Are you taking the time to go back and listen to your phone call recordings on a weekly basis? If not, you are likely missing tons of opportunities to improve the performance of your auto repair shop.
By listening to a random selection of calls each week, you get to learn what your employees sound like on the phone and offer direction to improve their results. Here’s what you need to do to boost your customer service by auditing phone calls.
Listen to Random Phone Calls on a Weekly Basis
You only need to set aside about one to two hours per week for auditing phone calls and working with your service advisors on making key improvements. To start, you’ll want to pull up a recording of a random phone call completed the week prior. Get out a piece of paper and pen so you can take notes while listening to the call.
Write Down Your Impressions and Questions
As you play back the call, prepare to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Reflect on what they might be thinking and feeling during the conversation.
Then, listen carefully to each part of the conversation and write down all your impressions. Also, jot down any questions that enter your mind as you listen to the audio.
Think about things like:
- Did the service advisor mention any good things about the vehicle?
- Is the right balance of service info provided in an easy-to-digest format?
- Does the service advisor use the right language and present himself as an expert in the field?
- Were any financing options or repair alternatives offered to the customer?
- Was the customer given any photos or videos before the call to help them better understand?
Beyond all that, reflect on whether the customer sounded like they understood the problem and were willing to consider repairs. If not, did the service advisor offer them a chance to sell the vehicle to the shop instead? Did they correct any inaccurate info presented by the customer in a friendly, yet informative manner?
Have Your Service Advisor Listen to Their Call
Once you have your impressions and questions squared away, bring in your service advisor to have a listen. Inform them that you’re going to play a recording of a recent call they made and that you would like to hear their thoughts on potential improvements.
Ask them to write down their notes as the call plays, and then you’ll discuss their findings afterward. Don’t be surprised if they have 10 things or more that they would change since most people are their own harshest critics.
Ask What They Would Have Done Differently
Once the call finishes, ask what they thought and go from there. You’ll likely come across many opportunities for improvement and have a chance to address many of the same issues you wrote down as well. Just be sure to mark them off as you go, so you can see what’s been covered in the next step.
Throughout that process, offer constructive criticism sandwiched between accolades on where you found they did good relating with the customer and addressing their needs. As you provide feedback in that manner, your observations are more likely to stick with your service advisor and encourage them to do better next time around.
Go Over Your Notes with Your Employee and Address the Major Issues
Before concluding the meeting, go back over your notes and see if there’s anything that you missed talking about. Then, address those issues while offering ways to improve and highlighting things to avoid.
At the end of the conversation, let your service advisor know that you’ll be auditing phone calls on a weekly basis from here on out. Tell them that you expect to see improvements week after week, especially in regard to the areas you addressed during your meeting.
Plan to listen to both outgoing and incoming calls each week to see where you can do better in serving your customers. Over time, you’ll get to iron out major issues and get everyone on the same page when it comes to providing the perfect level of customer service.
Ready to Take Your Auto Repair Shop to the Next Level?
Are you ready to streamline your processes and take your auto repair shop to the next level? With help from Chris Cotton at AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching, you can boost the success of your auto repair shop in just a few easy steps.
Whether you need to just get audits working overtime in elevating your shop’s performance or overhaul all your processes, you can greatly benefit from an auto repair coach on your side. To get started, just call (940) 400-1008 or fill out the online form to find a convenient time to talk about the top ways to improve your auto shop.
