Fixed Ops Journal - December 2021 - F9

FIXED OPS JOURNAL
HANDLE WITH CARE
T
o get a customer to reconsider recommended repairs
that have been declined, a service adviser should forgo
aggressive sales tactics and instead begin building a relationship.
Th
at was the advice fi xed ops trainer and consultant Lee Harkins
gave during a Nov. 23 Fixed Ops Journal webinar. Harkins,
CEO of M5 Management Services, says earning customers' trust
by forging a friendship is the best way to get them to rethink their
decision.
" We've got to be able to really make that customer feel good
about considering us to provide that service, " Harkins said. " Th ere
should never be pressure placed on a customer. "
Instead, service advisers need to show they care about the customer.
" Call that customer and say, 'Listen, we're concerned.
Your brakes were really low, and we would like to ask you to reconsider
having us do that,' " he said.
To get customers to rethink a declined service takes consultive,
or relationship, selling, Harkins said. Th is approach is diff erent
than traditional selling that can be seen as manipulative or based
on pressuring a customer.
But being good at consultive selling requires a process, which will
give advisers and the service staff a routine to follow. Having this will
develop confi dence and improve consistency, Harkins said.
'Collective brainpower'
Th e exercise begins with the service manager jotting down
ideas of what the process should look like. Staff is invited to provide
input. " One of our greatest assets in the store is the collective
brainpower of our staff and of our people, " he said. " Once we get
them thinking, there's a lot we can do. "
Th e draft document is revised as many times as needed after feedback
is received. Once the process is written, training can begin.
" You conduct that sit-down review meeting with the staff , " Harkins
said. " As you're reading the process, you're explaining each
step to them and what the manager's expectations are in that category.
And once we do that, then we establish those expectations
of performance.
" Now they have a standard that you have spelled out that you
expect them to work at. Th is is a tremendous tool. "
Retention is goal
Th e goal of this approach is the long-term retention of the customer,
Harkins said. And that is best accomplished by establishing
a relationship with the customer based on trust, not intimidation.
" We always want to be positioning ourselves for that next visit
and that next opportunity, not drive them away, " he said. " Th at's
what we want to make sure doesn't happen. Th e word games -
'What's it gonna take to get you to ...' - doesn't have a place in the
service department.
" Let's put service back into it where we bombard the customer
with extra perceived value - factory-trained technicians, factory
parts, good prices - where the most logical answer when we ask
him to spend that $800 is going to be 'yes.' " 
Beyond rejection
For customers declining repairs, don't pressure; instead, build trust
DAN SHINE
dan.shine@crain.com
Here are some reasons customers give for declining repairs,
and how service departments can respond.
Reason: Lack of trust
Response: Build a relationship with customers; educate them
on needs of their vehicles; have prepriced maintenance menu
Reason: Do not have the time
Response: Offer low-cost rental car; pay for ride-share service;
assign two techs to perform the repair
Reason: Do not have the money
Response: Don't offer discounts; consider offering point-of-sale
fi nancing
Reason: Price is too high
Response: Conduct inventory of value points - master technicians,
training, tools, fi xed right the fi rst time
Reason: Not sold on the need for the service
Response: Use maintenance menu to explain recommendations
Source: Lee Harkins, M5 Management Services
 Go to autonews.com/harkinswebinar
to hear the entire session.
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DECEMBER 2021 PAGE 9
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Fixed Ops Journal - December 2021

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