Customer service starts, ends at the front desk

AML Auto Service is a six-bay facility on Laird Drive in Toronto’s Leaside area. The shop is an accredited Ontario’s Drive Clean test and repair facility since 1999, among the first ones in operation in January ’99. In addition to emissions, AML Auto Service performs diagnostic work, electrical, general repairs and alignments.

As a second generation auto tech running a family business with my wife, I’ve witnessed a lot of changes over the years. Technology has advanced tremendously since my parents first opened Artenal Motors in 1960. Cars have gotten smaller, run cleaner and last longer. Keeping up with change is one of the biggest challenges facing both technicians and shop owners. Yet many of today’s consumers have higher expectations and look for a shop that they feel will meet those expectations. Delivering great customer service is a challenge for the business as a whole and takes team-work and dedication to accomplish.

Customer service starts and ends at the front desk. I’ve learned from experience providing the best work and having the best tools doesn’t necessarily bring customers back. Making them feel comfortable as they walk through the front door and throughout their time in the shop is what makes them want to come back. Greeting customers with a smile and a few friendly words, followed by spending the time to properly determine their needs before passing the job onto a technician takes good people skills and sometimes a little bit of patience. Especially in cases requiring diagnosis – be it a noise, a drivability concern or a braking issue – getting as much pertinent information as possible is often the most important step in the diagnostic process. Armed with a good understanding of the vehicle’s symptoms a good technician knows what to look for and can summarize needed or recommended repairs in a timely fashion.

Following up after repairs have been completed is another important step in providing good customer service. Not everyone will call and complain if they’re unhappy with the service, so a follow-up could be the only way we’d find out. Calling the customer a week after picking up their vehicle usually confirms that everything is satisfactory, but on occasion it can turn an unsatisfied customer around. If nothing else, it shows the customer how important they are to your shop and that your shop and technicians genuinely care. Continually reaching out to customers through thank-you cards, newsletters and reminders helps to sustain that feeling and cement the relationship.

Just as great workmanship alone doesn’t always bring customers back, having the nicest, friendliest service advisor in the world wouldn’t build repeat business if the work is unsatisfactory. Having the right tools and equipment, the repair information and skilled, well-trained technicians who take pride in their work can help ensure that quality work consistently goes out the door. On-going training is a must to keep techs up-to-date. ASE certification can reinforce a technicians’ desire to continue training, as well as giving a sense of pride and accomplishment. ASE certificates on the waiting room wall can help convince customers that the techs in the shop are indeed capable and are proud of it.

No matter how much cars or technology change, or how big or how small your operation is, one constant is never going to change. When it comes down to it, business is about people. People drive the cars; people pay the bills; people work the business. It’s the interaction of all the people involved that make a business succeed or fail. As owner of AML Auto Service, I consider myself fortunate to have a great group of people working for me, to have reliable, helpful suppliers and to have a terrific bunch of good, loyal customers.