AutoFix AdvisorCast

Michael Doherty [00:00:00]:
This is the Autofix AdvisorCast, powered by WorldPac. Hey, Service of Advisor Nation. Thank you for turning into another episode of the autofix Advisor Cast with your host, Michael Dougherty. Hopefully everyone's doing well, staying healthy and keeping those bays full. One thing I'd like to talk about today is the power of the pre appointment estimate. Commitment, transparency and confidence. So what is that? Basically, I've learned over my career as a service advisor that when somebody calls in, makes an appointment, sometimes they show up, sometimes they don't. I think that's just the way it rolls.

Michael Doherty [00:00:52]:
As my career progressed, one thing I started to realize and as the technology became more readily available in the CRMs where you could, you know, text an estimate, email an estimate, things of that nature, you know, while the vehicle's there already, you know, why, why aren't we doing that before the prospect, new client or existing client, return client comes in for their appointment? And you know, I really started, I won't say taking advantage of that, but being more proactive and sending out those, I will call it pre appointment estimates. So what that looks like is basically after somebody has, you know, once they call you again, new prospect or existing client, after you've, you know, pretty much determined what they're coming in for. And yes, things can change, we know that. But if somebody calls, says, hey, I want to make an appointment for an oil service. And again, I really like the word oil service versus oil change. It just has a more premium vibe to it. And oil service lets you expand on explaining what else you're doing for them. Most shops these days are doing a digital vehicle inspection.

Michael Doherty [00:02:15]:
Some shops are doing a little bit more than that. But again, you know, encompassing what does that package look like? Right, the oil service package. So not only mentioning it to them, but saying, hey, by the way, this is the price point for such. And you know, we'll see you, you know, on your appointment date, Mr. Or Mrs. Jones. And again, you know, sometimes it show up, sometimes they didn't. The ones that didn't show up, I'd give maybe 20, 30 minutes leeway and then I give a call or send a text, depending on their preferred communication method.

Michael Doherty [00:02:45]:
And again, I think that's really important to establish when that incoming call comes in for the appointment, you know, Mr. And Mrs. Jones, what's the best way for me to reach you, keep in contact with you? Do you prefer phone call, text, email? What's the best way? And again, you know, in your CRM, note that somewhere in there so that you know you can kind of keep track of that because again, everybody's different. However, once they've committed to the appointment, letting them know that shortly after you get off the phone with them that you're going to text them or email them an estimate. And this is the opportunity, I think, where it creates transparency and builds trust, especially for new clients. Um, and what I mean by that is, you know, you're sending them something that says, this is what we're, what we're agreeing to do for you, and we need your authorization to, you know, perform this service. And I think when you send somebody something like that and it's in front of them and they have to sign off on it, you know, there's more of a commitment for them, I think, mentally to come in and do business with you. Right.

Michael Doherty [00:04:03]:
Instead of just, you know, hey, I've got an appointment, I'm going to show up, you know, you know, again, being proactive, sending them the estimate for the oil service. And again, whatever's included with that, there is a very well laid out estimate for something as simple as that. And again, Mr. And Mrs. Jones, we need your e signature rate on that estimate that we're sending you. You know, before your upcoming appointment with us. Some of them might send out 24 hours in advance. Some of them might send out days in advance before their appointment.

Michael Doherty [00:04:32]:
And reason for that for larger jobs, if, say, we had somebody come in for an oil service and we do a digital vehicle inspection, find out that their vehicle needs more work, they book the secondary appointment, if you would, and you know, say they want to do a oil pan gasket or valve cover gasket, or even suspension work. I think it's really important to again put that back out to them again on their perfect communication method. Get them to sign off on it before they're incoming, before they arrive for their appointment for two things. Number one, you're getting financial consent. And at that point, as a business, I think you'd feel more comfortable ordering parts in advance and know that you're not going to kind of just be sitting on them. Because I know I've had the situation where, you know, you order parts, you order parts, you order parts and you're sending, you know, 20% of them, 30% of them back because people aren't showing up for their appointments. So having done this in my career, I found that people that authorize the estimate before they come in for their appointment again, it's kind of a more, I wouldn't say binding, but there's more meat to it, you know, they're committing, they're committing because they've signed that, yes, I'm authorizing you to do that work and they're coming in. So once I have that signature on that estimate, I feel more confident as the service advisor or for the shop again, looking out for the shop that you know, I'm going to order those parts to be here because let's face it, there are parts issues, there are parts delays.

Michael Doherty [00:06:03]:
What you looked at, well, you made this estimate may not be available when you go back. You know, if you're just thinking, oh it'll be there in a couple days, it's not going to be. So again, this allows not only, you know, commitment from the client but, but it helps with your shop efficiency as well. Cause again, if you're able to get those parts before their appointment and know that they're coming in for that appointment or a higher likelihood of them coming in for that appointment, all the better, right? It's a win, win, win. Customer knows what they're doing, our customer knows what they're coming in for and committed to. And again, you can order the parts proactively before their appointment, make sure that they're there on time and if there is a hiccup, right. I've had situations before with parts, different vendors, you know, all across but you know, you order them and either they don't show up when they're supposed to or it shows up and it's the wrong part. So this gives you again a chance to not do it the day of and find out, oh gosh, I can't get this part now or the part was wrong, I got to order it again.

Michael Doherty [00:07:05]:
Again, it takes the frustration and the downtime out of that so you can be more efficient in doing those things. But again, I think number one, especially for again sending out those pre appointment estimates, Number one, transparency and building trust. Again, as a service advisor or service advisors, our job is to ensure that the customer feels confident and informed. Sending them an estimate before they even walk in the door shows them that we're not just talking the talk or walking the walk. And also it builds trust and sets the stage for a smoother interaction. Number two, it's setting expectations early. When a client knows what to expect in terms of cost up front, there's no sticker shock when the work is completed. They're already mentally prepared for the financial side of things, which can be a major point of friction removed.

Michael Doherty [00:08:02]:
And again, estimates are estimates. Things are subject to change. And as long as you're transparent with them about that when you're sending that out or talking to them on the phone when they're making that appointment. Again, new prospect, existing client. Yeah, if somebody asks for a cylinder head, you know, someone's coming for a cylinder head gasket replacement, that estimate is going to really, really vary. And that's an extreme circumstance. But again, you know, things that you would normally do that you're comfortable sending estimates out for. But again, getting pre approval to, you know, move forward with that.

Michael Doherty [00:08:35]:
The psychological power of those estimates being sent out. Right. Increased commitment. When a client approves the estimate in advance, they're not just agreeing to the work, they're committing to it. The mental shift from I'm considering this to I'm moving forward with this makes them much more likely to show up for the appointment. It's no longer a maybe, it's a yes. I can say without a doubt. And I can't give you an exact percentage.

Michael Doherty [00:09:01]:
But again, clients that I sent pre estimates to before their appointment were. It was a higher likelihood they, they did show up. I can't give you an exact percentage. I don't remember. I don't have the CRM to open up and, and actually do the math to figure that out. But we were not missing out on appointments. People were showing up when I sent out the pre estimates, which was fantastic. Which equates to decreasing no shows.

Michael Doherty [00:09:30]:
Studies show that people who commit to something in writing are far less likely to back out sending a text or an email. Estimate is essentially getting that yes in writing before they even walk in the door. So again, the power of that, you know, decreasing no shows and operational benefits for the shop. Again, we talked about parts ordering and things like that. So order parts with confidence for the shop. This step helps to take the guesswork out of parts ordering. When the client has approved the estimate, the shop knows exactly what parts to order, but again, the timing of it all. So again, on jobs that I would say aren't a simple, you know, service maintenance, you know, spark plugs, air filter, cabin filter, maybe some fluid exchanges, oil service, things of that nature, you know, really meat and potato stuff.

Michael Doherty [00:10:20]:
Again, you know, brake work. Yeah, brake work can be meat and potato stuff. Again, based on inventory or parts availability and making sure you're getting the right stuff. I've had the situation before where, you know, some vehicles, they have directional rotors, so, you know, left side, right side, and, you know, the fins. So you've basically got to get a left side and a right side. And when you go to order parts Sometimes it's a left side and a left side that's available. Or again you order a left and a right and a left and a left show up. So again, if you're setting up that pre estimate days before they actually come in, getting that financial commitment from the client, and again, I'm not saying they've got to pay for the work up front, but again, if that's your policy, you need payment upfront for parts before you order them, do you? It's totally fine.

Michael Doherty [00:11:07]:
But again, you know, you're getting that commitment from them. So again, days in advance you're ordering parts. So you can get ahead of that curve. If you get two lefts instead of a left and a right or you know, again, you order the part, the part shows up, the part number is on the bag, but it's a totally wrong part. So again, it gives you the opportunity to make those corrections before the car even shows up. And that way when the car does show up, you've got the right parts there all ready for the technician and it's just super efficient for the service advisor. The technicians are going to love it and the client because you can get the car back to them in a quicker time frame. Because again, you've got all the parts.

Michael Doherty [00:11:44]:
But also it streamlines scheduling. It helps also with scheduling, when a client is committed, the chances of them showing up for the scheduled appointments are higher, meaning fewer last minute cancellations or rescheduling. So yeah, again, it's really an efficiency generator I think is the way to look at it all the way around and you know, not only for the shop but for the client as well. Again, if you can get it back to them in a quicker manner and have everything readily available that you know again days in advance or things that you need to get on hand before the vehicle even shows up, great, you know, make it work. Practical tips for service advisors on this. How to craft the estimate. Text or email. Keep it short.

Michael Doherty [00:12:29]:
Clear, professional focus on key points, you know, what's being done, the cost and any necessary details like parts or time frames. And again, you know, it's an estimate. If you get somebody that calls up and says, hey, my AC is not working and you know you're going to agree to do a Freon level check and adjust as the first course of action for them and I would, you know, put somewhere on there, you know, this estimate is 2 Do we have Freon level check and adjust for this price point does not include any additional parts being, you know, aside from Freon and trace Die does not include any additional parts being replaced. It does not include any additional labor being performed. So again, you're being transparent in that estimate that you're getting them to approve before they even come in for their appointment. But again, it's a win win because it's approved. Client's going to show up probably, I'm going to say 8 out of 10 times. So 80% of the time they're going to show up if they signed off on that estimate and you know, get it in the shop, get it checked out and kind of go from there.

Michael Doherty [00:13:31]:
So again, efficiency part of it and really find out again what their preferred communication method is. The client, if it's going to be text, if it's going to be email. I know most CRMs these days you can do text or email. So again, just definitively finding out what's going to be the best way to get in touch with the client and the best thing time to do that is when you're making the appointment with them. Hey, just so you're not surprised, Mr. And Mrs. Jones, I've got your appointment set up in the computer or set up in our system for this date and this time for VM vehicle drop off. However, shortly after this call, I'm going to be sending you an estimate that we need your authorization on for what we talked about.

Michael Doherty [00:14:08]:
So is the best way for me to get that to you going to be email or text? And again, if it's a new prospect, what a better time to get more information from them so you don't have to do that at the front counter when they drop the vehicle off. So again, efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. And again, I really see this being a positive way to do business and decrease no shows and efficiency. So that's really what I wanted to talk about tonight with you guys or today it's about, I don't know, 8:30 Eastern Time here where I am in North Carolina doing this podcast for you guys. But again, I just wanted to touch base on that. It kind of popped into my head the other day and I felt that it was really important just to bring to light because I think some shops, I would say are in the dark but aren't doing that. And again, you know, to decrease no shows, to increase efficiency not only for the shop and yourself and the client, but, you know, doing it that way, I think it's going to, you know, really just, you know, give it a shot, give it a shot and see what happens. But at the end of the day, you know, everybody's got A decision to make about how they want to do stuff.

Michael Doherty [00:15:12]:
But again, I'm coming from an efficiency standpoint all the way around. Win, win, win. And also, you know, depending on the part vendors that you use, I know most part vendors are pretty lenient about, you know, if you order parts you can return them. Some are sticklers and say, hey, there's going to be a restock fee, things of that nature. So again, this takes that out of the equation. You know, again you're getting their authorization up front, which I think gives you more confidence as the business order parts on their behalf. And again, feel it out as the advisor if you feel like, hey, you know, this client's coming six, you know, six times, always on time, has it missed an appointment and yeah, I'm just gonna order the parts because I know they're gonna show up. It's a first time client and it's not an oil service or you know, a couple filters.

Michael Doherty [00:15:56]:
If it's something bigger, then yeah, you could definitely say, hey, you know, we, our policy is we need to get a deposit up front for parts before we order them. So again, when someone's making that financial commitment, trust me, they're showing up. So in any event, Service Advisor Nation, thank you so much for another letting me do another episode of the Autofix Advisor Cast and wish you all a great upcoming weekend. Also to be happy, healthy and hey, we're working on wealthy, right? So thank you so much and enjoy. Thank you. Bye. 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.

Michael Doherty [00:16:38]:
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. See you on the next Autofix Advisor Cast.