Individuals who are not vehicle experts are often wary of taking their vehicle into an auto body repair shop; they worry about over-paying or allowing someone who is not experienced to work on their car, which is why so many individuals rely heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations and testimonies of other happy customers like themselves when searching for an auto body shop to work with. Here are four ways to increase word-of-mouth and testimonial referrals to your auto body shop.

 #1 Keep Rack Of Satisfied & Happy Customers

Start a "happy" or "satisfied" customer file, where you keep track of customers who are extremely happy after receiving your services. After you help them, write up what services your performed on their vehicle as well as what they said to you. Be sure to include the customer's contact information in the write-up. Then, call up that customer and ask if they would serve as a reference for your business. When you have a potential customer come in that you are having a hard time winning over, look through your "satisfied' customer file, find a testimony that you think the potential customer would click with, and provide them with that satisfied customer's testimony as well as their contact information so they can verify the story themselves. 

#2 Thank Your Customers

A big part of increasing your referrals is keeping your current customers happy. Thank your customers when you are checking them out. Send out thank you cards, thanking customers for their business. If you have had customers who have come to you for five, ten, twenty years, acknowledge that with a card and a coupon. 

#3 Offer Rewards To Current Customers For Referrals

Another way to increase your word-of-mouth sale is by offering rewards to current customers for referrals. When a new customer comes in, always ask how they heard about you and if they were referred. Keep track of everyone who refers a customer, and offer them a reward such as a free oil change or 10% off their next repair for each referral that they bring in. Knowing there is an incentive for them can push happy customers to spread the word about your business.

#4 Keep In Touch With Your Customers

Finally, another way to ensure that your customers spread the word about your business is by staying in touch. By staying in touch, you will stay at the front of your customer's minds when they are asked for an auto body repair referral. 

Try to use multiple techniques to stay in touch. After every visit, follow up with a thank you card, email or phone call to your customers. Send your customers reminders about regularly scheduled maintenance their vehicle may need. Create an email list and send out a monthly newsletters, and remember to offer special coupons and discounts to your loyal customers.

Keeping in touch in a variety of different ways will help you cultivate positive relationships with your customers that will lead to more word-of-mouth referrals. Contact a company like Absolute Collision Center Inc autobody for more information.