The Dealer
shop as the Dealer Alternative. And no wonder: As ATRA CEO Dennis Madden pointed out, almost the same number of people take their cars to the dealer as would choose an independent transmission repair shop. Which means that,
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if you could lure those consumers away from the dealer to your shop, you could potentially double your customer base. That’s a heckofa lotta new customers! The question is, how do you do it?
How do you reach out to those consum- ers, and convince them that they’d be better off bringing their cars to your shop instead of the dealer? The answer may be more complex
than you might think at first blush. That’s because consumers who choose to take their cars to the dealer gener- ally aren’t looking for an alternative. They’re happy taking their cars to
the dealer. Sure, they’re probably pay- ing more. They know that and they’re okay with it. They way they see it, they’re getting terrific service from factory-trained technicians using the highest quality parts available. At least,
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ately you’ve been hear- ing a lot about the ben- efits of positioning your
Alternative: More than Just a Tag Line
by Steve Bodofsky
members.atra.com www.atra.com
that’s what they believe. And you’re not going to convince them they’re wrong simply by advertising yourself as the Dealer Alternative. The dealer caters to their every
need, including providing a loaner car or a ride home, and they’ll pick them up and bring them back to the dealership once the work is done. And those dealer repairs are covered by a nationwide warranty. Isn’t that worth spending a few bucks more? It is to them. What’s more, they can afford to
spend the money. As Dennis pointed out in this issue’s From the CEO, this is a market segment worth pursuing. These are generally people who are pretty well set financially. They may
not be rich by today’s standards, but they aren’t hurting. They can afford to pamper themselves a bit. If that means spending a little more to take their cars to the dealer, they’re okay with that. What does that mean to you? It
means that simply calling yourself the Dealer Alternative in your ads and web site won’t make a bit of difference to most of the folks who choose to take their cars to the dealer. They aren’t looking for an alternative. Chance are, they’ll never see your ad or your web site.
Catch 22 of Trust If you were to speak with those consumers, you’d discover most of the
GEARS January/February 2012
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