There’s really no logical explanation as to how the notion that women and auto repair shops don’t mix came about. As a matter of fact, the common belief is that an auto repair shop is just no place for women to be. Another misconception is that women will not be treated well inside an auto repair shop simply because of their gender. For this reason, women do not typically go to these places. Instead, they ask their husbands or male friends to help them out with having their car fixed.
Whether or not they actually have the knowledge about cars, it still is no reason to degrade women and treat them differently. After all, these women customers are human beings and potential customers for the establishment too. By treating these women customers fairly, it won’t be long before women will be more open to the responsibility of taking their cars to the shop. Instead of waiting for their husbands to do the job for them, they can do it on their own.
If you are an auto repair shop owner, it is important that you carefully consider how well your employees are treating your customers. Not limiting your observation to women customers, you will gain an understanding of what needs to be done and arranged in your shop so that your business can be a better one.
With this, here are a few tips you can use to help you make your shop an inclusive environment:
Tip #1: Explain Issues in Layman’s Terms
Even though you want to make your customers know that you are an expert in car maintenance and repairs, you won’t be doing anyone a favor when you only use technical terms when explaining things. The best way you can let your customers understand the problem of their vehicle is to explain it to them carefully. Use layman’s terms to carefully illustrate the problem, and give them an account of what will happen if the issue is not attended to right away. At the same time, give them a number of repair options so they can decide what best to do to help fix the problem.
Tip #2: Clean up your Establishment
There is no harm in informing your employees to remember to clean up the waiting area and other premises of the establishment where your customers may roam. With this, you’ll be sure that you get to have a healthy establishment free of any pests.
Tip #3: Add Some Entertainment
While waiting, your customers will want to have something that will help occupy their thoughts. One way you can do this is to have entertainment ready for them. You can decide whether you want to add a TV with some movies to show or even just add a variety of magazines on a table. By having these things, your guests will forget that they have been waiting, if that is the case.
Tip #4: Improve Customer Relationship by Providing Updates
One of the common issues that customers, not just women, encounter with auto repair shops is that they are not given the update they are waiting for. They keep on waiting for hours or days without any word about what the status of the vehicle is. This is one issue that needs to be fixed quickly. By informing your employees to give a quick phone call or send an email to the customers for a follow-up after the repair, you can immensely improve your relationship with your customers. This will let your customers see that you are truly looking out for their vehicle’s welfare.
Tip #5: Always be Respectful to All Customers
For years, auto repair shops have been depicted as a place where women don’t belong. But as times continues to change, it’s best to alter your perception of what men and women can and cannot do—one of which is to change roles in the household. For this, you can train your employees to be polite and respectful to women at all times.
Written by the staff at KB Tire & Auto. KB Tire & Auto is the leading expert in auto repair Moberly MO has to offer.
