Suppose every customer that brought a vehicle to your shop for repair brought along ten more customers for you. As one customer became ten and ten customers became one hundred and one hundred became one thousand, you would soon be maxxed out. Yes, this is a fantasy, because every customer won't bring in the ten. But even so, every customer is capable of many more potential referrals than ten and it's up to you to draw out those referrals.

How do you do that?

You start when the customer comes into the shop and fills out the customer information form. Most shop personnel breeze right past this incredible referral opportunity. All they want is a driver's license, the registration document and the key. Now they have the name, address and license number of the driver and the VIN and license plate number of the vehicle. With the key in hand, they've got the job and are ready to start repairs.

What's wrong with that?

SEEING THE FUTURE IN EVERY CUSTOMER

If we only lived in the NOW moment, all would be well. But that isn't the case. We have a future to contend with. There are future salaries, future bills and future taxes. Only future jobs will pay for all of that. So personnel signing in new customers have to become able to SEE THE FUTURE in that customer, and not just the future delivery of the car a week or so later. They have to be able to look past the immediate presence of that customer and imagine that person's family, friends, employer, employees, other service providers and more. If everyone in the shop became able to see every customer as a walking depository of at least ten jobs, they would begin to understand the customer's real value -- and the very real loss if that value hadn't been tapped.

So how does a conscientious, future-oriented customer service representative tap into that customer's mental database? A well-designed customer information form is a good start, if the customer is given the time and a bit of a push to fill it in (contact me if you need a good form). That form will ask for husband's, wife's, children's, grand-parent's and other birthdays plus anniversaries. It will provide a space for the customer's company or employer. And of course it will request insurance agent information.

BEYOND THE OBVIOUS

Another complete database in the mind of every customer contains information about the many services, businesses and professionals that person deals with all of the time. It includes dry cleaners, restaurants, hair dressers, mechanics, bankers, lawyers, doctors, dentists, insurance agents and more. Most of these people own vehicles and are great potential referrals, but how can this database be accessed by shop personnel?

One shop has devised a monthly drawing for a dinner for two, two movie tickets, a free tank of gas, etc. To get in the drawing, the customer has to list ten favorite vendors they use regularly on the drawing ticket and deposit it in a barrel in the shop waiting area. Some of the vendors are then contacted to provide prizes for the drawing and a special discount is offered by the shop to repair any dents or dings on their commercial vehicles. The entire process is a simple outreach into the community, connecting with many businesses and soliciting commercial vehicle repair work.

ONE LAST CHANCE

It would seem we have now tapped most of the customer's connections, but if not, we have one more shot at it. When the vehicle is delivered, there is one more way to prompt referrals. Many shops provide a "Thank You" form or send a "Thank You" letter. By simply providing (or sending along) a coupon for $75, $100, or a discount on paintless dent removal, windshield chip repair or other vehicle service, more referrals can be requested. To be effective, the letter or attached "Thank You" form should indicate: "This coupon (or discount) can be used by family, friends, business associates or your employer or employees."

Now you have taken advantage of this one contact with the customer to prompt as many referrals as possible. All that remains is to follow up after the repair with birthday greetings, anniversary greetings, drawing prize opportunities, and enclosed coupons for discounted services. An astute shop manager will also collect a customer satisfaction statement when every vehicle is delivered. At least a couple of these statements should be mentioned in the coupons or flyers that are sent out to prior customers on a regular basis.

With just these simple methods of tapping into your customer's circle of contacts, you should easily be able to generate ten more jobs from each customer in the long run. And that should make a significant difference in the amount of business coming to your shop every year.

Tom Franklin has been a sales and marketing representative and consultant for forty years and is the author of the books, "Business Battlefield Marketing for Body Shops," "Tom Franklin's Top 40 Marketing Tactics for Body Shops," and "Strategies for Greater Body Shop Growth." His marketing company now provides marketing solutions and services for body shops and other businesses. He can be reached for questions or comments at (323) 871-6862, by fax at (323) 465-2228, or by E-Mail: tbfranklin@aol.com.