Turning customers into friends is job one at Bonfe's Auto Service and Body Repair

Bonfe's Auto Service ABRN Top Shop collision repair auto body repair When most people hear the term CSI, odds are they think of the Crime Scene Investigation TV series filling the airways. That's quite different from the CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) you deal with. Still, you could take a cue from TV's CSI and look closer look at your customer feedback. Behind those figures and comments is important information you could be using to build your business.

For proof look no further than St. Paul. Minn.'s Bonfe's Auto Service and Body Repair, whose particular, very personal take on CSI has helped them become one of the nation's Top Shops. Putting a human face on this information has kept Bonfe's customers and their customers' children and grandchildren coming back for nearly six decades.

"Thirty years ago when companies first started offering CSI services, we jumped on it," says Tony Bonfe, co-owner. "After spending two years of going through all the paperwork and looking at the numbers and all the other information, we discovered that when a customer had had a problem or a comment or a suggestion, we had already talked to them. We were that close with our customers."

"We looked at the money we were spending and said 'this is ridiculous.' Now we do these surveys in-house."

Those in-house surveys became a guiding force for the business, especially those (few though they were) that provided any negative feedback or suggestions for improvement. "The negative comments and suggestions are important. You need to fix those problems if you're going to improve your business," says Bonfe.

Bonfe's doesn't process CSI feedback "coldly" or dispassionately. Completed surveys are sent to shop president Roger Bonfe who personally pours over the results at his home before delivering the results to the shop for further review.

"If he finds anything negative that is new to us, I'll call that customer right away to fix the situation," says Tony.

If there are any suggestions for service improvement, the elder Bonfe rallies the shop to respond. Recently, a customer asked for vehicle drop-off and pick-up hours on Saturdays. Today, Bonfe's offers Saturday hours from 8:30 to 11 a.m.

Even with this successful setup, Tony Bonfe stresses that customer satisfaction is most effectively gauged and addressed during, not following, the repair. The shop's policy is to become closely involved with customers and address any problems or questions long before a vehicle rolls off the lot. The goal is building close relationships.

"We work with them throughout the process. By the time we're finished, it's not so much like you're dealing with a customer, it feels more like you've made a friend," says Bonfe.

Bonfe says the shop is particularly well suited to take this approach because it's a true family business. "We're family-owned and family-run," he says, noting that while shops may be family owned, the family takes no part in the daily operations.

Four generations of Bonfe's have worked at the shop since Tony's grandfather Sam Bonfe founded the business in 1951. Many employees also sign on for the long haul. The shop has very little turnover. Fourteen employees have been with the business for 10 years and three employees have 20 years of service. This kind of stability is important in the close-knit St. Paul community.

"One of the things I hear most often from people who have gone to some of the large chain stores in the area is that the employees are always changing," Bonfe says. "They don't like that. Our customers are used to dealing with us. When they call the shop, they'll ask specifically for me or someone else on staff they know," he says.

Bonfe's offers customers a number of opportunities to get to know them. The shop offers both collision and mechanical repairs, along with custom painting, interior and exterior detail packages, in-house airbag replacement and leather/vinyl repair.

Bonfe says the mechanical shop plays an important role in building relationships. The two shops market to each other's customers. Customers needing mechanical work are introduced to the body shop. Bonfe's keeps body shop customers involved with the business by providing them with discounted certificates for oil changes they can use on the mechanical side.

Bonfe's also plays an active part in the industry and local business community. The shop employs two part-time marketing employees who spend time participating in a variety of business and community events such as tradeshows, chamber of commerce events, insurance agency visits and insurance agency luncheons, which it hosts. The shop sends out 8,000 copies of its newsletter to the community and sponsors numerous events.

Bonfe's also is a member of the Automotive Service Association, Association of Automotive Service Providers, 3M Advisory Panel, AASP Collision and Mechanical Advisory boards. It's also a member of the Better Business Bureau, St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, St. Paul Rotary, St Thomas Academy Alumni Board, West 7th Street Business and Professional Association, St. Paul Optimists Club and all three local TVI Advisory Boards.

You can look for them to maintain these relationships, add new ones and continue building their customer base, probably well into another generation. Bonfe says, "We have a lot of younger kids who bring their cars here now. They say, 'You know my parents.'"

He laughs, "Sometimes they pay. Sometimes grandma does." The shop usually knows grandma.