I was in a meeting today discussing automotive service and what makes the difference when it comes to building the business.  Here is a rough idea of what was discussed, Competitor A has made a huge investment in technology within their service bays offering the latest machines and tools.  They have invested in software that allows them to track repairs and follow up with customers in a push of a button.  Competitor B for a number of reasons has not made a great investment in technology both in the service bay and in its software.  However, Competitor B continues to have a loyal and steadily growing customer base even when faced with Competitor A – why?  The answer for the purpose of this article is “Relationships”.

Although Competitor B is “Low tech” they are “high touch” meaning they interact with the customer on a different level.  The “High touch” referencing how they interact with their customers by knowing all the kids names, when their last service was and so on.  In reality, there are many Competitor A’s in the marketplace but Competitor B will continue to keep them at bay by building long lasting relationships – naturally, by truly caring about their customers.

Taking care of your existing client base by getting to know them, their personalities and their behaviours may provide better return on investment rather than spend thousands on marketing to the masses.  One of the things my customers were always amazed at was when I would greet them by their name as soon as they pulled up to the shop – this was part of my success in building long lasting relationships.