Of course, you would expect your sales rep to say texting is right for your shop. However, if you ask your sales rep why, you will be happy to know there are good reasons for it. Here is a short list based on conversations with shop owners.
- Your customers are busy!
- Stop giving out your personal cell number
- Get called back
- Approvals
- Easier for your customers to respond
- Easier to type on your keyboard than a phone
- Your office can answer
One of the most common reasons I hear for a shop to NOT offer texting is their customers prefer a phone call. For some information, a phone call is right. However, when your customers ask you, “can you shoot me a text when my vehicle is ready”. Your customers are telling you this type of information is better with a short text. While explaining the importance of a repair or maintenance item is probably better on a phone call. Although, for your long-term customers, a simple text could get the job done.
Let’s break down some of those reasons for offering texting
Your customers are busy! For most customers, having their car repaired or maintained was not on their to-do list. Also, they need their car to get things done. Offering texting to your customers saves time and allows your customers to do their busy work with little interruption from your shop.
Stop giving out your personal cell number. Let’s face it, there comes a time in your business journey that you want your time off to be exactly that, time off. As your customers get used to your shop text number, you will receive fewer direct messages when your shop is closed. When you return to the shop, all your messages will be there for you to respond.
Get called back. When you have the customer’s vehicle tying up a rack, getting approvals and ordering parts is important. Instead of waiting for your customer to listen to a voicemail and then call you back; a short text requesting a call back will get better results.
Approvals. Documenting approvals is easy. Whether your customer is text conversing or you just hung up the phone, you can document the approval. After you hang up the phone, here a few things you can do. Send a follow-up text thanking your customer, state what they approved and how much, and you will text them when their vehicle is ready.
Easier for your customers to respond. Considering that when you try to connect with your customer, they could be doing something where answering a phone call is not acceptable. While, in many of those same situations, reading a text and sending a reply is acceptable.
Easier to type on your keyboard than a phone. You have a lot going on each day too. Typing a text message using a keyboard and a mouse is much easier than using your thumbs. In addition, your customer still gets the message on their cell phone as if it were a text message.
Your office can answer. When all the text messages are routing directly to your cell phone, you become a bottleneck and are too busy to manage it all. When your customers’ text message appears on your computer screen(s), your shop can answer the messages quicker, and you free up more time.
Summary
While there is 1 common reason not to use text messaging through Manager SE, there are plenty of reasons to start texting through Manager SE.
If you would like to learn more about your texting options, click here. You can also reach out to your Local Mitchell1 Rep and ask them about your texting options.