What do consumers expect? They expect their car repairs to be done quickly, correctly and at a fair price. They also count on superior customer service, drop-off and pickup services, and some fresh coffee while they wait for assistance. Most importantly, today's consumer, who lives a time-crunched lifestyle, requires all aspects of their car repair experience to be convenient and hassle-free or else they won't be happy. How, then, do automotive service businesses effectively market their services to these harried, demanding consumers? According to Roper Starch Worldwide, a firm that conducts marketing, public opinion, advertising and media research in the United States and around the world, the answer is threefold: understand what motivates consumers, simplify life for them and solve their problems.

These consumer needs are expected to continue well into the next decade as baby boomers work more hours and commit more to family and community obligations, therefore creating severe time deficits for themselves. As a result, consumers will spend less time on comparing prices, use technology to reduce transaction time, and patronize businesses that make life easier. Already, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that computer expenditures will soar to $666 billion by 2006, as compared to 2.1 billion in 1986.

Top of Mind
The ultimate goal of any marketing and advertising done by service businesses is to be "top-of-mind" of these busy consumers. This means that the name of your business (or your name) is the first thing that pops into their head when their vehicle needs maintenance or repair, or whenever they have an automotive-related concern. To get to this position, shops must understand their market and consumers' needs, have a consistent, ongoing advertising program and stay up-to-date with new advertising mediums, both traditional and non-traditional.

A 1998 AutoInc. study of shop advertising showed that 84 percent of the mechanical repair businesses that belong to the Automotive Service Association (ASA) advertise their businesses, while 83 percent of ASA collision repair businesses have an advertising program. For 1999, mechanical shops surveyed anticipated a budget of $17,446 for advertising and collision shops expected to spend an average of $21,558 on advertising in 1999.

Beyond word-of-mouth, the majority of mechanical shops surveyed use the Yellow Pages, followed in descending order by direct mail, newspaper, radio, the neighborhood shopper and the Internet. Those who listed the Internet as an advertising medium totaled 14 percent, up from the 1997 figure of 10 percent. Collision shops also overwhelmingly use the Yellow Pages, followed by radio, newspaper, the Internet and the local neighborhood shopper. For this segment, Internet advertising grew from 12 percent in 1997 to 16 percent in 1998.

Even though Yellow Pages are the most used advertising medium by ASA shops, their publisher - the Yellow Pages Publishers Association - recently announced a $24 million national advertising campaign to make Yellow Pages top-of-mind for consumers everywhere, and to increase usage by repositioning how consumers think about the Yellow Pages in the information age.

Internet Advertising
As the AutoInc. survey showed, more automotive service businesses are using Web sites on the Internet as a means to reach today's "connected" consumer. The Computer Industry Almanac reports that by the year 2000, 327 million people around the world will have Internet access. According to Roper Starch Worldwide, America has the fastest growing number of Internet users. As of early 1999, there were already more than 4.3 million Web sites, and experts predict that customers will increasingly turn to the World Wide Web for a sense of community between buyers and sellers, information suppliers and consumers, friends and family.

Some automotive service Web sites have sophisticated features including online appointment setting, online daily or hourly status reports and estimate forms. The Web site for Hillmuth Certified Automotive, Columbia, Md., (http://www.hillmuth.com) allows customers to make appointments online. According to Doug Hillmuth, co-owner, the site has been up for about eight months and is now starting to receive customer attention. "We are getting real positive responses from our clients and the appointment feature is now starting to take hold. Customers like the convenience of being able to make appointments for their vehicles as they research our services on the Web," said Hillmuth.

Other sites have customer testimonials and surveys, a frequently asked question section, staff and business credentials, employment opportunities, business philosophies, a variety of consumer tips and directions to the shop. "Undoubtedly, communication via the Internet will dramatically increase and will become a major marketing tool for both large and small businesses," said Bob Jones, owner of Quality Transmission Service, Inc., Tempe, Ariz. (http://www.quality-trans.com). "A Web site provides the ability for a business to expose themselves in far greater detail than any other means of advertising," said Jones.

It also opens your business to the world and this exposure may lead to a large number of visitors and inquiries. At the Salem Brothers Web site for the company's automotive repair business also in Tempe, Ariz., the counter that tracks visitors reads 221,993. A message on the site indicates that more than 100 e-mails are received daily from people asking for help on car repairs.

Another type of Internet advertising that some automotive businesses are starting to use is banner advertising. Many Web sites, such as sites for particular cities or areas, sell banner advertising. For example, a visit to the Web site for the City of Arlington, Texas, and its category of automotive repair shops not only gives visitors a list of businesses to choose from, it also runs a banner ad for Midas.

Non-traditional advertising
Shops also report using a range of other less-traditional mediums for advertising including shopping carts, church bulletins, Little League team and golf tournament sponsorships, referral cards and Welcome Wagon participation. Although shops aren't likely to be too involved in what's called "out of home media," there is a growing onslaught of untraditional advertising where ad messages are showing up on virtually everything, from airport baggage carousels and cash machines to rental cars, floors, and even on apples, bananas, oranges and grapefruit in supermarkets. The basics

When creating an advertising message remember that 90 seconds is the maximum amount of time spent on any traditional ad. It's best to use only one idea or message at a time and to use brief, catchy headlines. If you're using print advertising, try to stick with a consistent appearance and type style. It's also important to remember that just about any aspect of your business is part of your overall advertising. This includes everything from parking, shop signage and customer services, to the appearance of waiting areas and employees, business cards, letterhead and the condition of the vehicle when it's returned to the customer.

If you need assistance, there are a number of industry groups and companies that have developed programs to help shop owners and managers better understand how to market and advertise their businesses. The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) has an accredited curriculum with specific courses on marketing techniques, achieving top-of-mind, electronic marketing and the Internet, and how to build marketing and advertising campaigns. In conjunction with AMI, many paint companies sponsor business management education, and marketing and advertising sessions are also part of their company training. In addition, CARSTAR has multiple marketing-related programs for its franchise businesses, from marketing consulting, plans and manuals, to public relations assistance and advertising materials. Groups such as the National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA), CARQUEST, the National Pronto Association and All-Pro Bumper to Bumper also have programs to help their member shops with marketing and advertising education.

Monica Buchholz (beeswax@fastlane.net) is president of Beeswax Publishing, Inc., in Arlington, Texas.

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