Why Customers Give Shops Bad Reviews

Over One Million Consumer Reviews Don’t Lie

There are some fundamental business principles essential to retaining customers in the automotive service industry – and most repair shops know exactly what they are.

The basic things that repair shops have to get right are:

1. Fixing the vehicle correctly
2. Giving accurate estimates
3. Communicating with the consumer effectively, and
4. Delivering the vehicle when promised

When we look at the data behind over one million customer reviews collected by our SocialCRM service from automotive aftermarket shops via our partner SureCritic, we find that consumers give repair shops unfavorable reviews (fewer than 3 stars out of 5) for two general reasons: 1) poor staff communications (52%) and  2) poor repair quality (48%).

A deeper dive into the numbers reveals that of those consumers who gave a low score review, 48% said that they never received a detailed estimate, and 72% said the vehicle was not completed when expected.

The good news is if shops focus on accurate estimates and setting the right expectations for completion they are well on their way to high customer satisfaction. When shops get all the basics right, customer satisfaction can convert to loyalty, which not only brings customers back to the shop but also motivates them to refer others to the shop. And that’s pretty much the secret to success and growth for any small business.

Read more about the SocialCRM Customer Review Service

Read more from the SocialCRM blog:

• Showing Customer Gratitude Creates Loyalty: Thank You
• Showing Customers Gratitude Creates Loyalty: Thank You AGAIN
• Identifying and Thanking Your Most Valuable Customers