Many automotive garages are struggling to improve their brand image, and are facing reputational issues that they could have avoided. If you are a garage and despite your efforts, and the different strategies you have put in place, you still can’t manage to improve your brand image, we suggest you discover how to do it in this article.
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Improving the customer experience in a garage
The first thing you need to do to improve your brand image is to optimize the customer experience at your automotive facility. To do this, you need to provide a warm, professional welcome and quick response to their problem. Make sure you create a comfortable lounge area in your garage for your customers to sit while you diagnose the problem with their vehicle and make the necessary repairs. Customers can wait for hours if the reception is friendly and especially if you find ways to entertain them. These elements can work to your advantage over the competition, and your customers may not look elsewhere for a while.
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Referring your garage online
The Internet has taken over the power, it’s no secret. To make any purchase of any product or to request a company for a service, many people go through this channel. Therefore, you must do everything possible to ensure that your online e-reputation is impeccable. If a potential customer decides to check your reputation and does not find any comments about your establishment, he will think that you are not credible. Any company whatever its sector of activity must be present on the internet, it is a must. No need to create an extravagant website, a simple website presenting your activity will be enough to be classified in the directory. Among the online directories of automotive garages, we can cite.
If your garage is located in the United Kingdom, we recommend that you register on these directories and fill in the required information to be sure to get new customers. Your presence in a directory helps to reassure your customers that they are making a good choice by coming to you. To maintain your online reputation, you can use an agency like Five Reviews which specializes in managing the e-reputation of small, medium and large companies.
Have positive Google reviews
In addition to your presence in business directories, you must have a Google My Business listing to allow your customers to leave reviews so that you can respond to them. Note that 93% of consumers refer to online reviews before purchasing or requesting a service. It is wise that the positive reviews on your page are recent. If you have negative reviews, remember to respond in a polite and courteous manner. Indeed, if you decide to ignore the negative comments left by former customers, it could damage your brand image. If you didn’t already know, a response to a negative review can cause the customer to delete or change their review.
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Take care of your communication
Communication plays an important role in the brand image of your establishment. Indeed, it allows you to get more customers and to keep the existing ones. For your communication strategy to be infallible, several solutions are available to you:
- Assembly of flyers and business cards,
- Follow-up of clients after a service is rendered,
- Canvassing,
- Promotional offer (it can be on car maintenance, windshield change or oil change).
Your identity is critical to your reputation, and is the second most important thing customers look at after the customer experience. It can be your logo, graphics, the colors your garage wears and other elements that may seem insignificant. But note that all of these points are likely to help the customer remember your garage and that will make a difference.