Business 11 www.aftermarketonline.net FEBRUARY 2026 service, but on others, you struggle to offer the basics. Customers will not trust you and when you break their trust, all bets are off. You lose the business. Clarity. This encompasses the messages customers receive about your business and if they’re inviting, easy to understand. If you cannot present your business with pinpoint clarity, you create confusion and make it hard for people to recommend you and return. If, however, people can grasp what you offer and why it meets their needs, you’re paving the way for repeat purchases. Sustainability. This is about the important social and environmental messages customers are looking for. It means putting every aspect of your business under the microscope and identifying how you can become genuinely sustainable. Statements on your website count for little if not backed by genuine action. Continuity. This is about customers feeling reassured they can trust you, that your business has roots and you’re not going anywhere, anytime soon. For low-price, oneoff purchases, continuity is not a deal breaker, but for workshops, your customers need to know you’re in it for the long haul. Review these five pillars and determine room for improvement. In today’s cost conscious, competitive market, do not ignore the huge value in building your brand, shoestring style. Are you committed to delivering ‘wows’? Workshops struggled last year with some customers opting for DIY, often skipping vehicle servicing. So, how do you retain customers beyond building your brand? Here’s a simple model I developed years ago. It has been the most popular feature of my branding workshops with technicians. Wow! The +1 model. Every communication with a prospect and customer — mail, phone, social media, email, text, face-to-face, is an opportunity to wow them and so make it more likely they’ll choose you, remain loyal and recommend you. Bring it into the heart of your business where your mission is to consistently delight. Delight is meeting expectations and then adding one extra human connection into the mix. One more contact, one moment of real thoughtfulness, one extra minute of your time, one check to see they’re happy. This leads to the following response from prospects and customers: Wow… that’s amazing, that’s what I call service, that was thoughtful, I didn’t expect that! The great thing about delivering wows on this basis is: They’re instantly noticed and valued, they’re quick and easy to implement, they cost little or nothing, and they’re implemented on a consistent basis, not just when you and your team are in a good mood or have the time be thoughtful. What wows are you delivering now? Make a list of all you could deliver, are delivering and share with your team, explaining their importance in building your customer centric brand. Then put them into practice. It takes time to embed new behaviours in the best of teams so review your ‘wow strategy’ monthly to ensure it stays on everyone’s radar. Those you wow will not only return and recommend you, but they’re also likely to forgive you when you don’t get it right. Blick is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing with 40 years marketing experience, 20 of those working in the automotive aftermarket with technicians and motor factors. Email dee@themarketinggym.org or connect on LinkedIn and Facebook. For workshops, customers need to know you’re in it for the long haul
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=