Answer the Phone With a Smile

If your service writers or office managers aren't smiling when they answer the phone, you're making a big mistake in today's economy, says Mike Sires of Profit Partners, Inc.

Jan. 1, 2020

2 min read

Mike Sires Profit Partners Automotive Distribution Network AND the Network answering the phone customer service repair shop service service writers automotive aftermarket WHEN YOUR service writers or office managers answer the phones at your shop, how do they sound? Do they answer before the third ring no matter how busy your bays are?

If not, you're making a big mistake in today's economy, says Mike Sires of Profit Partners, Inc.

Sires, who spoke at the Automotive Distribution Network's 2009 convention, says shops need to step up service by moving from satisfaction to customer loyalty.

"We've got to blow the customer's socks off. We've got to give them a reason to pick us over somebody else," he says.

That starts with the phone. When your staff answers the phone, Sires says they need to be smiling. They also need to say the shop's name, their name and make the first steps to solving the customer's problems today and tomorrow.

"The economic dollar is shrinking. The customer is going to get very choosy about who they spend their money with," he says. "And if you don't spend a lot of time hugging the customer — and I don't mean physically, I mean making the customer feel good about coming in and doing business with you — they're going to go to somebody else."