Frustrated and stressed, your customers need you to remain cool and collected.

Here’s a scenario I’m sure all of us in the automotive aftermarket have to deal with on a daily basis: A customer comes in, and they’re in a bad mood because their vehicle needs repairs, or a new set of tires. Either way, they know they’re going to have to spend a considerable amount of money with you before the day is over.

This is what we call a “grudge purchase.” You’re probably familiar with the term, but just in case you’re not, a grudge purchase is an essential expense that consumers have to pay for, but would rather not. New brakes, a new transmission or even a set of new tires can all fall into this category.

The question all of us in the automotive industry have to ask ourselves, is how are we going to react when that frustrated customer ends up in our store?

Never respond in kind

The way I see it, whether you own the store or you work behind the counter, we all have two choices when dealing with frustrated customers: We can respond in kind, or we can refuse to be “that guy.”

Personally, I prefer to be the problem solver, and I think that customers appreciate a more friendly disposition. This is what a typical conversation with a frustrated customers sounds like in my store when they walk in:

Me: Good morning. How’s it going?

Customer: Not very good!

Me: Oh? What’s wrong?

Customer: What’s wrong! The car’s broken, for one thing.

Me: Okay. So, let’s fit it.

Customer: I don’t know if I can afford it.

Me: Well. Let’s see what it needs, and we’ll take it from there.

Now, most of the time, it’s not as bad or as expensive as they think it’s going to be. However, the possibility that it might not be as costly as they anticipate is something that doesn’t even cross their mind, simply because they’re already stressed and overwhelmed with the worries of day-to-day life.

Frankly, I think people are more stressed today, than ever before. It’s a trend we’re seeing in our store, and it’s been on the upswing for at least the last three years or so.

Give them options

Once we figure out what the problem is, we can then have a conversation with the customer to help them see their options. If they need a new set of tires, for example, we can offer a few brands to choose from to see what might fit their budget.

If it’s a costly repair, on the other hand, I like to present them with their options and tell them that they don’t have to decide what they’d like to do right away (unless their vehicle is unsafe to drive off our lot). I tell them that they can go home, think about the options, and come back and we can talk about it some more, if they’d like to.

It’s also very important to speak with these customers in a calm and reassuring manner. Treat them like family, and talk to them like they matter. They’re already having a bad day, and anything you can do to bring their stress levels down and make them feel better goes a long way to building the trust you’ll need to retain that customer for life.