Is Your Shop Addressing Deferred Work?

Opportunities with the consumer and clients are so abundant within the aftermarket today, however, one has to slow down and see where the opportunities lie. Consider this approach and understanding as to what the Aftermarket shop really is; “The Aftermarket shop is a business being hired by the consumer to investigate, inspect, discuss and recommend the various services required to maintain a vehicle in an absolute safe and reliable condition.”

When a shop embraces its role within the community to act and conduct its affairs on a Professional level as being the experts at what they do, then the relationship, one transaction at a time, starts to move into a very positive direction.

Once this culture is embraced, true service discussions can take place in a calm and trustworthy manner compared to a “front counter salesman trying to meet sales levels using every possible closing technique they can think of”. The difference is night and day.

As the discussions progress, there are many times the client chooses to defer a service whether it be a time or financial factor for them. We have found a trend that shows if a shop bills out $2,000 in labour that day, the shop also experiences, in many cases, close to $2,000 in total deferred work for the day. WOW, there’s an opportunity.

Take the time to review what your internal processes are to follow-up with deferred work as it relates to safety and reliability. Never assume the client will remember and consider its importance and book the work in at a later date. It is the shop’s professional responsibility to take control and manage the vehicle on behalf of the client and ensure that these issues are being brought up again to the client’s attention for its importance in enjoying a safe and reliable vehicle.

So what is the purpose for following up on deferred work? If you’re thinking first in your mind, more sales for you… you don’t get it yet… that is the result only when your Professional responsibilities are being executed properly. The purpose of the follow up is to ensure safety and reliability of the client’s vehicle!!!! That is the reason you are in business. Client first, you second… get it??