It's one of the new industry buzzwords, and rumor has it that all the top shops are using it in one form or another: CSI (Customer Satisfaction Indexing). Consolidators endorse it. Insurers demand it. Industry experts extol the virtues. But just what is this increasingly popular industry resource, and how can you use it to your benefit?

Like the industry itself CSI, in its' various forms, is in a state of rapid evolution. The old stereotype of CSI being simply a mechanism for customer complaints is giving way to sophisticated systems and reporting that enable shops to increase profits through an integrated commitment to customer satisfaction. Increasingly, shop owners are working CSI into their marketing budgets as an investment in the future of their business.

The reason is a change in philosophy and utilization. Astute managers and owners are realizing the diverse marketing implications that an effective and comprehensive CSI program offers a business. Here are just a few ways more progressive shops are using CSI.

CSI can assist you in marketing to your current customers in various capacities, helping you ensure and continuous stream of referral business. It is vital that your word of mouth advertising works for you, not against you. One very effective way to make sure that happens is to ask people about their experience, reaffirming it if it was positive and fixing it if anything went wrong. This is the basis of a good CSI program.

Remember-those who leave with an unresolved problem typically tell between nine and 16 others about it. That's word of mouth advertising you can't afford!

Don't forget that other business partners also have a big impact on your business. Insurance companies, agents, local dealerships, towing companies and others involved in the industry are vital for referrals. It's up to you to sell your quality work to them, and what better way to demonstrate your commitment to quality than with a third party CSI program? Combined with your sales presentation or personal call, CSI helps cement these important relationships.

CSI also helps support other marketing efforts. You can help close estimates by including a photocopy of a glowing CSI report with every estimate you give. You can utilize CSI in your shop by displaying it in the waiting room, reinforcing your commitment to quality in the customers' mind. On web sites, in print ads, in your Yellow Pages ad-whatever your marketing entails, CSI can bolster the credibility of your efforts.

Once the value of CSI becomes apparent, the next issue is one of cost or investment. That will depend on the CSI vendor you choose and the volume of work you do, and may be influenced by suppliers such as paint companies and by relationships with insurance companies.

In general, however, a rule of thumb is that you should spend about four percent of your gross sales on marketing each year. About 5% of that marketing budget should be devoted to a CSI program. Overall, CSI should make up only about 1/5th of one percent of gross sales.

In reality, CSI is an investment instead of a cost. It should be a vital part of an ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction that breeds repeat business and referrals. It should be an integral part of the marketing program, and used to its' potential it is going to create business. It only takes a couple referrals a year to pay for an entire CSI program.