When it comes to keeping their vehicles running smoothly, Canadians know they have options. They’re also not afraid to be picky about where they go.

We asked Canadian car owners about their process for picking a service shop: around half told us they looked at two or more service departments and/or service shops before making up their mind on where to take their vehicle. So, what makes one business stand out over another?

How customers are choosing their service shops

Maintenance is a mandatory part of owning a vehicle, and it’s stressful for Canadians. This means that they’re going to look for places that cater to what they want from a maintenance experience. For most vehicle owners, there isn’t just one reason, but rather several factors at play.

Here are the most popular reasons why customers choose a service partner:

Whether it’s your convenient location, top-notch work, or well-oiled appointment process, these are all worth highlighting on your website and social channels where car owners are doing most of their research. As well, when a customer comes to visit you in person, it doesn’t hurt to reinforce these as they might still be making up their mind!

Retaining customers

Once a customer has decided to try out your shop, how can you ensure their visit isn’t just a one-time thing? How can you avoid never seeing them again?
The good news is most owners told us they were satisfied with their last maintenance experience. Service departments and shops across the country are doing a great job of impressing their customers.
Unfortunately, the flip side is that with so many fish in the sea providing an excellent customer experience, it can make keeping a customer that much more difficult.
How can you make sure your customer doesn’t stray? Here are the areas where owners see the most room for improvement:

• Wait time. Only 34% felt ‘excellent’ about their wait time at their previous visit. Time isn’t just money for you; the longer a customer waits for their vehicle, the more disruption they face in their working and personal lives. So be clear about the time commitment upfront and offer add-ons, like a shuttle service, to reduce this inconvenience.
• Pricing. Just 34% felt ‘excellent’ about whether they received a fair price. Your customer shouldn’t drive away with buyer’s remorse. In fact, owners rated being transparent about the work required and price up front as the number one way a service department or shop can build trust with them. This trust from being transparent and upfront can go a long way towards improving a customer’s feelings about the cost.
• Understanding future visits. 36% of responders felt ‘excellent’ about their understanding of the work that might be needed in the future. You can’t offer owners a crystal ball for their vehicle, but you can help them anticipate what’s most likely coming down the road. Explain to them not only what may be upcoming, but why that type of maintenance needs to be done in a way that they can understand and relate to.

These “needs improvement” areas aren’t ones that can just magically solve themselves; you obviously can’t solve wait times by building 200 service bays. It’s about being open and transparent with your customers on these topics. That transparency is foundational for building trust with them, and in turn, creating a repeat customer.