 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Programs That Help Consumers And Benefit Your BusinessPosted 6/15/2000By Donna Wagner What if you hired a marketing firm to develop a couple of promotions for your shop? You might ask that one promotion be community-oriented and the other more in-house. Both would need to focus on automotive maintenance and repair, and both would need to reinforce the numerous positive aspects of your business. You'd need lots of help carrying out these projects, including guidelines, radio scripts, ad slicks, a schedule, checklists, printed materials and press releases. Forget the marketing firm. These programs already exist, they're affordable and immediately available from the Car Care Council. The first is National Car Care Month, a program that has focused on neglected maintenance of our nation's vehicles since the late '70s. The second is Certified Inspection. Also a national program, it identifies mechanical discrepancies and makes specific recommendations to each consumer. Both are administered by the Car Care Council and represent opportunities for ASA members. Every October, National Car Care Month is recognized by the news media, local and national consumer groups and by our industry as the most effective way to stimulate public awareness about the benefits of regular maintenance. In addition to its consumer-oriented message to motorists via print and broadcast media, National Car Care Month features vehicle check lanes in communities nationwide. These check lanes are conducted locally with administrative guidance from the Car Care Council. Results from these checks add valuable information to the council's database, a valuable source of consumer information. This program is ideal for schools and community service clubs looking for innovative, fund-raising ideas. It performs an excellent public service in terms of safety and environmental benefits, and it is totally voluntary, from motorists bringing their vehicles through the check lanes to trade and community participation. Even the news media publish information as a public service. In its quest for more data about vehicle conditions and because many owners want more detailed information than can be done in the voluntary check lanes, Car Care Council developed its Certified Inspection program. A comprehensive, 191-point evaluation of a vehicle is performed by repair facilities qualified to perform the service. The vehicle owner is charged a fee for the service, which includes a written report and an explanation of necessary repair/maintenance services. Having the work performed is the option of the vehicle owner, who can take it wherever he/she desires to have it done. To become a Certified Inspection facility, at least one ASE master technician must be employed. In addition, the shop must meet Car Care Council's stringent criteria, originally determined by an industry panel of independent repair shop owners. Only about 5 percent of all repair facilities are qualified to become Certified Inspection facilities, which we describe as B.E.S.T. shops - Beautiful facility, Excellent technicians, Superior reputation and Technology driven. Certified Inspection is an opportunity for an aggressive repair facility to perform a valuable public service, strengthening customer relations. There also are the obvious financial benefits when an inspection customer decides to have repairs done by the facility that performed the inspection. I invite owners who think they may qualify to contact us, and get involved with your community.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright (c) 1996-2008. Automotive Service Association. All rights reserved.
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
