When you think about what makes the holidays a wonderful time of the year, perhaps images of spending time with loved ones, playing in the snow, and sipping hot chocolate come to mind.
Those activities are all part of the holiday spirit. But goodwill and charity also make the holidays a wonderful time of the year. And as an auto repair shop owner, you’re in a unique position to give back to your community.
There are different ways you can pay it forward—and if you end up liking how things go, you can make giving back a year-round activity, rather than just something you do during the holidays.
Partner With an Organization Like Brakes for Breasts
Brakes for Breasts is an organization that Tekmetric supports with ongoing efforts. This past October, Tekmetric donated a portion of sales to Brakes for Breasts to accelerate breast cancer research.
Brakes for Breasts specifically works with independent auto repair shops across the United States. If you sign up, a portion of your shop’s brake service proceeds will go to The Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Research Fund. Partnering with an organization like Brakes for Breasts makes giving back super easy.
Help Put People on the Road
Fix it Forward Ministry is a non-profit in Minnesota that gives free cars and auto repair work to those who are homeless or at-risk. To sustain their non-profit, Fix It Forward Ministry has a business wing, Fix It Forward Auto Care. Other Tekmetric users like Turbo Tim’s Anything Automotive have non-profit branches, too.
While your auto repair shop might not have a non-profit arm, you can still join forces with a local charity to help get those in need on the road by providing free or reduced car repair services. You could even start your own internal program to help low-income individuals or people who were recently let go or furloughed from their jobs.
Give Discounts to Essential Workers
This holiday season is a great time to give back to essential workers who’ve kept communities afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. By giving doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery store cashiers, delivery drivers, and other essential workers a discount, you can spread cheer and make their lives a little easier during the holidays.
You could take a certain amount, such as 15 percent, off of the total for every frontline worker and educator who comes to your shop. Or, you could offer a specific service, such as oil changes, for free or at a discount.
Start a Holiday Donation Drive
Your shop’s way of giving back doesn’t have to be just through car repairs. You could start a holiday donation drive at your shop and encourage your team members, customers, and broader community members to get involved.
Maybe you want to focus on canned goods to give to a food bank, pet food to give to an animal shelter, or toys to give to a children’s charity. You can get your whole community involved by volunteering your shop as a drop-off center for items (but be sure to stay safe by taking appropriate social distancing measures).
If you prefer a more personalized approach to giving, you could look into “Adopt-A-Family” programs that will match your shop to a family. You and your staff will then get the family’s holiday wish list so that you can make their holiday wishes come true.
Match Donations from Staff and Customers
By matching donations, you can boost participation and give back even more. For example, if you host a holiday donation drive, you can say that for every can of food people donate, the shop will donate three.
Or, you could tell your team members and customers that they can donate to a charity of their choice from a pre-set list made by you. This way, you’ll give people an opportunity to support one of the causes they are most passionate about.
How Tekmetric is Giving Back This Month
At Tekmetric, we’re growing out our mustaches and raising money for Movember, a movement for men’s health that funds research and awareness efforts for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health.
Digital Vehicle Inspection software enables auto repair shops to go beyond a traditional paper system for inspections and repair order estimates.
Customers have become accustomed to a digital experience every time they shop, and having their car fixed is no different. Auto repair shops need to update their processes to meet those expectations. When look specifically at auto repair shops, there are even more opportunities to go digital beyond receipts.
Printed estimates may seem like a professional way to present work to customers. But the problem is that paper estimates don’t really show drivers what’s wrong with their vehicles.
The result? Customers approve a small sliver of work, or worse, go to another auto repair shop for a second opinion.
Digital vehicle inspections not only save time and paper but also build trust and enhance the customer experience. Not to mention, they help sell larger repairs and increase customer loyalty.
Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Tekmetric Sunil Patel joined Editor Chris Jones on Ratchet+Wrench Radio to talk about how shop management software suites are changing the landscape of the auto repair industry, especially when it comes to building relationships and communicating effectively.
Sunil also touched on the history of some of Tekmetric’s relationships and how Tekmetric makes sure the voices of shop owners are heard.
Listen here, or catch some of the highlights below.
Note: some of the following answers have been condensed for clarity and brevity.
Relationship-Building 101: Laying Down a Solid Foundation
Jones: The last time we saw each other was at WorldPac STX in Orlando. And that’s where you guys announced a partnership with Advance Auto Parts. I know a lot of our readers have seen it, but can you share a little bit about the details with our audience, just from your own words and perspective?
Patel: So we’ve had a great relationship with Advance Auto Parts for a very long time. And we wanted to leverage the relationship to try to get more shops to use Tekmetric, and it just happened to be the right place, right time.
Side note: For those that don’t know, Advance Auto Parts actually owns WorldPac and Sunil Patel’s relationship with both goes way back. Before co-founding Tekmetric, Patel owned an auto repair shop that was one of the highest purchasers of parts from WorldPac in Houston for almost a decade.
Jones: That’s kind of cool to see how the relationship evolved over the years.
Patel: It’s a big company. It’s not like turning a speedboat, it’s like turning a steamship. Sometimes it just takes time to let some of these relationships play out. It affects so many people. We have to be absolutely sure of how this is going to play out, and how it’s going to work.
Using Shop Management Software to Get Everyone on the Same Page
Jones: So let’s talk about shop ownership a little bit. You were once a shop owner kind of in the Dark Ages before we had these robust shop management software suites. What was it like for you to operate on these limited tools?
Patel: You know, it was tough. Customers didn't always respond back, and we would always have to follow up with a phone call. There was always a disconnect.
We were probably ahead of our time 12 years ago trying to get some of this stuff out. Tekmetric used a combination of manual processes and text messaging. Text messaging was pretty popular back then, but MMS or multimedia messaging or picture messaging was not so popular.
So adding that in the mix with communications and whatnot into one platform has been very paramount to the success of our company because it closes the loop between the vehicle owner, the shop owner, the technician, and the service writer.
It keeps everybody on the same platform and communications thread. That way everybody has full visibility into what's going on with the repair of that vehicle to ensure a timely repair—ultimately making the customer happy.
Today, online reputation management is a key tactic top shops use to attract more customers. Online presence is often the first—and sometimes only—impression a customer has of your business. This guide will dive deep into why automotive reputation management is no longer optional, how it impacts your SEO search rankings, and the specific strategies you can use to attract more 5-star reviews.
The importance of online reviews for auto repair shops
Why do online reviews matter so much in the auto repair world? The answer is that most customers check online reviews from Google and other search engines as part of their decision-making process. In addition, online reviews impact your SEO rankings and can help you differentiate your shop from the competition. Here are some other top reasons to keep track of your reviews:
Build trust
High-quality testimonials help build trust before the customer even sets foot in your lobby. Research consistently shows that the majority of customers read online reviews before feeling they can trust a local business. For auto repair shops, positive reviews act as social proof that your shop provides quality services.
Local SEO
When a prospect searches for "oil change near me", the results they see are heavily influenced by SEO strategies. Google prioritizes businesses with a high volume of new reviews, high star ratings, and a complete, active profile. If your competitors have 200 reviews and a 4.8-star average, while you have 120 3-star reviews from 2019, Google will rank your competiton higher. Review management directly impacts your rankings, rankings impact your visibility, and visibility impacts how many customers show up to your shop.
Beating the competition
Go ahead and Google your competition. How many reviews do they have? Do they average 2-star or 5-star reviews? By focusing on auto repair reputation management, you can position your shop as the best in your area. New customers are often hesitant to try a new shop; seeing a consistent stream of positive feedback from satisfied customers lowers that risk and encourages them to stop by.
Another way to move past your competition is to leverage Google Ads. Search ads can help you boost your visibility in more competitive markets and keep your business top of mind.
Best practices for managing your shop's online reputation
Successful auto repair reputation management is a continuous project. Top performing shops have software and employees dedicated to monitoring online reviews. To stay ahead, shops need to follow best practices to maximize their online visibility.
Claim and optimize your profiles
Claim your listings in Google Business, Yelp, and Facebook. Once claimed, you can optimize your profiles by making sure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web. Upload high-resolution photos of your shop, your front-desk staff, and your comfortable waiting area. A professional-looking profile sets the stage for a 5-star experience.
Use the right tools
Many shop owners utilize reputation management software to aggregate reviews into a single dashboard. This allows you to ask for reviews and respond to them in the same platform.
Tek-Tip: Overwhelmed? Tekmetric offers auto repair reputation management software that makes it easier to attract new reviews and respond to exisiting review in one platform.
Diversify your review sources
While Google reviews are often the focus of local SEO, don't ignore other platforms. Some customers prefer Yelp, while others might find you through social media. Directing a small percentage of your review requests to different platforms ensures a well-rounded online presence.
Make it a team effort
Your service advisors are the faces of your automotive brand. Train your staff on the importance of the customer experience. If your technician or service advisor is mentioned in a 5-star review, encourage that behavior by rewarding them accordingly. Make it a competition to see who can earn the most 5-star reviews in a month.
Quality control
Use customer feedback internally to improve your operations. If you notice a trend in negative feedback regarding long wait times, don't just ignore it. Use those insights to refine your workflows and teach employees.
How to respond to customer reviews
Responding to online reviews is perhaps the most critical part of review monitoring. It shows potential customers that you are attentive and care about your customers.
Responding to positive reviews
Don't just "like" a 5-star review. Take a moment to write a personalized response.
Acknowledge them by name: "Hi Sarah, thank you for the kind words!"
Highlight a specific service: "We’re glad we could get that oil change done quickly for you."
Invite them back: "We look forward to seeing you at your next service!"
These responses reinforce customer trust and encourage them to come back to your shop for service in the future.
Handling negative reviews
Negative reviews are inevitable in the any business. Parts fail, delays happen, and sometimes there are misunderstandings about pricing. The key is how you handle the negative feedback.
Stay professional: Never get defensive or angry. Remember, your response is for the future customers reading the review, not just the upset one.
Acknowledge and apologize: "We’re sorry to hear that your experience didn't meet our standards."
Move it offline: Provide a name and a phone number for them to contact directly. "We would like to make this right. Please call our manager, Jim, at [Number]."
Keep it brief: Don't get into a "he-said, she-said" battle on public forums.
Tekmetric offers a feature called private feedback where you can engage with upset customers before it goes public.
Benefits of responding
Regularly responding to reviews tells search engines and prospects that your business is active. This can provide a slight boost to your search rankings. In addition, if you successfully resolve a customer's issue mentioned in a negative review, you can ask them to go back and edit their star ratings or delete the negative feedback entirely.
How to attract more 5-Star reviews for your automotive business
Reviews can come in naturally but customers often need to be prompted to leave a review. While unhappy customers are often highly motivated to vent, satisfied customers frequently forget to share their experiences. The best performing shops have an automated way to ask for, collect, and respond to reviews.
Ask consistently
The simplest way to get more positive reviews is to ask for them. However, timing is everything. The best time to ask for a review is within 24 hours of service before customers move on and forget. A simple, "We're so glad we could get you back on the road! If you're happy with the service, would you mind leaving us a quick review?" goes a long way. Make it easy for the customer by providing a Google review button or link with your completed invoices.
Don’t forget that physical signage can be effective as well. Add a QR code or sign in your lobby asking for customers to leave a 5-star review which will enter them into a drawing for a free oil change.
Leverage SMS and automation
In the automotive industry, convenience is king. Using SMS for review requests has a significantly higher open rate than email. By integrating automation with your Shop Management System (SMS), you can trigger a text message to be sent automatically after a work order is closed. This message should include a direct link to your Google or Yelp profile, making the review process frictionless for the user.
Go the extra mile
One of the best ways to earn a 5-star automotive review is through transparency. Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVIs) allow you to send photos and videos of the needed repairs directly to the customer's phone. When a customer sees the worn-out brake pad, they feel more confident in the repair services. This transparency naturally leads to higher customer satisfaction and better reviews.
Final thoughts
Reputation management creates a natural cycle where great service leads to positive reviews, which improves your local SEO, which attracts new customers, who then leave more reviews. If managing all of this feels overwhelming, Tekmetric can help with online review management software specifically tailored for the automotive industry.
By implementing a clear reputation management strategy, utilizing automation for review collection, and staying active on social media and review sites, you ensure that your auto shop remains the top choice in your community. Remember, every satisfied customer is a potential spokesperson for your brand.
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