AutoFix AdvisorCast

Michael Doherty [00:00:00]:
This is the Autofix Advisor Cast. Powered by WorldPac. Hey, Service Advisor nation. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Autofix Advisor Cast. This is your host, Michael Dougherty, and I hope you all are doing well, staying healthy, keeping those bays full. I'd be curious to know if anybody took on the Service Advisor Challenge that. I made an episode about a week or two ago. Curious to see how that's going.

Michael Doherty [00:00:35]:
As we're. I think this would be the last week of the challenge, but then we took that on. How's it going? But recently I was invited to a webinar. There were, I think, 574 people in this webinar. It was put on by Seven Figure Agency, and they had a guest speaker market, Marcus Sheridan. And Marcus Sheridan brings a level of excitement and just his energy level. Like, I mean, through the Zoom, I mean, you felt like you were in the room with him. He actually just got done doing a guest speaker engagement for an audience of 5,000 people.

Michael Doherty [00:01:22]:
And, like, I don't know the timing of it, if I had to guess, a half hour after, an hour after, somewhere in there. He is now in his hotel room and he's on Zoom, and he's, you know, being linked into Seven Figure Agency. There's a host for Seven Figure Agency. His name is Josh. There's a couple other key speakers, but Marcus was the key speaker that day. And Marcus said that he was super excited to just get down to business and talk to everybody. But just, you know, the way that he presented himself, his excitement level, you know, best way to talk about him would be he's a different level of human, like, just. Just very charismatic, very.

Michael Doherty [00:02:03]:
Just, you know, eloquent in what he's saying. But in any event, he had an episode, a webinar, and he was talking about, and he, you know, he called it the Honest Agreement, and I've never heard that before. So I wanted to kind of put together some notes that I'll be reading off of for this episode. But, you know, kind of put my thought process into it and just kind of explain to y', all, you know, Service Advisor land, what that is. So, you know, Marcus himself, like I said, definitely brings some wisdom to the table, actually, a lot. And he says if this is a quote from him, he says, if you want to build trust, you have to give trust. People won't buy from you unless they trust you first. So, again, if you want to build trust, you have to give trust.

Michael Doherty [00:02:50]:
People won't buy from you unless they trust you first. And that's what the honest agreement is all about. It's giving trust up front and letting your customers feel safe in your hands. And if you can do that, they'll reward you with loyalty. A long term business, which I think is a, you know, awesome business strategy. But, you know, what does that look like, right? What does an honest agreement look like? And you know, I think, you know, hearing about this, it was, it's kind of like a, it's a game changer. It's a game changing concept and has the power to, you know, completely transform the way that you do business with your customers. And, you know, it's not just about honesty, it's about creating real transparent relationships that unlock long term success for you and your repair shop.

Michael Doherty [00:03:39]:
So, you know, getting into it again, starting with a powerful definition of the honest agreement. So let's define what that is. At its core, it's a commitment to building trust with your customers through transparency. This means setting clear expectations from the start and making sure there are no surprises down the road. You lay it all out, the services you're providing, the costs involved, the timeline and any potential risks, and then you stick to it. And I know that sounds simple, but if you think about it, there's a lot more involved than that, than, you know, what I just said, you know, so again, you know, if you lay it out, the services you're providing, the cost involved, the timeline and any potential risks. So I think that's an element that I didn't really put into, you know, my daily routine. You know, I let customers know proactively about something, but, you know, risks associated with, you know, the service or services that they're doing, and then again, stick to it.

Michael Doherty [00:04:41]:
So here's the deal, right? When people know what to expect and you deliver on that, you build loyalty. It's that simple. And this is where you separate yourself from the competition. Tony Robbins, another great motivational speaker, says that the quality of your life is the quality of your relationships. Again, the quality of your life is the quality of your relationships. And the same is true in business. The relationships you build with your customers are what set the foundation for your success. And, you know, how do we implement the honest agreement, right? What's actionable advice? You know, let's talk about how we can implement that into our automotive shops that we work at, right? So actionable tip number one, clear communication from the start.

Michael Doherty [00:05:34]:
When the customer walks through the door, or even better, before they arrive, make sure they know exactly what service will cost. As long as that's within your scope. And I know there's some, you know, variations there, but again, you know, making sure they know exactly what the service will cost, how long it will take and what to expect. So really, you know, painting the picture for them, right? It's not just them dropping off the vehicle, handing you their key. And now they don't really have a direction or a clear path of what's going to happen. So you've got to paint that picture. You've got to, you know, give them the timeline. You've got to set the standards in which you're operating.

Michael Doherty [00:06:16]:
So again, you know, setting the expectation, setting expectations and over delivery, right, We've heard that before, like, you know, you know, under promise, over deliver, right? So setting the expectations don't just meet your promises, exceed them. If you say the car will be ready at 5pm, have it ready at 4:45. Little things like that show the customer that you care about their time. I used to love to be able to, you know, kind of gauge what a repair was going to take. Again, the stars have to be aligned, you know, when you're doing some services. But if you can go out there 3/4 through the repair and see that the technician is going to be finished well within the time scope that you thought it would be and letting the client know, hey, you know, you called them maybe a couple hours before saying, hey, Mr. And Mrs. Jones, we'll have the car ready at 4pm and now it's 3.

Michael Doherty [00:07:06]:
And you call them up and say, hey, great news. Just want to let you know if you want to beat that traffic today, we got it ready for you. It'll be ready in 20 minutes or. Well, I wouldn't say that because again, you want to test drive it and stuff. But again, once you know it's going to be ready earlier than expected, let them know that, right? And again, you're. You're building that trust, right? Transparency and challenges, right? If issues arise, don't hide them. Let customers know right away and explain how you're going to address it. And this goes both ways.

Michael Doherty [00:07:36]:
If it's something that you caused, meaning your business, if it was a mistake, own up to it. Take accountability. Let the customer know what happened, move forward. I think there's a lot of places that may mess up and do something and they don't even tell the customer. And I kind of get that, but really think about that as a customer. They don't know what just happened. You do. You call them, hey, you know what, while we're doing this repair, this Happened, unfortunately, and we're going to take care of it.

Michael Doherty [00:08:09]:
I just want to be transparent with you that this happened with your vehicle and we're going to take care of it. Things are still on the timeline. Just want to let you know, keep you updated. Wow, talk about refreshing, right? Talk about again, building that trust with that relationship. Right? That's part of the Honest Agreement. Again, they didn't, if it wasn't a safety issue, you know, no big deal. But you know, even if it was, I mean, again, letting them know what happened while their car is there, I mean, wouldn't you want to know, say you were in a surgery and while the doctor or you know, whoever's performing surgery, they encountered something and it wasn't life altering. But you know, after you wake up from anesthesia, you got your family in the room, the doctor comes in and says, hey, by the way, while I was in there operating on you, just to let you know I saw this or I found out this and you know, I just want to let you know about it.

Michael Doherty [00:09:02]:
I mean, I think that's fantastic. I mean, that's as transparent as you can get. So, you know, do the same thing for your client, right? Let them know something that you know, you may have not shared with them. And again, the transparency part of it, right? That's what builds the trust. But again, if an issue arises, don't hide it. Let the customer know right away and explain how you're going to address it. Now, if it's something that wasn't your fault as a shop, something broke, whatever, I'm sure you'd call them and tell them, hey, unfortunately this part was rusty or corroded and we had no idea. When we're taking things apart, it broke, you know, it's going to be X, Y and Z.

Michael Doherty [00:09:36]:
I mean, yeah, at that point you're calling them and telling them because you don't want to pay for it. I get that. But again, even if it something that you did as a shop, be transparent with them and let them know because you would have told them anyway. So you know that stuff like that. But, and again, transparency, it doesn't mean that you have to be perfect, but it does mean that you're real and it shows value in the relationship over short term gains. Right? It shows value. It shows, it shows your value. Relationship over short term gains.

Michael Doherty [00:10:09]:
There's a quote from Mel Robbins. Mel Robbins says you are one decision away from a completely different life. Think about that. The moment you decide to implement the Honest agreement is the moment you shift your business into a whole new level of trust and success. Mel Robbins, Tony Robbins. Yeah, I guess they, you know, quotes today. But again, you know, you are one decision away from a completely different life. Think about that.

Michael Doherty [00:10:35]:
Forgive me a second. Overcoming challenges in implementing the honest Agreement. Of course, you know, nothing in business comes without challenges. Maybe you're thinking, but what if a customer doesn't like the cost? Or what if I'm not able to fix something in the exact time frame, you know, so let's talk about it. You know, customers don't expect perfection, but they do expect honesty. So again, you know, I think I'm clarifying this. The honest agreement, right? They want to know that you're working hard for them and you'll always give it to them straight. It can't be much more clear than that, right? If a customer questions a price or a timeline, show them why it's necessary.

Michael Doherty [00:11:14]:
Don't just say it's going to be X amount more or the timeline move. Like explain the why behind that, right? Walk them through the reasoning quality of the parts or the expertise that's going into their service. You know, again, value over price. Use any hiccup as you would to build credibility. If job take, if a job takes longer than expected, offer a small perk, like maybe a free car wash or maybe a, you know, discount on a future service, you know, coupon for a coffee down the street. Just something, something to smooth it over, right? And again, it's all about creating a culture where honesty doesn't feel like it's a weakness, but it's a strength. And I think that's really important to understand. So again, it's about creating a culture where honesty doesn't feel like a weakness, but a strength.

Michael Doherty [00:12:04]:
And back to Tony Robbins. Tony Robbins motivational speaker says success leaves clues. And the clue here is if you build trust, you build long term lasting success. It's simple but powerful. Customers don't want to feel like they're being sold to. They want to feel like they're being cared for. And again, you know, it's our responsibility as service advisors to make them feel cared for. Not only make them feel cared for, but show them that you care for them.

Michael Doherty [00:12:39]:
And again, you know, that is what I wanted to talk to you guys and gals about today. The honest agreement, you know, it sounds really cool. And when you phrase it like that, you know, you're telling a customer, you know from the beginning of the relationship that hey, Mr. And Mrs. Jones, you know, just want to be fully transparent with you. You know, we're starting this relationship together. I'm committing to being open and honest with you about your vehicle. There may be some things that you don't want to hear, but it's my responsibility to tell you about them and why it's important to take care of them.

Michael Doherty [00:13:12]:
And I'm going to give you honest feedback like it was my own car or my family's car. And in return, I would ask that you be honest with me and let me know what your thoughts are while we're talking. And, you know, again, you know, we. It's a relationship, it's a partnership. And again, it takes away from the transactional part. Again, they know that they're there and they know that they're going to have to give you money for a service. So again, focus less on the transactional, more on building the relationship. But again, you know, say that to them.

Michael Doherty [00:13:43]:
Say that to that customer, you know, when you see them in person for the first time, or maybe you haven't seen a customer, a repeat customer, or maybe they come in maybe, you know, twice a year or once a year, but next time you see them, you know, take a moment and say, hey, you know, recalibrated here, you know, I'd like to, you know, I'd like to do the honest agreement with you. What is that? You know, and let them know, you know, exactly. That you want to build that connection, build that relationship with them. And I think that'll be really special and I think that'll help you out in climate retention. And again, you know, when you talk to them like that, they're really going to feel that connection and that you care for them and that's what it's all about, right? Building and maintaining client relationships. That's what we do. And we're professional problem solvers. We provide solutions and we build and maintain client relationships.

Michael Doherty [00:14:37]:
Service Advisor Nation. I really appreciate you letting me do another episode of the Autofix Advisor Cast. Thank you also to our sponsor, worldpac and I wish everybody a great upcoming weekend. Stay safe, stay healthy, keep those bays full, and hopefully fall is upon us soon. It has been hot out, looking forward to some cooler weather, but thank you again from the bottom and top of my heart. Have a great week and see you next episode. All right, Service of Azure Nation. Hey, thanks for listening to the Autofix Advisor Cast.

Michael Doherty [00:15:12]:
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 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.