Welcome back to our series on reducing comebacks. In the previous blog post, we discussed the importance of quality control/quality assurance in minimizing customer complaints. In this post, we’ll share some additional practical tips to streamline your efficiency and avoid unnecessary comebacks.
First impressions are crucial, and gathering accurate information is paramount in establishing customer expectations. Start by acquiring meaningful and accurate information about their needs and concerns during the initial conversation. This will allow you to set realistic expectations with your customers and will help ensure they have a positive experience from the start.
To prevent unexpected delays, make sure all parts required for a recall or other repair are readily available in your parts department. If a part is out of stock or on backorder, communicate a timeline of when it will arrive and inform the customer immediately. This proactive approach shows your customers that you value their time and appreciate their business.
It’s also important to thoroughly inspect and verify the condition of interior and exterior trim parts to ensure proper installation. If paintwork is needed, check the color match with the customer’s vehicle, not just a similar year, make, or model.
Before the vehicle transitions to the in-shop stage, confirm or update all of the customer’s contact information and identify if they have an active warranty or service contract. Inform them upfront of items not covered by their contract, to avoid potential friction between your service advisors and the customer.
Another important area that helps with efficiency is making sure that your technicians can quickly locate the vehicle in the parking lot. Create a map of the lot, with clear areas designated for incoming vehicles, parts holds, finished/waiting for pickup. Have the person parking the vehicle jot down the parked location on the key tag or RO to ensure it’s easy to read and minimize the time techs spend searching for vehicles.
Lastly, when creating an estimate, provide both the customer pricing and a quote for warranty claims. Having both estimates on hand will enable your team to quickly contact the customer and increase the likelihood of approval.
By implementing these tips, you can streamline your processes and avoid unnecessary comebacks. Remember that quality control/quality assurance should be an integral part of your entire customer journey, from the initial contact to the final repair verification.
If you’re interested in learning how RepairPal can help you streamline your estimates process and help you improve your customer experience, schedule a demo here.
Dusty French, Auto Repair Expert
Dusty's interests in all things mechanical started early when he successfully disassembled and reassembled the family VCR player. He began his career at a Porsche & Volkswagen dealership, and then worked at a Lexus and Toyota dealership where he was master certified through dealer training programs. Throughout his career, he’s been successfully employed as a Lead Technician and Shop Foreman before joining the team at RepairPal. Dusty enjoys spending time with his wife and their two dogs, music, and playing, building and modifying guitars in his free time.
