Spring is in the air and there’s no better time to start spring cleaning at your shop, if you haven’t already gotten into that groove. Once new or existing customers have decided to bring their vehicles to you for service and repairs, the last thing you want is for them to get the wrong impression when they show up for their scheduled appointment.
Something brought them to your shop, whether it was an advertisement, a word-of-mouth referral or a good repair experience in the past. So, once they enter your shop, you want to keep that momentum going in a positive direction. Remember, you’ll never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
With the goal of providing you with ideas on how to elevate the appearance of your shop’s interior, Babcox Research asked a sample of shop owner readers for their input on the topic. Some of those responses are listed below.
10 Ways To Enhance the Appearance of Your Shop’s Interior
1. Mom was right; cleanliness counts. And that goes for everything in the shop — floors, walls, counters, toolboxes, equipment, storage shelves and the like.
2. Don’t forget the bathroom. That’s one place where customers pull out the white glove. Make sure it’s “sparkling” clean and there is adequate lighting.
3. Get in the habit of wiping down your electronic equipment and keep plastic
protectors over computer keyboards.
4. Restore a bright appearance by power-washing walls and applying a fresh coat of paint. Consider “sealing” the floors, or using a cleaning machine, and upgrading the lighting.
5. De-clutter your shop, including getting rid of any old vehicles that are in the shop, so you can make room for ones that can make you money. There also shouldn’t be any “piles” in the office or shop area.
6. Get organized and simplify by putting everything in its place. That includes tools, supplies and parts. Hang brooms and dust pans on the wall, and mount all hoses and cords on brackets.
7. Dispose of old calendars, signage and anything that is no longer being used.
8. Make sure all your techs are wearing a uniform — a clean one!
9. Return cores to your supplier ASAP, so they are not sitting around taking up space.
10. Assess your shop’s interior from your customers’ perspective. One reader suggested taking photos from the entrance of your shop to see what your customers see when they first walk in. Then, segment any desired changes into manageable tasks to improve your shop’s “first impression” quotient.
If you have any ideas you would like to offer, just send me an e-mail at j[email protected] and we’ll add them to our listing on the website.
