Pre-alignment checks can increase your bottom line.

If you want to sell more alignments at your repair facility it is important to focus on a good pre-alignment inspection. Start by checking the air pressure on all four tires, making sure to inflate them to the recommended pressure. Always check to see that the tread and tire size are the same on both front wheels. Check to see it the tires are showing unusual wear or are damaged. Look over the tire completely. These are easy visual inspections your tech can make that could make the difference between selling an alignment and losing business.

The more thorough the pre-alignment inspection, the better your chances are of not overlooking something that could cause your customer problems down the road. Your customers will appreciate the money you save them in fuel, tire wear, and undercarriage repairs just by letting them know when it is time for an alignment. Remember the most neglected inspection item is tire inflation. Even the most precisely aligned toe angle will still pull if the pressures are not even.  Always check your customers tire pressure.

Women have a bigger influence than you may think.

Women are not a niche a market treating them like one could cost you valuable marketing dollars.
Women are the primary consumers in America. They are powerhouse purchasers representing over 85% of all consumer purchases made in the United States. Women influence over 95% of all service industry purchase. Women consumers are spending an average of 3.7 trillion a year according to INC. magazine.
What role do women play in your marketing campaign? Remember when you are marketing to women, keep in mind they are social so be genuine. Women purchase with emotion; Helping a woman understand how the recommended repairs based on safety concerns will help build a long term loyal relationship.
A great tool to help you educate your customer is our "Quick Check". Not only does it help you check your consumers vehicle in 90 seconds or less to ensure it is running at optimal performance it gives you a chance to protect your customer on the road.

Attending Trade Shows

Attending the 2013 Vision Hi-Tech training and Expo show has many benefits including comparing competitors, learning about the latest technologies, special pricing, and networking and education opportunities.

Hunter engineering will exhibiting at the 2013 Vision Hi-Tech trade show featuring the latest technologies in our booth. A trade show allows you; the attendees to see the latest offerings all in one place without the need for lengthy research or travel.

It also allows you to receive free gifts and special pricing. Stop by the Hunter booth and ask for Jeremy.

See you at the show!

What women are looking for from their automotive repair facility

There are five important pieces of information women are looking for from their automotive repair facility. 

• Women want answers to their questions and they need to have the "why" not just the "because". 
• Women want more detailed information regarding their repairs and why certain preventative maintenance is required. 
• Women are willing to look under the hood and they would like their old parts returned to them so that they feel like they are not taken advantage of. 
• Women are planners, therefore, preventative maintenance is very important. Helping women understand when certain maintenance is due and maintaining their service history online is a huge selling point. 
• Technicians report that women ask more questions, inquire about more details, are more willing to look under the hood or check out parts, and are focused on preventative maintenance.

2 Million Gallons of Fuel

70% of all vehicles on the road are out of alignment. Today’s average fuel price is $ 3.52. American’s are losing 2 million gallons of fuel a day due to various alignment and tire issues.

Today we will lose $7,040,000 in wasted fuel due to tire, steering, and suspension issues.  Repair facilities are finding it harder to up sell regular maintenance, alignments, and the basic services that keep your customers on the road in today’s economy due to budget constraints.

Helping your customers understand the importance of regular maintenance could save your customers thousands per year, this should also build customer loyalty. If you would like to learn more about checking your customer's alignment is 3 minutes or less give call at 913.481.9392 or contact me via email.

Internal customers

When repair facility owners ask me how to increase their average ticket I usually ask them how much they let their employees know how much they appreciate them. 

In order to increase your average ticket you have to have buy in from your internal customers. All of the high profile advertising in the world will not help you get more customers without the enthusiasm of your employees. 

Share your business objectives with your employees. Operate as a team rather than a hierarchy. Get buy in from your staff by listening more than you talk.

Increasing your ticket and helping your customer

The more information you can give your customer the better your relationship with that customer will be. Trust takes time. In the automotive time is something we are short on. Hunter’s single process Quick Check™ system will help you save time, increase profits, and build a loyal customer base.

In about 3 minutes you can share this vital information with your customer on a professional print out:

• Alignment Specs
• Brake Performance
• Battery Health
• Emissions
• Tire Health

Hunter’s single process Quick Check™ system gives you five more opportunities to increase your ticket, increase your customer's loyalty, and help keep them on the road longer.

Selling Alignments

The average price of a newly mounted and balanced tire with a new valve stem is roughly $125 per tire. That’s $500 for the set of four. If your customer's wheel alignment is out, they could lose that $500 in short order.

That’s why it's important to let your customer know when their vehicle is out of alignment. More often than not your customer assumes you are trying to up-sell them so try this approach.

"A vehicle that is out of alignment shortens the life of your tires, reduces your MPG, cause premature wear to your shocks and struts and reduces the quality of your ride."

What do 65% of all women do?

65% of women take their own vehicles to repair shops for service. Some repair industry experts believe that number is closer to 80% according to Road and Travel Magazine. That means there are  over 1.6 million women going into their local repair facility to have their vehicle repaired every year.

How do you attract that customer and build a long term relationship with them? Good service, fair prices, positive reviews; all of these techniques will get your potential customer in the door but you must offer them something different.

Hunter’s single process Quick Check™ system will help you save time, increase profits, and build a loyal customer base by providing vital information about the overall health of every vehicle that comes into your repair facility.