SEPTEMBER 2023 AFTERMARKET 15 www.aftermarketonline.net Your professional, highly technical website and Facebook page with generic pictures of a chappie in royal blue overalls, (we’ve all seen it) needs to follow through to each of those customer touch points. Each of these must in turn scream professional and technical – and it doesn’t stop here. You must also be professional as an employer and, dare I say it, as a person too. What happens though, when your customer turns up and your team are wearing black jumpers and trousers, and no one is in the least bit professional? This does not feel good to the customer. Another brand style might be ‘family-run’ or ‘family values’. This is something I certainly aspire to, but if your employee needs to take time off for childcare and you give them a hard time or even worse disallow it – do they believe your brand? Do they trust you? It’s a stab in the back, don’t you think? So, what does it mean for you? Firstly, don’t fabricate a brand that is not you, you will not be able to keep it up – you will be caught out by customers or employees or most likely both. Find your own brand, your own reflection of your loves and passions and what you are trying to create. This will be far more believable and create trust quickly and easily for everyone within and served by the business. Understand Of course, if you think you’re not going to bother with this mumbo jumbo stuff, you’re just here to mend cars and run a garage, think again my friend – you have a brand, it’s just probably not saying the right thing at all. Could it be saying “Don’t bother me?” Think of the Golden Arches of McDonalds; You’re driving down a motorway, somewhere you have never been before. You either choose to stop or not, but you know exactly what those arches say and mean. When you do stop and purchase, you know everything, from their car parking, toilets, wi-fi, value for money etc. You are 100% relaxed about going in – you understand what they offer. Now, of course, this means that you might not be someone’s perfect match but at least when they buy from you, they will understand from the very start what they are getting. It will balance and make sense in their heads, and it will be a relaxed purchase. It will cause far fewer issues because we are all subconsciously aware of branding. Does everything in your business match? Start by asking yourself some simple questions. Does your Facebook page scream ‘better than the main dealer’, but outside the front of the workshop looks like a scrap man has emptied his truck out to one side? How do you feel about this? Certainly, customers will feel uneasy, they will doubt you. They were not expecting this, and they will wonder “What else do I need to worry about? This was not what I was expecting.” Does your website say ‘trust us with your tens of thousands of pounds worth of sports car,’ then when you arrive the mechanics are filthy and reach out for your key with oily hands? How can your customers trust you now? They may feel nervous, and may even feel tricked. Does your business say ‘We can mend all makes and models, any problem’, yet no one can remember the last training day anyone went on? All the team know that certain jobs are not possible in the workshop, the staff stumble on the phone to the customer when they try to book in. Your staff feel compromised, embarrassed and what do they say about your business when you are not listening? Branding, when done correctly, is beautiful. It floats gently across every single part of your business. It is the sun shining over your workshop, enhancing all areas, making them look great, and it feels warm too. It will, if done properly, create trust, keep that promise you made, and bring all the many treasures that come from that. Lastly, remember, double denim looks good on a business, just don’t make it your staff uniform. Branding is, in my view, knowing, understanding and getting what you expected when you visit a place ”
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