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Over phone qoute process

Spencerauto2013

By Spencerauto2013
in Invoices & Estimates

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Spencerauto2013 Rookie

Spencerauto2013

Posted
Posted

What is your process for quoting over the phone?

Do you quote over the phone or do you advise having the customer come in first?

Do you quote the immediately and have them wait on the line or do you call them back?

Do you use websites like repair pal for quick, general estimates?

 

 

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CarER Enthusiast

CarER

Posted
Posted

I know this topic has been covered before and many people handle it in many ways. Me personally, the only thing I quote over the phone is an oil change, and even then I only quote a range.

 

For example: If someone asks me how much an oil change is, my reply is "Our oil change packages range from $30.49 to $76.95 depending on the type of vehicle. This includes an oil change, 51 point inspection and unlimited fluid top off. I have an appointment available at 9 am or 2 pm tomorrow, which one works best for you?"

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alfredauto Experienced

alfredauto

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When you give a price over the phone you encourage mindless price shopping. Get them in to see what they really need. I quote tires and oil changes, they also get "the lowest price tire is not the one I prefer to put on your car." Or "cheap oil is too expensive we put the right stuff in. We have free Starbucks coffee on Thursday I can squeeze you in at 8:15"

 

The folks that just want the cheapest I don't really want in my garage. Maybe when its been snowing for a week and we're cleaning the oil drains but even then its a toss up.

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TheTrustedMechanic Community Regular

TheTrustedMechanic

Posted
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I will quote over the phone ONLY if the customer knows what is required.

My favorite is "How much for brakes." That's it, not front or rear or what kind of car just, "How much for brakes." There is a shop nearby that has a menu price for brakes but they even have a price with rotors and one for pads only and resurface rotors and then the disclaimer "most cars". Funny, I'm a little higher on most cars with resurfacing rotors but I am generally less with rotors, adn that's using top quality stuff versus their "service grade."

 

I always take their name and number and call them back. I HATE phone quotes as most are only shopping on price. But when I refused to quote without inspecting the car first I quite literally NEVER closed a sale. Quoting over the phone I will close a small percentage (usually about 1 in 4 or 1 in 5) but that's better than zero. A few have turned into good customers too.

 

Quoting over the phone is generally a waste of time. But what if that person calling wants you to do the work but is scared off when you won't give them a price? They know how much they have to spend and they don't want to be embarassed and sometimes rightly suspect that the price will increase simply by having you check it out. Don't get me wrong, we are entitled to be paid for our time but the customer is right, having us check it out to tell them waht they already "know" will increase their cost to have the repair done. But say they only have $250.00 this week and they are afraid the repair will cost more than that. They don't know if they can afford the repair or not. So they call and ask. Hey, you never know, maybe your quote is only $230, "Okay, when can I get it in?" Or your estimate comes in at $320, IF that is what it really needs. Okay, I'll get back to you. Remember this customer wants you to do the work. So next month after rent and insurance and the light bill they have another $100. So they call you and make the appointment. But they would not have done that if you hadn't given them a quote over the phone.

 

With all that said, phone quotes tend to be a waste of time. I hate them, but like I wrote, I never closed a sale during the roughly 9 months I refused to give a quote over the phone. Take my tirade for what it's worth, my 2¢.

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alfredauto Experienced

alfredauto

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Its such a touchy subject. I agree with trusted mechanic, not giving a phone quote scares them off. Sometimes I'll offer a general price, like "typically we are about 20% less than the dealer but we do use the same genuine parts", or " I can put brakes on your car for $69 but I guarantee they will squeak". What I'm getting at is spend the time on the phone befriending the person on the other end and try to gain their trust. Throwing out a number gives the next guy a number to beat.

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Elon Block Community Regular

Elon Block

Posted
Posted

The internet and all the information available to today's drivers has turned the
auto repair industry upside down. The shops that adapt to these changes have the
opportunity to do even better than the dealerships, box stores and big chains that
are not in touch with what has happened.

From our interviews, surveys, research and case studies of how today's customers think...

A customer calling about price is doing what they believe is logical, in their mind.
Understanding how the customer thinks and where they're coming from is the first step
to converting those callers and people at the counter, into a loyal customer,
for your shop.

Think about it. If they're calling you, there must have been a doubt in their mind
about what they were told by the shop that diagnosed their problem. Otherwise,
they would have had that shop take care of it. So, when they're calling YOU...
they're looking for a shop they can trust to take care of them.

For more on how the customer thinks...
https://youtu.be/-Uab-r8WJUs

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  • 3 months later...
mspecperformance Mentor

mspecperformance

Posted
Posted

Here is a link to a recent webinar about phone/price shoppers. I really like this approach to handling the phone.

 

http://blog.repairpal-shops.com/next-generation-telephone-skills-webinar-replay/

 

 

I did like most of the webinar, I would say a good 80% of it was useful and techniques that work. The problem I have with it is the use of the fair pricing tool that repairpal provides. I understand it is a webinar sponsored by repairpal so it makes sense for them to plug a feature of their service. Repairpal puts us all in a box and using their fair pricing tool makes all of us play by their rules which I disagree with 100%. I just wanted to make mention of this since I do see there is value with this webinar but be careful of taking it at face value.

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PAPShop Collaborator

PAPShop

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I had a guy that was asking for a price quote. All the guys were busy, so I asked if the owner could call him back. He said "you've seen enough of these go thru the shop, just give me a ballpark figure, I won't hold you to it".

 

I told him my ball park figure will be a major league size ballpark, where the guys would be a smaller little league size ballpark figure.

 

He laughed and said give it to him anyway. I gave him the figure of between $100 and $10,000..... he laughed again and made the appointment.

 

Generally we give ballpark figures with the disclaimers.

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mmotley Proficient

mmotley

Posted
Posted

If the customer really persists and won't budge, I've found just simply asking the customer if they are absolutely 100% certain that the vehicle needs what they are asking for, and nothing else and nothing more. I always follow up with "but I'd really like to just take a look at it for free. I mean, what if it's just a $5 fuse!"

 

I feel most phone price shoppers just don't know what questions to ask, other than price. I ALWAYS make sure to mention our warranty, loaner cars, ASE certifications, digital multi-point inspections, online reviews, etc.

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Elon Block Community Regular

Elon Block

Posted
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Price shoppers are never going to go away because...

As an industry, we have trained customers to be price shoppers with the coupons

and promotions we send out in the mail and post on the websites.

 

This method of marketing has taught customers to believe that pricing is important.

 

The problem is customers don't know the difference between menu pricing and

something that requires a diagnosis.

So, they believe they can just call you up and you can pull a price off a menu.

 

When the phone rings, that's your starting point with almost all callers.

The Auto Care Association published a startling report, which revealed that
1 out of every 3 customers are doing research and/or getting a second
opinion after receiving a diagnostic about their vehicle.

That number goes up to 1 out of every 2 customers, when the vehicle
owner is between the ages of 18-44 years.

The bottom-line is your people have to become proficient at two things:

 

1) Being able to convert those price shoppers into appointments. And

equally important...

2) Making sure your people have a selling system that removes 100% of

the customer's doubts that your recommendations are legitimate, your
pricing is fair and your shop is the obvious choice to do the work.

 

Mark Cuban recently said, "You have to re-earn your customer's business
every day." This is definitely true in the auto repair industry.

Here's more about that report from the Auto Care Association:
http://sellmoreautoservice.com/state-of-the-auto-car-industry-report/

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mobilepete Newbie

mobilepete

Posted
Posted

I'm inclined to let this 'type' of customer check others before calling me back for a quote. I know my costs and as others have said here, build a conversation that can instill a base level of trust and confidence. Offer them to get their best quote then call you back when their ready and offer yours off-the-top. BUT, only after a visual and physical inspection of the condition of the car will you be held to the quote. Most are understanding of this, if they aren't, well; give them their keys and let them move on to the lowest price.

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Elon Block Community Regular

Elon Block

Posted
Posted

I noticed the repair pal webinar link.

 

Does Anyone here get business by being "certified" with repair pal here?

 

Does is bring you any business and what does it cost/ require to get your name on their page?

Biff, I don't know the answer to this question. Marketing can solve a problem,

if getting more traffic to your website or getting the phone to ring is the problem

you're trying to solve.

 

However, maybe marketing isn't the problem? Here's why I'm saying that...

 

I looked at your website. And it says you only accept cash and checks. Is that

still the case?

 

Is there a reason you don't take credit cards?

 

Most people I know don't carry cash or even use paper checks these days.

 

So, exploring marketing options may not solve the problem.

 

Maybe taking credit cards so it's easier to do business with you is

the solution?

 

I don't know. I'm just looking at this from a different perspective.

 

 

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Gonzo Grand Master

Gonzo

Posted
Posted

I was "Pay Pal Certified" for over a year. Never got one job. Got a lot of calls but because I wouldn't work for the lowest "est" they had listed for the job the callers refused to come in. They pushed the AARP Preffered shop real hard. Would have thought that would work great here with all the retirees.

I'll bet all those type of people are looking for Sum Guy. LOL

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Gonzo Grand Master

Gonzo

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I was "Pay Pal Certified" for over a year. Never got one job. Got a lot of calls but because I wouldn't work for the lowest "est" they had listed for the job the callers refused to come in. They pushed the AARP Preffered shop real hard. Would have thought that would work great here with all the retirees. LOL

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ScottSpec Collaborator

ScottSpec

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Posted

We have been RepairPal Certified for about 2 years now. I've been pretty happy with the program. We have gotten customers through both their website and the towing program. I heard complaints from other shop owners about the RepairPal pricing tool, but I have found that there tool gives very realistic pricing. So when customers do come through the site, price is not usually an issue since they are already informed. The only downside is a lot of price shopper phone calls. While I believe RepairPal pricing is fair, by its nature, it will attract price shoppers.

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carolinahigear Collaborator

carolinahigear

Posted
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I have been taking credit cards since the 70's, and debit cards since they got started. I have had ZERO problems with cards or getting paid by the card companies. One day recently I did

 

$6977.82 (yes, I remember the amount) in business, and when I batched out that was the EXACT amount of my card purchases that day. I cannot imagine not taking cards. Here's a tip I use

 

when I'm pricing a job for a client. I picture them having a $10,000 limit credit card available that hasn't been used lately. Being armed with that thought process, I don't hesitate to get complete

 

inspections from my techs, and then write the estimate accordingly.

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Junior Collaborator

Junior

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Posted

When you give a price over the phone you encourage mindless price shopping. Get them in to see what they really need. I quote tires and oil changes, they also get "the lowest price tire is not the one I prefer to put on your car." Or "cheap oil is too expensive we put the right stuff in. We have free Starbucks coffee on Thursday I can squeeze you in at 8:15"

 

The folks that just want the cheapest I don't really want in my garage. Maybe when its been snowing for a week and we're cleaning the oil drains but even then its a toss up.

 

Totally agree with this, talk to them about the root complaint and get them in the shop to look at it and have a conversation about how they maintain and repair the vehicle. That's how you create a good relationship with the customer.

 

I'll let the other guys nickle and dime it, I have no interest in that.

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