Customers entering bays. What do you do to prevent it?

[litljenarey]

We are leasing a 5 bay shop in a beautiful area of a Florida retirement mecca. We fall under all sorts of local noise, color, sign, and architectural restrictions. Truthfully, the place is quite attractive. The bays doors face the main street and the office/waiting room faces a side street with public parking.

We haven't opened yet but we already have customers stopping by to chat and ask questions every time the bays are open.

The previous shop was one man show who did it all in the first bay. He kept the "front" door locked.

Now it's on me to re-train the customers that they can't enter the shop, stand under the lifts, chat with the tech, smoke cigars, use the techs bathroom, or park use the street parking as long term boat/rv/limo storage.

The insurance underwriter is wanting yellow plastic safety chains and red "do not enter" type signs. I don't really like that look.

 

So what does everyone else do to prevent or discourage customers from just walking into your bays?

 

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[mspecperformance]

get the chains and such for insurance purposes but you don't have to use them.

In regards to customers being customers, you just have to politely discourage that behavior. Train the technicians to answer questions with, "Hello sir, you are looking for the front reception area" and point to the door. They arent there to answer questions, thats what your writers are for. When someone walks into the shop, "I'm sorry sir, due to insurance restrictions all clients can't be in the work area" point or show them to the office. Yes its nice to have techs walk all the customer to the office but at least train them to SMILE, be polite and point. Please and thank you go a long way. 

[J.P. GLENN]

Putting a plastic chain with a sign on the closest bay door to the office worked surprisingly well when we were having similar issues.  Just put a sign with the word "Office" and an arrow on it pointing to the office.  (you could also just do each of the "end" bays for a little more coverage depending on which way the customers are coming from.) 

[tyrguy]

We don't prevent it, we allow it. I have never had an insurance company mention restricting customers in the bays in 38 years.

[alfredauto]

If you've ever witnessed a lift failure or accident you would definitely not allow customers in the shop. We had a strut come apart not too long ago put a dent in the garage door if the guy was standing there his child rearing abilities would have been diminished. 

I like chatting with customers, they provide me with a good living. I appreciate them, and I don't want them to get hurt. Sometimes there's hot metal pieces on the floor, oil or water on the floor, you name it. Customers in the bay slow down production and increase the likelihood of accidents. No no and no I lure them out of the shop.