To attract and retain more women customers, shops need to alter some of their business practices, says Jody DeVere, president of AskPatty.com, a consumer information site and consulting firm. DeVere presented her sessions, "What do Women Want?" during NACE on Sunday. DeVere provided tips on how to improve a shop's sales results with women by improving their communication and marketing.
"There are subtleties in communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal, that a male communicator could employ to develop better tactics with women customers," DeVere says. "Shops sometimes also turn women off with the way they market and present themselves, both visually and on their Web sites."
With more women obtaining advanced degrees and starting their own businesses, women have a larger role in making purchasing decisions than they did in the past – and that includes decisions about where to get a vehicle repaired. A larger number of women are also staying single longer, meaning that they have sole responsibility for the maintenance, repair and care of their vehicles. And more women have begun educating themselves about auto repairs."The Internet has provided information that used to not be available to consumers in general and certainly not women, in terms of what actually needs to be done to repair a car, and shops can position themselves as a trusted guide to help them sort through all of that information," DeVere says. "We talk to a lot of women about automotive repair at these conferences. They feel, generally, like they have a dollar sign on their back when they walk into an automotive retailer, because they're not educating themselves completely, and they want to be. They feel like they may be taken advantage of, so the relationship with the retailer starts off on the wrong foot."
How can repair shops provide a better experience for women customers? To start with, they should re-evaluate the way they answer the phone. "Most of the people answering the phone in the busy climate of a repair shop sound very gruff," DeVere says. "They manage phone calls very poorly."
Women also need to feel comfortable in the shop, so the waiting area – and the restrooms – should be clean."You don't have to have a shop that looks like a Lexus dealership, but there are basic things you can do," DeVere says. "Is the waiting area tidy and clean? What messages are you sending women who come in to have their vehicle worked on?"
Shops can also reach out to women customers through more effective marketing. Social media sites like Facebook can be effective ways to market to women (as well as to younger customers in general). Shops also can work with groups in the community that can help provide brand awareness with women in the area.
"The Girl Scouts of America can earn car care badges and safe driving badges, for example," DeVere says. "There is nothing more female friendly than to provide opportunities for the shop to help the Girl Scouts earn those badges."
"Green" marketing also is effective with women, DeVere says. "For mechanical shops, you can emphasize that keeping your vehicle maintained can reduce emissions and maintain fuel economy," she says. "For collision centers, you can feature the fact that you're doing the right thing by switching to waterborne paints or recycling, or using more efficient lighting. Women prefer to do business with greener businesses. Many shops are already doing these things, but they aren't depicting themselves that way in their marketing."
