell your friends, we want to help the industry grow and help advisors love their jobs again.

Michael Doherty [00:21:45]:
See you on the next autofix advisor cast.