In a recent AAA survey, it revealed that two-thirds of drivers don’t trust auto repairers in general, but majorities are still able to find a shop they like. The No. 1 concern cited by AAA’s distrustful drivers was “Recommending unnecessary services,” expressed by 76 percent of respondents. Next came “Overcharging for services” (73 percent).

So how does a local auto repair shop gain and maintain new customers?  A local shop in Tempe, that has been in business since 2004, thinks they have a few of those answers.  Glen and RaeAnn Hayward, owners of Good Works Auto Repair, have built a reputable business in Tempe.  It hasn’t been easy.

Hayward acknowledged that being in an industry with a questionable reputation when it comes to being trustworthy can make his job tougher when trying to win over skeptics. Decades of experience has taught him that delivering exceptional service and building relationships with every repair is the best way to accomplish this. This includes doing oil changes, which Hayward said he loses money on. But, it helps maintain clients’ vehicles and gives his team a chance to look at them and offer preventive maintenance advice, which they are free to take or leave. He shows them around the shop and takes photos of what he sees as potentially costly problems and sends them to customers to evaluate.

The 3^rd reason many people distrust repair shops is based on a “Negative past experiences” (63 percent). If customers are having bad experiences at your shop, that’s certainly your problem; watching and responding courteously to reviews might help detect this sort of thing and soothe disgruntled customers. If the customer had bad experiences somewhere else, there’s probably not a lot you can do other than be sensitive to that history and be night-and-day better than the other guys.

Glenn and RaeAnn understand that they need to build confidence one customer at a time.  To help do this, they have changed their warranty program.  Good Works Auto Repair has changed their previous two-year, 24,000-mile warranty for parts and labor to an unheard-of three years and 36,000 miles to further earn customers’ confidence. “That’s a part of how you win people’s trust, by offering a warranty that supersedes anything that’s out there in the industry,” Hayward said. “It’s about treating people with respect and dignity … not thinking about how much money you’re trying to shake out of their pockets.”