Revenue boosters: 4 tips for increasing workshop income

There are many factors out there right now that are affecting how car dealerships are operating. Firstly, there is the lingering disruption of the pandemic which has put pressure on dealers to make up lost financial ground. And then there are the factory closures prompted by the global microchip shortage that has stifled new car production, increased delivery delays and heated up the used car market as a consequence.

These issues, however, are all principally related to the sales side of retailer operations, and to focus on them solely would be to overlook the revenue potential that can be found in the workshop. There are plenty of things that workshops can do to maximise their revenue over the coming months and beyond, and this blog highlights four particular areas to target:

Vehicle health checks and follow-ups

Lockdowns and remote working have drastically cut the mileage that many motorists have been doing over the past year or so. As a result, many cars that have been largely unused on driveways and in parking spaces could do with a good health check. Promoting these to customers through a personalised video communication could help get more people through the door and provide reassurance by ensuring cars are safe. But the possibilities for revenues don’t stop with health checks and minor remedial work.

Anything flagged up as an ‘amber’ within the health check traffic-light system can be followed up at a later date through CitNOW’s Amber Follow Up feature. It sends customers an automated email and copy of the health check video on the date you specify, meaning you can entice customers to book their cars in for repair at the most opportune moments.

Transparency and clarity

Many customers won’t know the ins and outs of how their car works, but will still want the confidence that they know their car is safe and is running as it should. Those workshop technicians who can deliver this information to customers via video in a clear, concise way are more likely to win repeat business in the future.

There are several key things to do to achieve this: a steady approach that doesn’t rush information, slow and clear speech, minimising the use of technical jargon, and the use of tools like tyre gauges to add visual evidence to the spoken description. Technicians can also utilise Clarity, a CitNOW feature which automatically reduces background noise and enhances the audio of videos before they’re sent to the customer.

Using video in this way can also improve workshop revenues through greater efficiency: the quicker a customer can see and understand faults through video, the quicker they can approve any work required. This means the work can be done faster, and the next customer’s car can be loaded onto the ramp.

Customer convenience

Customers want as little hassle or inconvenience as possible when getting their car serviced or repaired. Dealerships that can keep this stress to a minimum are far more likely to retain customers – and gain more through word of month – than those that can’t.

In particular, it’s important to make it easy and quick for customers to drop their car off at the workshop and to pick it up again afterwards. A user-friendly service where customers can book a pick-up time slot, for example through the CitNOW Vehicle Collect feature, is a great way to provide additional convenience. Video can also be used to notify customers when their car is ready for collection, without the need for an extra phone call.

Aircon regas

At this time of year, many customers will be looking for aircon regas work to ensure their comfort in the hot weather, especially in a summer where many more people than usual are spending their holidays in the UK. This is naturally a staple part of the advertising and point-of-sale marketing that dealerships do every summer, but with video, there’s an opportunity to do more.

A proactive personal video recording or post roll video that highlights the regas service can be sent to customers, some of whom may not have given their aircon any consideration. This unexpected and thought-provoking messaging can generate additional bookings, especially if the videos are personalised to reach out to specific customers.

CitNOW is here to help you take your workshop videos and customer experiences to the next level. Take a closer look at the solution and what you can achieve with it here. Plus, download our latest guide highlighting the rise of the digital workshop, and how video has become an even more vital tool to help you meet customer expectations.