Digital tools and clear explanations are becoming critical to winning customer trust for vehicle repairs, according to an automotive aftermarket leader.
Jeff Cox, executive director of the Automotive Maintenance & Repair Association (AMRA), said shops that help customers clearly understand why a repair is needed will see more engaged and trusting customers who would be willing to invest in their vehicles.
“Consumers spend 24 per cent more when they clearly understand the necessity of the repair,” he said, citing industry data.
He noted that many drivers will spend an hour or two researching a television that costs about $500, often comparing two or three models. But then they’re are asked to approve repair estimates worth double that in a matter of minutes.
“In the automotive service business, we often expect a consumer to say yes to a $1,400 strut job in about three minutes. And that is not fair to a consumer,” Cox said at the MEMA Aftermarket Technology Conference in the fall.
To make life easier, he argued, shops need to “do the research” for their customers by giving them tools that explain complex work in simple ways. That includes digital vehicle inspections that use images, stock photos and videos to show what is wrong and why a repair is being recommended.
One idea is to build a library of stock images for commonly inspected parts, such as wiper blades, lighting, filters, shocks and struts. Technicians could pair those clean reference images with photos taken during the inspection so customers can compare what the part should look like with the actual condition on their vehicle.
“When things are worn or broken or leaking, that is really powerful, and it really gives that consumer that level of trust to say yes to that business,” Cox said.
He described a recent example involving his sister, who texted him from a shop about a flat tire. At first, he could not help without seeing the tire. Later, she received a digital inspection with a photo showing the nail and a graphic explaining the safe repair area on a tire.
From that, she knew a repair of the tire was going to be impossible and that a replacement was going to be needed.
“What a different conversation that is,” Cox said. “They guided her. And that was a great example of the technology used in the correct way.”
Cox pointed to research from J.D. Power that highlighted the role of technology in building trust. Usage of DVIs is still relatively low, but is rising across tire replacement, full service and quick oil change segments as more companies adopt the tools.
Shops that pair multi-point inspections with pictures and videos see much higher approval rates for additional recommendations than those that do not use DVIs or only use them without visual content, he added.
“Customers are certainly saying yes when there are pictures and videos involved,” he said.
Image credit: Depositphotos.com
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