By Bob Cooper

If you haven’t heard from a customer for a longer than usual period of time, pick up the phone and give them a call! Years ago I developed a really easy way to start the conversation without sounding awkward or as though we were just looking for additional sales. All you need to say is, "Hello, Mrs. Barnes. This is Bob from Elite Auto Service. Do you have just a moment? Great! The reason I’m calling is I was thinking about you today, and I realized we hadn’t seen you or your Camry for quite a while. I thought I better give you a call and ask you: Did we drop the ball somehow?" Then listen, because you’ll be amazed at what you learn!

For additional help building a more profitable auto repair business, learn more about Elite’s auto repair shop management solutions.