Struggling to generate workshop traffic

[AndyBarratt]

Hi team

a long shot for you
I have a workshop - can take 100 repair orders a day, a good day currently is 12
It does carry a VW franchise (albeit somewhat loosely)
I have been running free health check for past 3 months - with a little success

wht promotions have worked elsewhere?

 

[Vochi]

Hi team

a long shot for you
I have a workshop - can take 100 repair orders a day, a good day currently is 12
It does carry a VW franchise (albeit somewhat loosely)
I have been running free health check for past 3 months - with a little success

wht promotions have worked elsewhere?

1.) Do you have a website?
2.) Does it have a "Book a Service"?
3.) Do you have landing pages like:

• "My brakes are squeaking."
• "My car is shaking when I brake."
• "The check engine light came on."
• "My VW is losing coolant."
• "My car won't start."
• "How often should I change my timing belt?"
• "Is this noise serious?"
• "What should I have checked before a 1,000-mile trip?"
• "My car is due for a service."
• "I'm buying a used VW what should I have inspected?"
• If you've got that in place I would use that framework to create a problem solving engine for car owners.

In 2015, Google published something called micro moments. It said people don't search at random. They search from four states of mind. Google broke it down into four moments.

1.) Want to know.
2.) Want to go.
3.) Someone is trying to solve a problem.
4.) Want to buy.

You want to create landing pages for each moment and funnels them from the landing page to the "Book a Service" page.

Want to know intent moment
"How often does a VW Golf need servicing?"
Answer the question, explain what is involved, what tends to go wrong at that mileage, and naturally presents:
"Want us to check yours?"

Want to go intent moment
"VW specialist near me"
The page says:
VW Specialist Workshop
12 technicians available today
Common VW problems we diagnose
Services we perform
Customer reviews
Book an inspection
phone
address
Google Maps

Want to solve a problem intent moment
Someone searches:
"VW Golf making knocking noise when turning"
Instead of sending them to a generic "VW Service" page, you create a useful diagnostic page:
VW Golf Knocking When Turning, What Could It Be?

1. Possible causes.
2. How serious each might be.
3. What the technician will check.
4. Approximate repair ranges.
5. Whether it is safe to drive.

Then:
Hearing this noise on your Golf? We can diagnose it.
Book a diagnostic inspection

That's a completely different funnel.

Want to buy intent moment
"Should I buy a 2018 VW Tiguan with 110,000 miles?"
The website explains what to inspect, known issues, expected maintenance, likely upcoming costs, and offer:
"Having a look at one?
Get a prepurchase inspection."

Now the shop is getting customers from the vehicle shopping journey, not just the service journey.

And I'd change the free health check

I'd turn it into reasons to visit.
"Is your car trying to tell you something?"

Free 15-minute check

1. Brake noise?
2. Warning light?
3. Strange vibration?
4. Losing coolant?
5. Oil leak?
6. Suspension noise?
7. Worried about your MOT/inspection?
8. Going on a long trip?

Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you what to check.

And every touch point becomes data.

If 300 people come through and say "my VW is making a noise over bumps," the system learns that this is a common problem and understands the labor and parts needed to make the repair.

Now the shop is collecting problems, repair orders, and turning them into content.

 

[Titomotive]

I craft auto repair offers around seasonal calendars.

Why?

Because nobody wakes up thinking "I should get a winter inspection."

What they ARE thinking is stuff like:

Not wanting to be the standing next to a dead car on a freezing morning

Not wanting to get stuck on the side of the road somewhere

Not wanting a repair bill that hits four figures when it could've been a $100 fix if caught early

So that's what I lead with.

Educate on the risk first and sell the inspection second.

Most times I use a cheap offer to get them in the shop.

Something like a:

$19.95 Winter Readiness Check

$29 Battery & Charging System Test

$39 Winter Safety Package

Never free.

FREE might sounds like it pulls in people, but it 's really not effective.

With FREE there is always a catch.

People believe eventually they are going to be sold something.

And get skeptical about your service recommendations.

Most would not even bother to show up.

You can still salvage this year positioning low ticket offers around Thanksgiving Travel, Christmas Travel and an aggressive Winter is Coming campaign.

When you align with the season people show up on purpose.

The tech does the inspection, shoots a quick video of whatever needs attention and walks the car owner through the recommended service or repairs.

Nothing fancy, just works for me.