SUMMERTIME SELLING


sionals. We greet them at the door, in proper attire and well groomed, with a handshake and a name exchange. Our dis- plays are dusted, the floors are vacuumed and mopped, and our desk is free of clutter. Showing how much we care about our place of business is the idea, and customers get it. Last but certainly not least, our installation facility is cared for just as much as any display, because we use it as one. Every customer who comes to my business gets a tour of the bay before we even mention a word about products. They see our nice, clean epoxy floors, how organized we are and how we will care for their vehicle. Once I am done giving them the tour, I ask them, “Would you like to have your vehicle upgraded in our facility?” They say yes, and the customer is mine. Now it is just a matter of figuring out the details. Being clean and organized improves your efficiency because there is no time wasted trying to convince the customer that you are better than everybody else. They can see it plain as day. Also, the installation goes much smoother and faster when you are not constantly tripping over boxes and slipping on the oil the last car dripped.


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Maximizing Efficiency: 5 Easy Practices to Better Service, Installs ME’s Installer of the Year outlines the importance of managing a customer’s experience with your business. By Jon Kowanetz


I


n an economic climate where the amount of customers walking through your door are less than ever, and the ones who do come in are most likely there as a result of some kind of advertising you worked very hard on, you absolutely


have to make the most out of every opportunity. Managing your customer’s experience with your business is more important than any brand you sell or advertisement you have out there. In reality, a satisfied customer is your best salesperson. I compiled a list of five ways I have made the entire sales


16 Mobile Electronics Survival Guide 2012


process — from greeting the customer at the door to delivering the vehicle — more efficient so my customers view our facility as a well-oiled machine and their experience with us as pain- less. These ideas do not require any special training or tools. Anybody anywhere can do these things.


1


GET CLEAN AND ORGANIZED From the moment our customers walk through our front door, they know they are dealing with true profes-


DOCUMENT EVERY STEP


When a customer comes in for their appointment, a work order is printed that details all of the products,


materials and labor pertaining to the job. The product is pulled from the holding shelf, where it was previously set aside. A full check-in sheet is completed listing the following: customer’s information; functionality of existing factory and aftermarket components and features; AM/FM radio presets and security codes; battery voltage and current draw. We have white boards in each bay where we write down the details of the job, such as


saves time. There is nothing worse than a customer coming to pick up their car and saying, “I thought you said we were going to install the amp under the seat!?” These procedures prevent that from happening.


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KNOW WHERE TO PLACE YOUR TALENT Each job that is big enough to require it, is split into task groups. Each task group is assigned to the


employee who will be able to perform the tasks in the most ef- ficient manner, in terms of time vs. quality. For instance, the employee with more experience in custom fabrication will be the one building custom enclosures, speaker adapters or whatever the job needs, while the installer more versed in a variety of vehicles will take care of the wiring and layout. The salesperson would be the one with the friendly tone, knows the business very well and has the ability to get people excited.


Knowing where to place your talent improves efficiency be- cause everything gets done with the highest speed to quality ratio, and the business is more profitable. More jobs fit into a day without sacrificing the quality that you got you your good name equals happy customers, happy employees and a happy business owner! Be careful though, not to corner people into one specific role. Give them the opportunity to take on other roles as the business allows, or they will lose interest.


4


PROTECT YOUR CUSTOMER’S INVESTMENT Your customer’s vehicles are at least the second most valuable possession they have, maybe even the


first. So, you’d better believe they are concerned about it get- ting damaged, whether they say it or not.


“Knowing where to place your talent improves efficiency because everything gets done with the highest speed to quality ratio, and the business is more profitable.”


amplifier location or where to apply sound deadening materials. This way, the details are just a glance away, so the job is done exactly the way the customer asked it to be. There also are no surprises when they pick up the vehicle. Documenting every step improves efficiency, so there is no downtime figuring out what to do to each vehicle. Making a note of what is and what is not functional before the work be- gins eliminates the “it wasn’t like that before” situation, which


Every vehicle we work on gets its seats, floorboards, steer- ing wheel and fenders protected with special mats to guard against our tools and the constant getting in and out of the vehicle. Panels that are removed from the vehicle get placed onto a mobile rack, organized by section of the vehicle. All of the screws and fasteners removed are placed into plastic cups with screw on lids that are stored on the same rack where the panels go. Door panels that are removed from the vehicle are


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