AIA: Auto shops should improve customer communication

OTTAWA — More than half of Canadian vehicle owners claim regular vehicle maintenance is a high priority for them, yet only 30% are closely following their maintenance schedules, according to a new report by the Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada.

"That's an absolute wake-up call for us in the industry to really begin to step up our game and to improve the type of communication that we're having with vehicle owners as it relates to the ongoing maintenance and repair of their vehicles," James Channer, COO of In Motion Brands, said during a webinar discussing the report, "Vehicle Owner Attitudes Towards Maintenance and Repair," conducted by Quorus Consulting Group.

Quorus surveyed 2,000 Canadian vehicle owners in June 2021 and found that age and gender are significant factors in terms of how vehicle owners view the importance of maintenance and repair and their self-perceived knowledge of maintenance and repair.

Ten percent of respondents claimed they are very knowledgeable about vehicle maintenance and another 45% said they are somewhat knowledgeable. Men are five times more likely to proclaim themselves as very knowledgeable, compared with women; and older vehicle owners claim more knowledge then young owners.

"If we're going to be having conversations with vehicle owners, maybe that conversation is going to have to be a little bit different depending on demographics," Quorus President Rick Nadeau said during the webinar.

Nearly 60% of respondents said maintenance and repair are a high priority for them, with 37% saying it's of medium priority — but only 30% are following their maintenance schedules very closely, according to the report.

Maintenance is less of a priority among younger drivers and becomes increasingly more of a priority with age.

Demographics "ultimately has an impact on the decisions they will be making," Nadeau said, noting that owners' priorities and ability to pay for maintenance is lower when they are young, starting a family and buying a house.

"Life stage for sure is having an impact on decisions," he said.

"Clearly our level of technical expertise really needs to come across in clear language so not only can they understand but we can really begin to help them plan accordingly as it relates to that ongoing management of this very large investment that they've made," Channer added. "... If we can really begin to have those conversations, step away from that counter and really begin to engage them as individuals that have some anxiety about managing this large investment, we'll be miles ahead."

It is important for the independent repair shop to explain to its customers the importance to keeping up with vehicle maintenance: such as for safety, preventing breakdowns, extending the investment in the vehicle and reducing long-terms expenses. For every dollar that a consumer spends in preventive maintenance, it saves them $15 in repair costs in the future, Channer said.

He also suggested shops build such content into their websites, explaining how the shop helps protect customers' investment in their vehicles.

"Customers are looking to partner with us as trustworthy experts to help them maintain and protect this investment and to keep them safe," Channer said.

Part of the assistance is providing customers with reminders for the next scheduled maintenance. Surprisingly, the time-honored windshield reminder stickers still remain popular among consumers surveyed, they said.

However, younger vehicle owners prefer to be reminded through technology, such as app or text alerts.

"This is our opportunity to take the direction that consumers are asking for," Channer said. "They want us to help them plan. They are looking for us to keep them organized. They're telling us they want these notifications. … We can improve the way that we can communicate through apps and email and texting with our customers to help them make it easier and more simple to do these ongoing service intervals in their maintenance schedule that we can manage for them. That's what the progressive facilities are doing today."

Channer said it is important to find out the preferred frequency of reminders so as not to annoy the customer.

"I would encourage any ASP (auto service professional) to be able to have different channels of communication that you are willing to utilize and then to talk to each of your customers about the frequency of that communication based on their driving habits. That really falls into the type of schedule and planning that you'd like for them to work with you in partnership."

According to the study, 26% of respondents take their vehicles to a car dealership; 23% never go to a car dealership; and 53% go to both. So three-fourths of respondents visit an independent repair shop; the bad news is that same percentage also visits car dealerships, Nadeau said.

When it comes to consumer perceptions of independent shops versus car dealerships, "by far independent service shops are seen as outperforming dealerships in terms of value for the money," Nadeau said. They are also seen as being more trustworthy.

Car dealerships, however, are perceived to have better technical competence, cleaner shops, longer length of warranty, better quality of parts and proactive in notifying consumers about the need for maintenance.

Nadeau said there is a need for some myth busting.

"We know many vehicle owners are going to their dealerships exclusively, if not in part, because of the (OEM) warranty. The warranty is a significant driver that gets people going to their dealerships," he said.

About 31% of respondents believe if their car is under an OEM warranty, it will be nullified if the vehicle is serviced at a shop other than the OEM dealership.

To counteract this perception, AIA said it offers independent shops a downloadable sign to publicize that if a vehicle owner follows the maintenance procedures outlined by the manufacturer, the warranty won't be voided by going to an aftermarket shop.

Channer said the study shows "consumers are continuing to give us the roadmap with respect to where their expectations lie."

Consumers trust aftermarket shops but they are looking for cleaner facilities, renovated bathrooms and waiting rooms, and communication on the level of training technicians receive.

"We can't just put the (training) plaques up in our facility. That's all well and good. But you want them to first come to your facility. They are checking you out online, so you have to ask yourself: 'What does the content of my website look like? Have I actually updated that content to make myself more visible and relevant for what consumers are looking for?'" Channer said.

"We have to put ourselves out there, to exude this confidence and professionalism that we have in our business, in our people and the investments that we've made. It's clear consumers are asking for us to be more confident in making these recommendations ongoing and to communicate with them on a regular basis."

Many shops haven't kept up with technology and the digitalization of communication, he said. Shops can no longer rely on phone calls, they need a digital presence to notify and communicate their value and level of professionalism to vehicle owners.

"That's what they're looking for," Channer said. "They need help in managing the ongoing maintenance of their vehicles and they are asking us for that help."

Nadeau noted that the longer a customer has been with a shop, price starts to take a backseat to personalization of service and having a technician who knows their vehicle.

According to the report:

• 67% of vehicle owners said their trust would increase if their shop always had the same tech working on their vehicles;
• 66% said trust would increase if service centers spent more time explaining and showing how certain repairs/maintenance have an impact on safety and reliability of their vehicle;
• 64% wanted a shop to have a better way of helping them plan for short, medium and long-term repairs and maintenance;
• 51% preferred if the shop emailed them a short video explaining the maintenance and repair they need and links to websites that explain what is involved and why that maintenance or repair is important.

All of these features build trust, but also empowers the customer, Nadeau said.

"You're giving individuals knowledge and understanding and that empowers individuals and it empowers them to make what they would see as a right kind of decision around their vehicles."

If they have trust in the shop, then they become spokespersons for the shop, he added.

"Trust and loyalty can make your customers your best salespeople."

People look for recommendations for an shop from family, friends and colleagues. Then they will look to see if the shop offers a good value and then they see if the shop is located near them, he said.

Channer also noted that how a customer "feels" at the shop is important.

"There's a difference between the service we deliver and the experience that the consumer felt," he said, noting Disney, Apple and Starbucks do this well.

"It would serve us better to spend more time with our teams talking about creating experiences. Those experiences will leave these consumers feeling a certain way. If we can help them relieve some of that anxiety that they're feeling and we can build that confidence that they have in us. And we're using modes of communication to do that and we're making some of these connections, we'll be in great shape."

Nadeau added that consumers are going to remember a negative experience just as well as they remember a positive experience.

Communication, explanation, budgeting future services, ongoing alerts and notifications "will raise our level of professionalism in their eyes," Channer said. Independent shops should be able to compete with the perceived level of professionalism at dealerships.

There are aftermarket shops that have developed booklets, web content and videos explaining why they recommend certain maintenance services.

"Consumers are looking to consume this type of information and they want confidence in why you recommend what you recommend," Channer said.

He encouraged shops to give consumers information they can digest at their own pace via videos or digital vehicle inspections, or emailed information and photos, because they have a high level of anxiety around something they are not confident in and they fear getting over sold.