How To Gain Better Reviews at Your Auto Repair Shop

As a business owner, you know the only way to survive in a cutthroat industry like automotive repair is to constantly bring in new customers. Raising the bottom line is your ultimate goal, and you’ll do whatever it takes to make it another year. The best way to earn repeat customers at your auto repair shop is to earn their trust, and the best way to do that is to have a good reputation. We know this can be a daunting task, so we're here to give you some advice on how to gain better reviews at your auto shop.

Earning Better Online Reviews for Your Auto Repair Shop

Did you know that 92% of customers will read reviews online before committing to a purchase? In business, reviews act as referrals. If the value a customer gets out of a review is greater than the value they get out of a shop’s advertisement efforts, what do your customer reviews say about your shop? 

1. Respond to Bad Reviews

While not every review is going to sing your praise, there is a way that bad reviews can help boost business for your shop. Customers want to know they are being heard. When you get a bad review, the best thing to do is to respond, admit fault (even if you don’t agree), and try to work towards a solution. When readers see that you’ve made an effort to correct any mistakes, they see that responsibility and accountability and know that they will be cared for as an individual at your shop. 

2. Respond Quickly to Reviews 

The sooner you respond and try to solve the problem, or thank your customer for leaving that 5-star review, the better that customer will feel. It shows that you’re on your game and don’t ignore reviews for weeks at a time. Nothing will upset a customer more than a response weeks later when it's too late to fix a problem. 

3. Provide Good Business

The best way to gain good reviews at your shop is to just do good, honest work. Listening to your customers and making them feel important is the best way to earn their trust, and positive reviews. 

Interested in earning more reviews for your auto repair shop? Learn how BOLT ON can help.

4. Use Auto Repair Software

Using a tool like digital inspection software that allows for total transparency is a great start. You can text you customer pictures or videos of their vehicle and really take the time to educate them on needed repairs. The more they understand, the more likely they are to buy. To encourage customer feedback, products like Review Manager, automatically text your customers after their visit a link to leave a review. Sometimes, it's hard to gain positive reviews because happy customers expect quality service and tend not to make an effort to leave positive comments. This is why software benefits your auto shop. The easier you make it for them, the happier they’ll be to leave you a 5-star review. 

Improve Local Search Results

Besides making your business look good, customer reviews also help boost your local SEO (search engine optimization), making it easier for new customers to find you! The more positive reviews your auto repair shop has, the better your chances are of ranking #1 in a local search, bringing you more traffic online and in-store.

It's easy for a shop to claim they are great, but its more powerful when their customers sing their praise. Prioritize your customers and allow them to help grow your auto repair shop.