service and repair businesses that have participated in community care events during April succeed in reinforcing loyalty of their current customers and attract new ones.
Getting involved in the program can be as simple as handing out free Car Care Guides at the shop and sticking up a sign. For greater impact, host your own community car care event with free vehicle inspections.
Here are 10 ideas to make National Car Care Month work for your business.
. Go to the Car Care Council’s website www.carcare.org for an overview of the program and links to many helpful pages of information.
Purchase a “Be Car Care Aware” (BCCA) Point-of-Sale Starter Kit. The kit includes brochures, bay banners, mirror hangers and the popular Service Interval Schedule. The kit is $79 and acts as your tax-deductible donation to the campaign. This donation also secures your spot on the Shop/Store Finder database.
From the website, request a free copy of the “How to” CD/DVD on hosting vehicle check-up events. Promote the event by sending out a postcard to your current customer base.
Order copies of the Be Car Care Aware brochure for your customers. This informative brochure familiarizes motorists with the opportunities for preventive maintenance in and around their vehicle. In addition to information about the campaign, a full-size schematic of vehicle parts, components and maintenance recommendations is included.
Request a free copy of the Car Care Guide. The 56-page guide covers nine major service occasions and 12 vehicle component groups, plus service interval recommendations, a maintenance log and much more.
Order extra Car Care Guides so you can pass them out at your event.
The Car Care Council will provide up to 200 free inspection forms for your event. Try to enlist the help of local tech schools whose students could assist your technicians in carrying out the 41-point visual inspection under the hood and around the car.
Register your event on the online Event Registry at www.carcare.org and create excitement for your event by involving a local high school band and cheerleaders, and including Girl Scout troops, Little League fundraisers, a bake sale and maybe even a car wash.
Train your staff. The objective is to not only pinpoint problem areas on vehicles, but to further the motorists’ understanding of the importance and value of preventive maintenance, and build goodwill and trust between service shops and the motoring public.
Follow up with motorists who attended your event, as a customer service outreach effort. April is just around the corner so start planning now.
