Millennials likely represent a significant and growing portion of your customer base. Their spending power is increasing, and if you’re not adjusting your business practices to align with their unique shopping habits, you’re going to start losing them to your competitors who are. Millennial customers want four key things when making an auto repair purchase. We’ll cover them in this article.
Seamless Technology That Improves Their Lives
Millennial customers don’t like to wait. They’re used to receiving answers and information instantly via their smartphones, and they don’t want to waste time filling out paper forms. That means it’s time for your shop to embrace the digital age. Invest in a shop management system that provides you with the business and communication tools you’ll need to correspond with millennials efficiently. A digital vehicle inspection tool is another great add-on. You’ve heard that a picture is worth a thousand words? With millennial customers it’s worth more like a million. You must show them the problem area and build trust before they make a purchase – they’re unlikely to just take your word for it.
An Authentic Online Presence
You may have rightly guessed that your millennial customers spend a lot of time online. What you may not know, however, is that millennials want to see that your online presence is not only robust and informative but authentic as well. The type of content you’re producing should match the vibe they get when they walk into your shop. Don’t try to be someone you’re not online. Millennials will see right through that and reward you by taking their business elsewhere. Not too tech savvy? That’s fine – you have a wealth of knowledge that your millennial customers need. It’s all in the delivery. Which brings us to…
Content That Paints a Picture
Remember what we said about the value of a picture when it comes to millennials? A video is worth even more. Millennials are very comfortable with digital media and appreciate the window it provides into a business’s inner workings. Your smartphone is your most powerful tool here. Your photos and videos don’t have to be professional quality, but they should provide insight into how your shop does business, who is on your team, and what you value. The more educational and genuine content you provide, the more likely you are to earn repeat millennial business.
Communication That Matches Their Lifestyle
Pop quiz: What’s the best way to reach a millennial? If you said text messaging, you’re right. With the proliferation of spam phone calls in recent years, millennials (and other age groups) are very reluctant to pick up calls from unrecognized numbers. Text messages, on the other hand, are read almost immediately and responded to shortly after that. If your shop management software or DVI tool includes a text messaging tool, get familiar with it and use it often. Even better, sign up for Text-to-Pay from 360 Payments to send your customers a text with a link to pay their invoice. Your millennial customers will appreciate being able to pay from their phone when it’s convenient for them to speed up their checkout visit at the shop.
Going All In
While you certainly shouldn’t revamp your entire business model to meet the needs of one demographic group, if you’ve been dragging your feet about going digital it’s time to take the leap. The generations to come are going to be even more tech-driven than millennials, and it pays to start taking their preferences seriously now. If you’re ready for your shop’s digital payments transformation, 360 Payments is ready to help. Give us a call at 1-855-360-0360 or drop us a line on our website.
PS – Improve these customer touchpoints to transform your shop’s appeal today.
PPS – Looking to improve efficiency at your auto shop? Look no further.