Aftermarket customers come in all personality types. From the indecisive customer to the one worried about budget or with their eyes on the clock, many aftermarket business owners have seen it all. The issue of challenging customer interactions isn’t new. But with so many lawsuits being filed and social media devices in every pocket, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the risks these customer interactions can pose for your business.
Most business owners understand the customer is not “always right” every time. Still, it’s important to handle the situation diplomatically. A consistent level of service and professionalism is needed, even when a customer interaction is challenging. The right approach can help minimize your risk and may even improve customer satisfaction. Here are four types of aftermarket customers to know and how to handle the risks they present.
1. The Expert Customer
Some customers really know their stuff. But not everyone who says they do is actually an expert. Often, what a know-it-all customer doesn’t know makes them a challenge to work with. Their personality type can be overbearing and you could feel pressured to meet their expectations. Those expectations could also be unreasonable, not taking into account the real-world challenges that make a service take longer than they would like or understanding why a particular part upgrade doesn’t give the results they were expecting.
Managing the risk: Good communication and a professional approach can help manage the risks of these expert-type customers. Sometimes a customer’s knowledge is useful in diagnosing a problem or finding the right type of part. But don’t be afraid to respectfully say no to them when needed. If something won’t work or can’t be done, say so. It’s important not to over-promise or let a customer form unreasonable expectations of what can be achieved. It’s often better to slightly under-promise and over-deliver, where possible. If an expert customer wants things done that are outside the norm, emphasize your professionalism. Let the customer know there are procedures you must follow and that it is important for you to provide fair service to all of your customers. Since meeting expectations is most important for this customer, being sure both sides understand what to expect and delivering as promised is the best way to satisfy them.
2. The Unsure Customer
On the opposite end of the spectrum from a know-it-all customer is the unsure customer. This type of customer can come across as unusually cautious. This can be a challenge for an aftermarket business that must routinely diagnose complex problems and recommend specific products and services all day long. These customers may have trouble deciding on a course of action or delay a decision, costing the business time and money. Often, the reason for such indecision comes down to a customer being very budget-conscious or having had bad experiences in the past that make them doubt or mistrust technicians and salespeople.
Managing the risk: In order to keep things moving and satisfy this type of customer, it’s important to take things one step at a time. Open-ended questions that can’t be answered with a short yes or no can help you build trust. Let the customer explain as much as they can about the problem or what they are trying to accomplish. Try to understand their perspective, repeating back to them the information they have given you to verify understanding. Offer choices one at a time, so that it’s easier for the unsure customer to make a decision. Then, go over a summary of the decisions made and expectations for the products and services to be provided. Since budget and trust are key with this type of customer, this approach can lead to greater satisfaction.
3. The Talkative Customer
While some customers can take a while to warm up to you, this isn’t the case with the talkative customer. This type of customer is very polite and very friendly. Talkative customers tend to have a freer schedule and a lifetime of stories, which they love to share. Casual conversation can be a nice way to spend an afternoon if you’re not busy. But on most days, you likely have a long list of important things that need to be done on a tight schedule. In those cases, a talkative customer can be a challenge — you want to keep them happy, but not fall behind on your work.
Managing the risk: Keeping your business goals in mind can help manage the risks of these talkative customers. Interacting with friendly people is one of the best parts of running a business, so you want these customers patronizing your business and singing your praises — and it would be a shame for them to leave feeling unappreciated. However, you don’t want to become so distracted that you fall behind on service for your other customers. Being friendly but focused is key. Since these customers want to feel listened to, focus on delivering a personal experience and politely excuse yourself when you need to get back to work.
4. The Easy Customer
Last but not least, the favorite customer of everyone in the aftermarket business is definitely the easy customer. This type of customer is not necessarily the one who spends the most money on parts and services at your business, though you can be sure they’re a familiar face. Instead, this type of customer is a great one to have overall because they’re so easy to please. The easy customer tends to be confident in your expertise, comfortable spending what’s needed and they are well aware of what they know and what they don’t know. This is a customer who doesn’t worry too much about repair decisions, how much something costs or how you manage your business — a big departure from the other three types of customers.
Managing the risk: Perhaps the biggest risk you can face with an easy customer is maintaining the high level of trust you’ve built with them over the years. It’s easy to take a great customer for granted when you’re busy dealing with so many other challenges. Additionally, it’s unlikely your products and service will be perfect 100% of the time, so it’s important to check that everything went well with their service. If it didn’t, you can find out quickly and work on a solution. Showing appreciation with discounts and other perks are also a possibility. If you ask for reviews — and you should — be aware that advertising rules and regulations generally don’t allow businesses to give discounts or other gifts on the condition of receiving a positive review. Since the easy customer is great to have, it can be worth going the extra mile for them.
More Customer Risk Management
It’s a unique challenge working with different types of customers when you have an aftermarket business. Some customers are too pushy, some are too indecisive, and some are too chatty, which can then make it challenging to remember your easiest customers’ needs. Yet no matter a particular customer’s personality, it’s important to do your best to serve them.
Many customer issues start around the interactions you have with them. These problems vary, from customer complaints being made to you, to negative business reviews being posted online or shared on social media, to legal disputes about repairs or bills that end up in court. Knowing and adapting to the personalities of your customers is a risk management strategy you can use to minimize your risk of miscommunication. However, no approach will prevent 100% of problems, which is why having the right insurance matters.
Lockton Affinity Aftermarket offers insurance solutions specifically designed to protect repair shops, parts retailers and other aftermarket businesses from common business exposures. Our program offers coverage for technician errors, employee tools, customer complaints, employee claims and more. To learn more, get started with our quick, 5-minute quote request.
