Can you sell it?

How do you convince a customer you should complete the repair?
April 5, 2012
2 min read

To run a successful auto repair business, being good at sales is just as important as any other skill in the shop. Tell me how you would answer this customer:

When they first came out, I had a chance to try a vacuum tool that’s used for leak-checking and filling a cooling system. The brand name was Airlift, and I think there are some other brands now, but these days the tool is generically called an ‘airlifter.’ I remember being impressed at how fast and easy it was to fill a cooling system that I’d had trouble bleeding in the past (VW Corrado with the PG engine). Later I read that some people won’t to use the tool on certain GM engines that suffer a high rate of intake manifold gasket failures. People have also worried about collapsing a radiator or breaking plastic tank or sucking in a tank gasket.

A common line of thought is 'If it’s that close to failure, better it should happen in my bay rather than after I’ve returned the car to the customer.'

True enough, but someone has to convince the customer that you didn’t break something that wasn’t leaking when it pulled into the shop. So, what would you say? Tell me how you make customers understand why they can’t drive their car off your lot unless they pay you to fix it today.

About the Author

Jacques Gordon

Jacques Gordon

Jacques Gordon is the former editor-in-chief of PTEN and Professional Distributor magazines. His background includes 10 years as an automotive technician and 10 years in Tier 1 suppliers’ engineering labs testing gaskets, fuel injection systems and emission control systems.

He continues to stay abreast of the latest technical developments through editorial research and technician training seminars. He holds an ASE Master Technician with L1 Certification and a Master Hybrid Technician certification from ACDC.

Jacques has been writing for aftermarket magazines since 1998, and he has earned a reputation as one of the best technical writers in the business. He is a winner of two American Society of Business Press Editor awards and several company editorial awards.

He is currently the video script writer for the CARS Training Network in Ontario, Canada.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

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