{"id":284,"date":"2011-06-20T08:05:16","date_gmt":"2011-06-20T13:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/?p=284"},"modified":"2011-06-20T08:05:16","modified_gmt":"2011-06-20T13:05:16","slug":"trust-is-not-a-four-letter-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/2011\/06\/20\/trust-is-not-a-four-letter-word\/","title":{"rendered":"Trust is not a four-letter word"},"content":{"rendered":"

No, seriously, it\u2019s not. It\u2019s a five-letter word. And, it\u2019s the single most important factor to your success in the automotive repair business.
\n\u201cTrust me,\u201d<\/em> you say.
\n\u201cExperts you can trust,\u201d<\/em> you print on your marketing materials.
\n\u201cWhen cars need fixing, consumers trust their vehicles to us,\u201d<\/em> your Yellow Pages ads read.
\nI wonder, though, if your actions support your words.
\nTrust cannot be requested. Usually, when you have to ask someone to trust you, it\u2019s because you have not yet earned that person\u2019s trust.
\n\u201cTrust me,\u201d<\/em> is a weak attempt to close the sale before you\u2019ve put in the hard work required to earn the sale.
\nTrust may appear elusive, but only because you\u2019re looking to build trusting relationships at the wrong times.
\nTrust takes years to build but only moments to lose. Most people (your customers, for instance) are slow to trust others. They start out skeptical and cautious until your prove yourself over time with your words and actions. You give someone bad advice once and suddenly they question everything you\u2019ve ever told them. You overcharge a customer once and they forget about all the years you serviced their car at a discount.
\nTrust me – trust is the one thing that you need most.
\nThink for a minute. How easy would your business be if everything you said (or your manager said) to your customers were accepted at face value?
\n\u201cMr. Customer, your car needs a new transmission. It\u2019s going to run you $2,500 and we\u2019re going to do a great job,\u201d <\/em>you\u2019d say.
\n\u201cOK, great,\u201d<\/em> your customer would reply.
\nOr, \u201cMrs. Customer, I think you are going to be better off repairing this car rather than buying something new. It\u2019s in your best interest to have us get to work right away.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cDo it. Thanks for letting me know,\u201d<\/em> she\u2019d reply.
\nOr on the phone, \u201cYes we do fix transmissions. You\u2019re not going to find anybody in our metro area that does a better job. What time can you bring it in?\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cRight now,\u201d<\/em> your customer would say.
\nWhen you\u2019re trusted, customers don\u2019t shop around. They don\u2019t get a second opinion. They don\u2019t think about it. They don\u2019t second-guess your advice.
\nWhen you\u2019re trusted, customers send you unrequested referrals. They tell everyone how great you are. They bring their cars to you time and time again. Even for a service you may not offer.<\/p>\n

They want your help.<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

Yes, there are other factors that can help your success. Yes, it\u2019s true that beyond trust the customer must also have a need and perceive a value. Yes, you have to be friendly and likable and fair.
\nBut nothing is as powerful as being trusted.
\nI wonder how trustworthy you are.
\nI wonder how trustworthy your brand is.
\nI wonder how trustworthy your shop is.
\nI wonder how trustworthy your CSM, your foreman, your builder, your R&R guy, your receptionist, your voicemail greeting, your signage, and your lobby.
\nI wonder how trustworthy your everything<\/strong> is. And so do your customers.
\nTrust is a feeling. A gut feeling. Take a look at the two photos below. Whom do you trust to sell you a car?
\n\"Trust
\nWhat does your CSM look like? What does your CSM sound like on the phone? Instant trust or instant bust?
\nOK, so you want to know how to earn and build trust?<\/p>\n

Start here:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Always do what you say you are going to do.<\/strong> Make sure everyone in your shop does the same. None of this, \u201cWell I don\u2019t care what the technician told you, I\u2019m the manager and this is what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d Your shop must operate with one voice.
\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Always do whatever is in the best interest of your customer.<\/strong> Sometimes that means telling them NOT to fix their car. Sometimes that means doing a minor repair even though they\u2019d be willing to pay for a full rebuild or reman.
\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Always give more value than your customer expects.<\/strong> Go the extra mile. Wash their car before you return it to them. Give them a free oil change if you\u2019re doing a big job. Doing something unexpected and valuable shows your passion for serving others.
\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Always tell the truth. No matter what. Telling the truth means never having to remember what you said.
\n5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If you don\u2019t know, say so.<\/strong> Then find the answer and deliver it to your customer. Don\u2019t guess.
\n6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Under-promise.<\/strong> Over-deliver. Finish early. Charge less than you quoted. Deliver a car to someone\u2019s home each day.
\n7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Always ask for a testimonial.<\/strong> Your prospects are much more likely to trust others than they are to trust you. Videotape your happy customers telling the world why everybody should trust you.
\n8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Come to work each day with the mindset that you have to prove yourself to others.<\/strong> This might be your 10,000th transmission job, but it\u2019s likely your prospect\u2019s first.
\n9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Be consistent.<\/strong> Earning trust comes from being reputable, reliable, and repeatable. Do the same thing every day. Over and over and over again. Even when you\u2019re bored. Even when you\u2019re feeling lazy.
\n10.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Start small.<\/strong> It\u2019s easier to build trust with many little experiences (oil changes, tire rotations, brake jobs, alignments, etc.) than with one big job because customers are more likely to take a risk with lower dollar amounts. If you\u2019re not in general repair you\u2019re missing a strategic advantage and opportunity. You don\u2019t need more advertising, you need more friends.
\nSound like a lot of work? Sound hard? You bet. That\u2019s the good news. Most people (your competition, for instance) are not willing to put in the hard work. You can do it, I trust you.
\nAre there more ways to earn trust? Yes, definitely. And I\u2019d like to hear about them from you. Send me your best ideas by emailing captain@etereman.com.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No, seriously, it\u2019s not. It\u2019s a five-letter word. And, it\u2019s the single most important factor to your success in the automotive repair business. \u201cTrust me,\u201d you say. \u201cExperts you can trust,\u201d you print on your marketing materials. \u201cWhen cars need fixing, consumers trust their vehicles to us,\u201d your Yellow Pages ads read. I wonder, though, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTrust is not a four-letter word - REMANU<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/2011\/06\/20\/trust-is-not-a-four-letter-word\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trust is not a four-letter word - REMANU\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"No, seriously, it\u2019s not. It\u2019s a five-letter word. 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