A good mechanic is worth his or her weight in gold.
A while back I noticed my car didn’t have the grunt it used to. It happened sporadically, usually on a steep hill.
I ignored it, hoping it would go away, which was probably ill advised. Because one day it stopped going altogether. Thank goodness the little engine that could had enough left in it so I could pull off to the side of the road.
The fact my mechanic declined to charge me was the best thing he could do to ensure my loyalty to him.
I called the NRMA. The guy arrived (only took 20 minutes, thanks NRMA) and suggested I might be out of petrol (no). He couldn’t come up with anything else and so a tow truck was dispatched. It arrived in about 15 minutes.
I rang Nigel my mechanic and told him to expect me, and the tow truck guy dropped me and the car there. This was about 4pm in the afternoon. Nigel immediately offered me a courtesy car and off I drove.
He called me about 9am the next day. It was nothing serious (phew), just needed a replacement part to get the car going again.
Cost to repair? Nada, zip, zero. It was so easy to fix it wasn’t worth charging me. In fact, the entire exercise cost me nothing, except for about an hour of my time.
Now that’s what I call service, by all parties. The NRMA guy was quick, so was the tow truck guy and so was my mechanic. The fact my mechanic declined to charge me was the best thing he could do to ensure my loyalty to him. It’s not the only time he’s gone above and beyond to help me.
I always need replacement headlight globes between services and all I need to do is turn up and Nigel will change it on the spot. One time I had a flat tyre and he changed it for me as soon as I turned up, again without charging me.
If I’m going on a long trip I know I can pop in and he’ll have a squiz under the bonnet to make sure everything’s ticketyboo.
As a result, I wouldn’t dream of going to another mechanic and I’m always referring business to him.
Every time I need a service he gives me a courtesy car. He’ll also ring me after he’s had a look at the vehicle to tell me what needs fixing and what it costs. I get an itemised bill of everything he’s done to the car when I pick it up. If something major needs to be done at the next service he’ll give me forewarning and a rough price. And the best bit? Every client gets a chocolate when they drive off.
They’re small things, but they all add up and they are the mark of a great business.
I’m sure it means they get a lot of repeat business, something they will be able to point to if they sell up. This means it would likely attract a premium compared to other similar businesses.
It means they don’t have to spend as much on marketing because a substantial amount of their business will be from word of mouth and referrals.
I’ve also witnessed over the years very low staff turnover, something that helps keep costs down because they’re not constantly having to find replacements.
The business doesn’t have a fancy website – it’s extremely simple, but filled with offers for clients: new-client deals, free roadside assistance with regular servicing, free tyre pressure and tyre safety checks, free oil and fluid-level checks, a free pick-up and drop-off service and free advice when buying or selling a vehicle. At the moment there’s a summer special for a free cooling system test.
It doesn’t have a Facebook page, Twitter account or Instagram feed. I doubt the owners even know what Pinterest is.
There’s nothing ground-breaking, edgy or whip smart in their approach. They’re just following sensible commercial principles. It’s something every business should keep in mind.
All too often, businesses focus too much on coming up with new products, new ways of doing things and splurging money on expensive marketing campaigns that don’t deliver returns. A better approach might be to concentrate on what you’re good at doing, rather than being distracted by untried initiatives that could end up costing rather than making money.
I’m not saying businesses should never try new things. But there’s often merit in doing what you do best and not changing what you do for the sake of it, or because it’s the latest business fad.
With all the buzz around “disruption”, perhaps there will be a mechanic that changes the business model for this sector and eventually that will affect my mechanic. But for the moment they’re onto a really good thing and they should stick to it.
What’s your best example of exceptional customer service? Post a comment and let us know.
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