I go against the grain – I quote prices over the phone. I’ve been doing it for years, and I don’t see a problem. In fact, I see benefits because it gets me new customers.
For example, let's say I get a call from a first-time customer who found us online. They asked for a quote on a water pump. I ask how they know it’s a water pump.
There’s always a pause, as if I caught them cheating on their current shop. If another shop diagnosed it, it’s probably accurate. If it was a dealer, it's probably even more accurate. If it was their next door neighbor, we’re in the “let’s confirm” category.
There’s a reason they’re calling around for another quote. The most common reason is they’re questioning their past service work or past prices.
They felt the quote they received seemed too high, and they weren’t treated well. There's also the possibility there’s a new shop owner, or said shop lost their favorite technician.
Regardless, they’re looking for a new shop and they're looking by price. They probably want to avoid the most expensive and/or the cheapest. They're going to more than likely end up choosing someone in the middle and someone they feel comfortable with.
As I’m creating their estimate in real time, I ask questions. I find out about them. I ask how they found out about us. If new to the area, I find out where they’re from and about their family.
After we chat about them and life, I give them the quote. I go slightly below list to entice the deal. So many times they pause and say, “When can I bring it in?”
There was so selling, other than subtly selling myself as I chat while creating the estimate. There was no, “Bring your car in, so we can verify that it’s a water pump.”
You don't want the customer thinking you want them to pay you for a second diagnosis, to tell them what they think they already know. What if they come in, and your estimate is higher than the original quote? They now have to leave to go to a third shop and pay for a third diagnosis, or they go to the shop they have built a good relationship with and have the guts to quote a competitive price on the water pump.
This is where that alleged huge concern comes up: What if it’s not the water pump? The answer is easy. I didn’t diagnose the car, and I didn’t quote the repair. I quoted a water pump. My good relationship allows me to simply say, “It’s not the water pump.” If necessary, I say, “Here, I’ll show you.”
Here's another example. Let's pretend a first-time caller asks if we work on Porsche convertible tops. I say yes. He has a problem with the convertible top on his 2002 996. It opens part way slowly and in spurts.
I don’t follow the traditional rule to avoid diagnosing it over the phone. We’re supposed to simply say, “Bring it in, and we’ll check it out.” Why would this person choose us over another shop with that approach?
Instead, I say, "It sounds as if your system is low on hydraulic fluid. At least let’s hope so because it’s a straightforward fix." This lets him know we’ve done enough tops to have come across his problem before.
If you’ll notice, I didn’t actually diagnose it. I said, “it sounds like.” I go further. I explain the leak might be one of the hydraulic cylinders that operate the top. I ask if he’s seen any leak in front of either rear tire. He says no. I’ve now demonstrated that our shop is very familiar with his problem.
We aren’t learning on his car. We're not luring him in to have us check it out. Like most callers, he asks, “When can I bring it in?”
Customers want the comfort of knowing that your shop is familiar with their car problem. If all you say is, “Bring it in, and we’ll check it out”, there’s no comfort there. There's no rapport building. You are script reading and not having a productive conversation. I certainly wouldn’t go to a place whose main focus was to lure me to come in.
If a new customer describes their problem and asks, "What do you think it is?" If you say, "Bring it in, and we’ll check it out," you’ve built no confidence. To them, it’s as if you’ve never heard that issue before, and you will be learning on their car. To them, all you care about is getting their car in their shop and making money off them.
If you say, "It sounds like a (blank)", or "Let’s hope it’s a (blank)." That’s not diagnosing it. That’s showing that your shop is familiar with issues like they’re having with their car.
