Courtesy inspections are a vital process in auto repair shops, ensuring that customers are informed about the condition of their vehicles.
But there’s a way to do them right and effectively for the customer, said Jim Saeli, an instructor and trainer with Drive. By conducting thorough courtesy inspections, training technicians effectively, and communicating honestly with customers, auto repair shops can enhance service quality and build trust.
Saeli highlighted that customers expect their vehicles to be thoroughly checked, even if they don’t explicitly ask for it.
“Customers are expecting you to do this, whether you’re actually doing it or not,” he said at the Midwest Auto Care Alliance Hi-Tech Training & Expo.
The primary reason for conducting courtesy inspections is to serve the customer by informing them about their vehicle’s condition.
“Customers, they don’t know what’s going on with their vehicle. That’s why they bring it to you. They bring it to you for simple maintenance, and you should be doing some type of vehicle inspection to make sure that the rest of the vehicle is in decent condition,” Saeli explained.
Courtesy inspections also provide an opportunity to sell necessary work to customers. By identifying potential issues during routine checks, shops can recommend additional services that improve the vehicle’s performance and safety.
Moreover, these inspections enhance shop efficiency, he observed. The right approach benefits both the shop and the customer, as it reduces the need for multiple visits.
“If we can take care of things more together, we’re actually making more money, aren’t we? Because if we look at the rack time, just bringing the car in, setting it up and then taking it down and road testing it. When we do more than one repair [at once], we’re actually making more money,” Saeli said.
To ensure consistency in inspections, Saeli recommended a training exercise where every technician inspects the same vehicle to identify variations. It’s not unusual for an unattended issue with a red flag six months ago to inexplicably turn green the next visit.
“Take one vehicle in the shop, put it on the rack and have every technician do a vehicle inspection on it and see the variation. And then train them the way you want it done,” he advised.
Utilizing videos as training tools can be particularly effective, as most individuals prefer visual learning.
“Techs are visual, aren’t they? Actually, most individuals you deal with now do everything by watching a two- or three-minute video on the phone,” Saeli said.
And when discussing inspection findings with customers, honesty is crucial. While there’s no need to scare them, it’s important to explain why certain repairs are necessary — they could end up stranded on the side of the road or cause a dangerous situation while driving if a part fails.”
“But you got to give them the reality on that,” Saeli explained. “There’s a no-win situation with inspections. You’re darned if you do, and you’re darn if you don’t.”
Image credit: Depositphotos.com
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