The auto industry is in the middle of a credibility crisis. “Auto Anxiety” is rampant. Most people are scared to see a mechanic, because they don’t know who to trust. Read ahead to see some shocking auto industry statistics. I’ll also share some thoughts about how to bridge the communication gap between auto shops and the public they serve.
The Problem: Fear and Auto Anxiety
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, consumers lose tens of billions of dollars each year due to faulty or unnecessary car repairs. Here are more troubling statistics from a survey performed by Repair Trust:
- 86% of car repair customers stated prices are too high or outrageous
- 78% suspect they are paying too much for car repair
- 70% are concerned about being overcharged
- 40% are certain they were overcharged
This is bad news for all mechanics. Wouldn’t you hesitate to spend money on a service if you suspected the cost was inflated? It’s no wonder people are so resistant to repairs. They can’t tell the difference between an essential repair and a scam.
The Solution: Educate and Empower
Female drivers feel intimidated, because they don’t know who to trust for their service. If a woman has been ripped off in the past, she might believe all mechanics are bad. Educating your female customers will make them less resistant to the idea of investing in preventive repair and maintenance.
Know a lot about cars? Pretend you don’t for a moment. Imagine you go to a mechanic. They say your car has a serious problem that could affect your safety. Fixing that problem costs $500. The mechanic doesn’t show you the issue. They just tell you about it (even worse, in words you don’t understand).
Would you trust them?
In all honesty, I wouldn’t (no offense!).
I encourage all women to use these two magic words: “Show me.” If a woman sees the problem with her own eyes, she will feel more comfortable with hiring a mechanic. All mechanics should show their customers exactly what needs to be fixed. For bonus points, explain why the repair is necessary in nontechnical terms.
One more thing. Most drivers aren’t aware of how easy preventive auto repair and maintenance can be. Smart auto shops host educational workshops for their customers to build trust and goodwill. It’s as simple as showing a woman how to open her hood. Also point out where different fluids are located and suggest checking those monthly
Educating and empowering women is the right thing to do. If you put service first, women will be happy to pay you. They won’t assume they are being scammed. They will willingly bring their car in for preventive repairs. They will trust you and post a good review about you in our free auto shop directory. Heck, I grew my customer base 4x by following the steps I talked about here!
Let’s Bridge the Communication Gap for Good!
Are you in? If so, click here to join Women Auto Know today.
You must be logged in to post a comment.