How To Use WhatsApp or Text Messaging For your Auto Repair Shop

The auto repair industry has been taking giant steps recently toward digitizing communications. Across the country, it’s becoming more common for dealers to offer estimates, send bills, and chat one-on-one with their customers. Yet many auto repair shop owners still do business on paper with analog machines.

Business owners, predictably, want in on modern solutions that will drive more sales, streamline communications, and leave customers satisfied. The first auto repair shop marketing tip is to build an online presence with a great website. After that, it’s time to digitize customer communications. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of how and why it’s becoming more and more critical to offer text-based messaging services for auto repair customers.

How To Use WhatsApp or Text Messaging Apps For Your Business

A big part of delivering quality car repair and maintenance service is skillfully sharing repair details and clearly explaining costs. By employing a digital messaging service like WhatsApp to speak with customers on-demand, business owners have the opportunity to reach clients faster and more directly--all with a communication model that speaks to younger generations. What’s not to like about that?

But there is a right way and a wrong way to use WhatsApp or texting apps. The first step is to ensure the data you share with customers is secure. To avoid violating personal privacy regulations, repair shop owners should use only 3rd-party providers.

WhatsApp is far and away the best app to use. With WhatsApp, client information isn’t stored on employee devices, and you remain data protection compliant from the start of the repair to the end. Just as you want your website to draw as many visitors as possible with SEO, you should use the most effective and universal message service--which is WhatsApp.

What Are the Best Reasons to Offer Messaging Apps for Customer Communication?

Most everyone in auto repair has caught on to the power of auto repair shop marketing tips like creating a website, creating explanatory online videos, and using email marketing. Adding a thriving messaging service to your digital inventory of tools is the natural next step.

Some popular reasons that car repair companies have installed messaging apps like WhatsApp in the list of their online services are:

• Increase reachability. Employees can respond to customer questions and concerns outside of business hours, expanding customer service.
• More interactive. Send videos, links, text, or sound recordings to help customers get a real-time idea of the value coming from auto repair professionals
• Boost satisfaction. The Washington Post conducted a survey that revealed customer satisfaction shoots up 25% if WhatsApp messaging is available.

Common Use Cases--Situations Where Auto Repair Shops Can Use WhatsApp Effectively

It’s all good and well to add a WhatsApp service to your customer communications abilities, but when would you use it and why? Some situations where digital chatting delivered a win:

• Scheduling appointments to fit the customer’s free time
• Sending 1st person videos of auto components that need repair
• Copying bills and financial documents so customers always have them
• Offering one-on-one consultations
• Linking to automobile maker manuals
• Comparing competitors’ pricing
• Promoting additional services

Wrap-Up

Perhaps the fastest way to increase customer engagement, build confidence, and display your auto repair shop’s modern tech-savvy status is through digital messaging. Auto repair shop marketing tips are helping launch hundreds of new shops yearly. As long as business owners begin to digitize customer communication, you’ll stay ahead of the competition!

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