04/23/2025

Simple steps how repair shops can better engage with customers and employees

Source: aftermarket MATTERS

Chances are you could look out over the shop and see a mixture of generations. Awhile back, I discussed Boomers who have made up a lot of our business over the past many years and how they are critical to shop adaptability and prosperity. Then we moved on to understanding Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z and how they are critical to shop profitability.

There are different ways we’re able to better engage with our customers and employees — whatever generation they belong to.

Let’s start with the employees.

Keeping in mind that wrenching can be hard on the body, I suspect most of your employees are Gen X and younger with the Boomers retired already or all but retired. If you are in your jobbing store or warehouse, it may be you still have some Boomers driving or putting up small and/or light parts, but Gen X and younger make up most of the front desk.

As a result, while many of the owners are either Boomers or Gen X, we must make allowances for the younger folks. Gen Xers can make a big difference in bringing up the next generations and should be appreciated and understood.

For example:

• These people are your shop mentors. Acknowledge their contributions.
• One personal concern they have is retirement and savings. Especially true for the past few years. Sponsor some lunch meetings with a financial professional who may be able to help each through retirement planning, how to save and what they’ll likely want to have set aside (it’s never too late). 

Your creativity is the answer to addressing our future. Especially when we look at Millennials and Gen Y employees.

Some ideas may be:

• Provide personalized training for new tools, vehicles, parts and more. The part suppliers have people for this, as do the T&E crowd. This crowd detests meetings so, if possible, just one person at a time.
• Allow for personalization of the workspace.
• Put a grill out back and make the crew lunch. 
• Get out there and get to work alongside your crew if you have some time, and make time if you don’t. Ask them for their opinions on things and changes they would like to see.

Let’s move on to your customers. 

• Maintain a very personalized approach and use your CRM systems. You invested in it, use it to its fullest potential.
• Offer kiosk check-in for early hours or late-night drop offs. While your Boomer customer may wish to just throw the keys through a mail slot, your Gen Z and Millennials will be all about this process. And, it offers a great way to control keys internally.
• Provide online scheduling.
• Offer good coffee. And Wi-Fi. If there is a television, set the volume to zero and enable captions. Then keep it on a neutral station — sports, kids programming, etc. No political stuff. Have plenty of places to plug in for recharging with a phone-charging outlet. Consider a workstation desk.
• I have witnessed a number of shops that use baked goods (cookies, muffins, etc.) as a customer winner.
• Since you are looking to draw the younger customer base with small families it may make sense to have a small, clean play area in the waiting area. Provide a play table, some books, games and a few toys.
• Whatever the customer waiting area, as they say, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”

By now I am expecting that more than a few people reading this are tearing out their hair and deciding I must be nuts. What we are talking about is no different than what successful retailers offer. Compare your waiting room to a nice coffee shop. What’s your employee break room look like?

There are dozens of more ideas you will be able to implement if you put your brain into creative drive and in the perspective of your staff and clients. The important thing is, keep your ear to the ground and pay attention to how each generation has different expectations. Whether they are employees or customers, they all want the same thing — being recognized, appreciated and respected.