Joe doesn\u2019t take the time to do a good estimate<\/strong><\/h3>\nHere is a classic case. It\u2019s January, and a client comes to the shop. Her insurer asked her to have a damage estimate done on her car. Joe, the floor manager, goes outside with his pen and notepad (or better yet, with his tablet which gives him the feeling of being infallible). It\u2019s twenty below zero and Joe is freezing while taking some notes and pictures. He barely speaks to the customer and touches little or nothing of the car, which seems to have suffered a mild frontal impact. The client returns home. Later, the floor manager will complete the estimate on his computer and wait for the insurer\u2019s response to order parts. This scenario may surprise you, but it is a common one.<\/p>\n
Joe has no estimating strategy. Joe has no sales strategy, and his production strategy is questionable. In this situation, as a merchant, Joe misses several opportunities to put money in his pocket.<\/p>\n
Patrick Pich\u00e9:\u00a0\u201cWe may be missing the opportunity to repair the car under good conditions. By making sure that we first have an estimating process and then dismantle the vehicle\u2019s bumper, we get the chance to do a repair with no supplements and no production interruption. In the heat of the moment, \u2018clips\u2019 and \u2018fasteners\u2019 tend to be the forgotten stars of the estimate. In times of parts shortage, running around looking for a part and back-up solutions to satisfy customers and partners, and managing courtesy vehicle rental will give you more headaches.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nCharles Aubry:\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re missing opportunities to sell. By spending time with the client, we can do a more complete estimate that will consider the auto manufacturers\u2019 procedures. Sometimes, there are good hours to be sold here, for an extra \u2018blend\u2019 if the insurer doesn\u2019t cover it, or for the repair of a previous damage.<\/em> Investing in customer relationships makes for a higher level of estimate-to-sale conversion. It\u2019s a good time to build a trust-based relationship with customers and demonstrate our level of service.<\/em> To add a comment on the situation described earlier, it\u2019s all well and good to want to document your estimate with videos and photos, but you still need to take photos that make sense and serve the repair. So, we must exercise care because we are far from invincible with our tablets, even with a good app.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nIn addition to what my colleagues express above, I think that we miss out on asking good questions about the history of the accident and the vehicle. The story of the accident could hint at the severity of the impact, beyond any visible damage. Nowadays, many materials can recover their shape after an impact and deceive the eye. Knowing the vehicle\u2019s history can also let us in on its usefulness or sentimental value and help us better position ourselves to sell extras or to gain the clients\u2019 trust.<\/p>\n
Where to Begin and How to Finish<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Charles Aubry:\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re missing opportunities to sell. By spending time with the client, we can do a more complete estimate that will consider the auto manufacturers\u2019 procedures. Sometimes, there are good hours to be sold here, for an extra \u2018blend\u2019 if the insurer doesn\u2019t cover it, or for the repair of a previous damage.<\/em> Investing in customer relationships makes for a higher level of estimate-to-sale conversion. It\u2019s a good time to build a trust-based relationship with customers and demonstrate our level of service.<\/em> To add a comment on the situation described earlier, it\u2019s all well and good to want to document your estimate with videos and photos, but you still need to take photos that make sense and serve the repair. So, we must exercise care because we are far from invincible with our tablets, even with a good app.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n In addition to what my colleagues express above, I think that we miss out on asking good questions about the history of the accident and the vehicle. The story of the accident could hint at the severity of the impact, beyond any visible damage. Nowadays, many materials can recover their shape after an impact and deceive the eye. Knowing the vehicle\u2019s history can also let us in on its usefulness or sentimental value and help us better position ourselves to sell extras or to gain the clients\u2019 trust.<\/p>\nWhere to Begin and How to Finish<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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