If you run your own auto repair shop, you may wonder how to prepare your business for the upcoming winter season.
The holidays can be a great time for auto shops, especially if you offer customer incentives like a credit card processing cash discount program.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your technology and move onto a specialized automotive pos system, or you need some clever marketing tricks to boost sales, you may be excited to learn that there are several steps you can take now to start preparing your shop for the season ahead.
Here are some top tips that can help you get started.
Ensure Your Point-of-sale Software is Up to Date
In order to make sure you stay on top of sales and make it as easy as possible to keep taking new orders and giving customers good payment experiences, you may want to consider updating your point-of-sale software.
For example, if you’re looking for a way to get to work quickly without going through a grueling set-up process, you may have been considering Clover POS software.
Look for a POS system that’s customizable to your specific needs, scalable, and available to all of your employees across various apps, devices, and other accessories.
A system that can sync with the cloud is a bonus since this can make it easier to keep track of deposits, refunds, sales reports, and more, whether you’re at the shop or on the go.
Refocus Your Marketing Efforts
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean your customers don’t still need urgent care issues taken care of!
Sometimes, those customers may need a reminder that your services are still available even when the weather isn’t the best.
To motivate customers to leave the house in the cold and come to your shop for repairs, consider refocusing your marketing efforts and making some exciting seasonal offers.
Some potential ideas include:
- Offering seasonal specials and discounts
- Updating your social media accounts with tips and specials regularly
- Placing coupons on local grocery store receipts
With the right marketing techniques, you can help ensure that you not only won’t lose revenue during the winter months but may actually gain some loyal new customers by springtime.
Update Your Website
Finally, maintaining a strong online presence is the key to business success in today’s technologically savvy world.
If you don’t already have a website or if you don’t regularly update it, now is the time to use the site to inform customers about your services and offerings.
That way, customers won’t even have to leave the house to learn more about your company.
While you may be worried about business slowing down during the colder months, wintertime and the holiday season can actually be a strong time of year for auto repair shops.
If you’re looking for ways to help your shop go into the upcoming season stronger than ever, consider upgrading your point-of-sale system, switching up your marketing tactics, and trying a few other simple strategies.
With the right preparation, you can position your business for holiday success.
