Whenever you pick up the phone and call a customer for an up-sell, you are in fact engaging in a form of telephone marketing. The following are highly effective steps one must follow to improve customer satisfaction and increase the size of the service ticket. Print and discuss with the shops staff.

Auto Repair Telemarketing Guidelines:

• Perform the service work the customer wants before calling for the needs.

• Complete a Maintenance and Safety Inspection Checklist before calling the customer for the sell-up of service work.

• When writing the service order, always mention to the customer that he will be called. The best thing to say is "soon after we get under way, I'll call with a progress report and expected time of completion. And if I see anything else, I'll let you know." This way the customer is expecting your call and won't be surprised.

• When calling, make only ONE PHONE CALL. Do not call every time you find something to sell. The customer might feel that you think you have found an easy mark.

• Before calling, check the vehicle mileage to the maintenance interval requirements in the owner's manual, Mitchell On Demand, ALL Data or whatever system you use for possible service work recommendations.

• Always sell related work by priority. If the customer agrees to your recommendations, then mention other repairs or maintenance interval work that might be needed.

• Recommend the up sell in the customer's best interest. By building a relationship you will gain a long term customer rather than a one time sale.

• Remember, a customer's budget is not unlike our own. If a service recommendation is declined, be polite, thank the customer, and simply write on the service ticket next to your recommendation "customer advised".

• Use your follow-up system for service reminders and repair recommendations needed.