by Chris Bonneau

We wanted to wrap up our Customer Wow series by sharing some of the great ideas submitted as part of the contest that was held earlier in the year. Below are just a few of the stories and ideas contributed by our readers that will help you wow your customers every time they visit your shop. We hope that maybe you can start the new year by implementing some of these, or perhaps they will inspire you to come up with your own special ways to WOW your customer in your auto repair shop.  Again, thanks to everyone who participated in our Customer Wow contest!

Ice Cream Treats

With every repair over a certain dollar amount, we give out gift cards to a locally-owned ice cream shop in town as a thank you.

Free Oil Change

We try to think of ways to thank both our repair and auto sales customers constantly. Each January we send customers who have spent more than $500 in our repair shop the previous year a free oil change just to say thank you. It perks up January which may be a slow month, and our people love, love, love it!!…..

Free Loaners, etc.

We WOW our customer by always helping them in any and all situations. We offer free loaner vehicles and the owner of the facility can always be reached on his cell phone even when the shop is closed….

One Big Family

We treat our customers like family. Sounds corny, but if our families would like it, well that is what we do for our customer! We create an atmosphere where they feel “right at home”. Customers relax on a red leather couch or the super comfortable red leather chair and ottoman while watching their favorite TV show. Last Christmas they were quite surprised to find their present was a heated, vibrating, zero gravity massage chair. Customers that would normally drop their vehicle off and leave, well, now they stay, reclining in their new chair-for a quick nap. Every family likes to have fun, so in fall we throw a big party for our customers. Cool cars, barbecue with all the fixings, beverages, and bouncy houses for the kids! And our families help out. We really are one big happy family…..

• Read the original blog post, along with all the customer wow stories we received: Trick or Treat? Tell Us How You “Treat” Your Customers and Win!
• Read about the winner of the Customer Wow contest: Winner of the ‘Customer Wow’ Contest Treats Customers Like Family