Aftermarket October 2022

T imes are tough. I’m guessing it’s not the first time you’ve heard this (or uttered it). Emerging from the pandemic, bruised but not beaten - only to be hit with a war affecting the supply of parts with Brexit bureaucracy aiding and abetting; Prices at the pumps going skywards; Inflation reaching double digits bumping up the cost of the weekly shop and fuel prices rocketing for homes and businesses. To complete this dismal picture, The Motor Ombudsman in a recent survey revealed that “56% of UK car owners who do not have a service plan in place are considering either missing it or delaying their vehicle’s annual service in 2022 to save money due to the sharp rise in the cost of living.’ To top this off: “68% of car owners are planning to reduce motoring -related expenditure in 2022.” So as an independent technician, armed to the gills with experience, qualifications and training, what can you do? Shrink your workforce, turn off the heating or even shut up shop? I’m advocating that instead you regroup and focus on getting really stuck into back-to-basics marketing, starting with your customers. Because among your customers will be those looking to delay or cancel their service, determined to ignore the warning lights. You will have customers considering shopping around for the lowest price. You don’t want to engage in price haggling. It’s demeaning. It puts you on the road to ruin where you resent the fact that you’re delivering a top-quality product at a reduced price. I know from working with independent technicians over the last 20 odd years, that marketing is not your strong suit. But it must now assume headline importance. If you’re not talking to customers on a pre-planned basis showing what happens when they take their foot off the pedal as far as vehicle maintenance is concerned, then you’re creating a gap that can be filled by a garage that lacks your skills, training, and expertise. Alternatively, customers will preside over a deteriorating vehicle instead. So, where do you start with your back-to-basics marketing? Case study: A&J Fleetcare Here’s what A&J Fleetcare in Leeds are doing to give you something to consider. Alan and Jeanette are members of Darren Darling’s DPF Doctor Network. They have invested significant sums over the years in training and diagnostics and are very much customer service driven. Their customer base comprises motorists and commercial clients. Before the economy began imploding, they moved into new premises in Leeds City Centre. It was a move that accelerated the need to talk to their customers more frequently. Alan takes up the story: “We’ve never marketed our services on low price but on doing the job right first time, on providing real peace of mind and on being specialists in DPFs and diagnostics. But we can’t just put 32 AFTERMARKET OCTOBER 2022 TECHNICAL www.aftermarketonline.net BACK TO BASICS MARKETING: WHY NO GARAGE CAN AFFORD TO OVERLOOK ITS IMPORTANCE A special report from #1 bestselling author Dee Blick, retained marketer to Kalimex, the UK distributors of the JLM Lubricants’ product range the A board outside our workshop and hope that customers will come flooding in, or that existing customers will return without being prompted. So, we have an email marketing programme where every week we remind customers of their next planned interaction with us whether that’s a service, a planned repair, or a free routine check. Whatever’s appropriate. In between these emails, we send a monthly email sharing tips on how customers can drive more fuel efficiently and which products they should use in between servicing to keep their vehicle in good condition. They buy these products from us because we use and stock the JLM Lubricants’ range. For diesel customers, we remind them of the importance of not running out of DPF Refill Fluid and how they should be driving their vehicle to maintain optimal health of the DPF. This drip-drip of information, tips and reminders ensures that our name remains top of mind and that if for example a customer was thinking of ignoring the DPF warning light, they will contact us. Not every visit leads to a sale but our end game is to keep customers loyal because what we’re also finding is that many recommend us. It’s not a perfect science and some weeks Jeanette has to nudge me big time for the content for these communications. When you’ve packed in a 10-hour day you just want to switch off…but it works so we keep on working it!” A&J Fleetcare are not embarking on expensive, time- consuming marketing. They’re keeping customers close by maintaining a dialogue in between visits so that they’re prompted to do the right thing. Out of sight often means out of mind. Long periods where there’s no connection between you and your customer is an opportunity for them to do nothing or be swayed by a competitor. BY Dee Blick