If you don’t take the time to maintain all areas of your auto shop, it can quickly become a shop of horrors. This could drive away your customers and impact your bottom line. Here are some of the ways that your garage could become a less than ideal place to conduct business.
Poorly Maintained Service Area
A service area that’s cluttered and dirty presents the image that you don’t care about your customers or your employees. For example, the floor in your service area is important to maintain because fluids are likely to be spilled on it from time to time. Consider painting your service floor with a stain-resistant coat made with fluorinated polymer. This will help with the image that you want to project of being a well-run auto shop.
Waiting Room Nightmare
The waiting room sets the tone for the rest of your business. Keeping it clean and inviting will help you establish a loyal customer base. For example, chairs that are comfortable and properly maintained give the impression that you care about your customers. Providing reading material or other forms of entertainment will help them to pass the time. And, if your budget allows it, offer complimentary beverages and snacks to your customers.
Disgusting Restroom Facilities
A bathroom says a lot about how you handle your business affairs. A bathrooms that is poorly maintained and doesn’t have adequate supplies suggests that you don’t care about the people you’re serving. Keep your bathroom cleaned and stocked on a regular basis so that you don’t turn off the people that make your business possible. Post a cleaning schedule so that you can showcase the fact that you care about the state of your restrooms.
Ineffective Storage Management
Tools should be stowed in an organized manner. This may involve the use of shelves or cabinetry to improve the appearance of your business. Not doing so causes your employees to waste time having to locate the tools for the job. It also sends the message that you don’t care about the quality of your equipment or the disheveled appearance that you’re projecting. It lends to the image that you don’t care about your employees or about making your customers happy with the end result.
There are lots of ways that you can turnoff customers from wanting to do business with you. Cleanliness and organization go a long way in presenting the right image to both your customers and your employees. Consider these things so that you don’t let your auto shop become one that drives away your customer base.