Chris Collins and a co-host tell automotive service advisors to stop hiding inspection findings and estimates from customers. One example: a shop quoted only $3,000 when the full estimate was $7,000, breaking trust. Present the complete picture upfront, consult your technician when you're unsure, and never promise guarantees on older vehicles.
Is tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
It always works out better.
So when I say that I think the thing that I've seen happen most often that just breaks my heart is let's say that you've got this huge laundry list of stuff and the advisor decides for the customer what the customer needs or doesn't need. So there might be $7,000 worth of work, but they only tell the customer about $3,000 worth of work.
So what you're saying is don't curate your own inspection sheet. Communicate what the technician.
Yes. What the car needs.
Let the doctor be the doctor and you be the nurse or the communicator. But don't, don't try to pretend to be the doctor.
Yeah, don't, don't tell me I have a broken arm when I have a broken arm and brain cancer. Right. Like it's.
Wow, that is an incredible analogy. Yeah, I like that.
So I thought that that was kind of a really good way to start. It echoes what you kind of your disclaimer on the front. And there's nothing to, there's nothing to remember about the story that you told somebody when you tell the truth. Like the whole thing is, is that. And you know, you're not telling. So I was thinking about that. Like you're not breaking the bad news to somebody. You're just exchanging the information.
Yeah. I think too many people.
Do that where they think it's like it's not your car or truck or whatever. Yeah. You're, you're saving them pain down the road by telling them the truth now.
Yeah. So the only thing that's not going to get better. That's right.
Cars do not. Or trucks do not heal themselves.
Well, I think that that's another really important.
There's no self healing parts.
Yep. So also understanding. And again, telling the truth. If you give me. Let's say that I've got my 2000.
Camry. Right. So it's a 22 year old car and it needs $7,000 worth of work. 23 the other. Oh, good Lord, it's 23 years old, isn't it?
You're writing the wrong date on your checks already.
Typically for two or three years.
Probably don't even have checks anymore.
I do have checks. Yeah. I never write. Emily, sorry.
It'S so easy to derail me, isn't it?
But I think that that's the other thing too is don't make any guarantees that if we do the $7,000 worth of work that something couldn't break tomorrow.
Keep in mind of the arena that we're working in, especially with these older vehicles, is that there's no. There's no guarantees on anything. And sometimes what happens is you fix something that's the weakest link and something else just becomes the weakest link. So tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. No editing.
No doing, like, well, I think they'll spend 3,000. So let me tell them about 3,000 worth of stuff when there's really seven.
Now, the other thing to go along with that, I would say is if you don't understand or you don't believe, go look at it with the tech. Yeah, there's many times where I'd go back to the tech and I'd be like, hey, I don't understand this. Can you show me?
So if you don't understand it. And that especially comes in handy when it's a big estimate. There's a lot of stuff to understand.
So go, go put your eyeballs on it.
That's great.
Also, I would have situations where the tech would recommend it. I would ask them to show me, and then they're like, oh, well, it's not that bad. They don't need it yet. And I was like, huh? Why'd you write it? You didn't write that on the inspection sheet.
We not do that.
Yeah. Could you, you know, so, okay, the next one that we have is that you want to do a complete estimate before you engage. Call the customer. Parts labor. A complete estimate of everything. Do not get on the phone and tell the customer that they need all this stuff. And you do not know the dollar amount.
That's right.
You're missing out. At the time of need is the time you want to give them the number.
Yeah, I call that ready, fire, aim.
And you also create anxiety by not telling them the number.
Frantic.
But I see advisors do that where they will tell the customer what they need. And the customer's like, well, how much? Like, oh, I don't know. I gotta do an estimate.
Yeah.
And then most of the time, you know who they blame that on? Parts, parts, parts, holds. Thanks so much for watching this clip of service driving revolution. We're uploading new stuff every day, so make sure you subscribe and click the bell icon so you don't miss out. If you have a question you'd like us to answer on the show, call 8333 Ask SDR and we'll answer your question on the show. That's 8333 Ask SDR for special deals on our books and training. Head over to offers.chriscollinsinc.com now that's offers.chriscollinsInc.com I'm Chris Collins, and I'll see you in the next video.
