Recently, a friend who moved to a new town faced a common problem – finding friendly, reliable service providers. In his previous town, he’d established a relationship with an auto mechanic who had worked on his vehicles for close to a decade. He grew to trust this shop so much that he generally said “yes” to upsell efforts – if this shop said the service ought to be performed, he believed them. He even sought out their advice on new vehicle purchases over that decade.
But when he moved, that trust had to be re-established with new service providers. In the few years since his move, he has tried multiple shops in his new town and has found the service to be…okay? He’d try one shop for six months or a year and then give the next one a try. In fact, he occasionally would use different mechanics for different needs. Generally, the shop said they provided “good customer service,” by which they meant they were friendly. Most lived up to that – friendliness – but some didn’t even meet that bare minimum. But is “friendliness” really the only element of good customer service? This customer was still unsatisfied, and not because he was picky, complain-y, or cheap.
See, two things stood out to him with the almost half a dozen shops he used. First, very rarely would the shop try to “upsell” him on services. Now, listen, this man – bless him – knows nothing about cars. He has to rely on his mechanic quite a bit, and here he is waiting for an expert to tell him what services are needed within, say six months, and which are needed immediately, but he simply wasn’t getting that. Second, he noted a distinct lack of communication and information from the providers. He’d drop the vehicle off, often have to call back for updates, and then receive a sparse receipt for services. One shop gave “sign only” receipts that barely listed the work done. Another shop – a national franchise – would send him periodic emails, but in the local shop, they would simply do the job he asked them to do and send him on his way with no upsell on recommended services.
Recently, he faced an immediate need with one of his vehicles, and the shops he had been using were slammed full. So, he decided to try out one more shop. Based on that single experience, he is now “sold” on this provider! He’s even already reached the “advocate” phase as a customer. So, what made the difference? They weren’t “friendlier” than the others (though they were friendly). As soon as he told us about his experience, we knew at least one notable difference.
This shop was using its CRM (customer relationship management) software correctly and was also willing to upsell him. Simple as that? Yes, simple as that. A CRM system manages your customer data to help you interact more efficiently with customers. For example, as soon as our friend gave the provider his contact information, the shop’s CRM sent welcome communications (text and email), and when his service was completed, the provider’s CRM sent follow-up communications, including specific questions to which our friend could respond. Was he pleased with the service? Was his problem solved? Did he have other problems he wished solved? Would he give them a review? He received several follow-up communications in the days after. He was not overwhelmed with communications but was contacted enough such that he felt like the provider ACTUALLY wanted his business again (unlike other shops where he’d sign the receipt and get waved out the door). Again, this was a distinct difference from the previous shops he’d visited, who would treat him in a friendly manner and do the work he asked them to do, BUT who would not follow up with him about the work or about future services.
The upsell part of his experience also converted him to this new auto shop. He received a detailed invoice of services (with notes from the mechanic), as well as a “recommended services” page. This should not be unusual for any business – your customers want to know what they need, and if they trust you, they’ll listen. It’s even possible that the invoice and recommendations are part of this shop’s CRM software, making it far easier to keep track of and follow up on.
CRMs are useful, if not necessary, tools for all types of business fields – healthcare, real estate, legal, and non-profit, among others. But service providers like auto mechanics, plumbing and HVAC businesses, electricians, roofers, and the like can distinguish themselves significantly by using CRMs effectively since many service providers aren’t using them at all, or are using them ineffectively. For any business looking to understand its customer data or to increase touch points with its potential customers, a CRM system may be part of the solution.