More and more people now days are keeping their cars longer 
and avoiding the new car lot altogether. This means less business for the automakers but more business for a reputable, well-equipped shop. A good car repair shop can get more business than it can handle ensuring more profits and more business in the future.
There are many things that consumers are looking for when choosing an auto repair shop and making sure you fit their needs will also ensure that you get their business. Some of the features consumers are looking for in an auto repair shop are:
1. Credentials.
Having certifications or belonging to professional car repair shop organizations can go a long way to gaining new business for your shop. Potential customers look for these credentials and if you don’t have them, they could pass you by.
2. References / Reviews
Customers want references and if they hear good things about your shop from family and friends, they are more likely to visit your shop for future repairs. Make sure the references they hear are good ones and you will gain their trust and their business.
Also make sure you are listed in local google, yelp and other review sites. You want to encourage your customers to leave you a great review!
3. Cleanliness.
Customers look for a clean, well-organized shop when bringing 
in their vehicle for repair. Remember, customers will often wait while repairs are being performed and they won’t be comfortable sitting on a milk crate. Having a clean, comfortable waiting area will make your customers come back again and again.
4. Experience.
Today’s motorists don’t understand a thing about their newer technologically advanced cars and they want a mechanic who does. Having the proper training is one thing, but having the equipment and the experience to go along with it is an entirely different story. If you are just starting out, you won’t have much experience yet and you can make up for that by offering more services.
Sometimes a customer will forgo experience to know that you are a true one-stop repair shop. The experience takes time and the equipment takes money. You can’t do much about time but you can change the way you purchase your equipment. Leasing the equipment you need is a good way to ensure that you are able to offer the services customers want without having to break the bank to get it.
5. Pricing.
Find out what other shops in the area are charging for labor and go with the average or what’s best for you. Charging too much for repairs is a sure way to keep customers at bay and charging too little will make them think the work is substandard.
6. Services.
Offering a wide array of services can also be a deciding factor for many of today’s motorists. Nobody wants to take their car to one shop for one repair and then have to take it down the road for another. Offering a variety of necessary automotive services is one way to bring in more customers and keep them coming back.
Whether you buy the equipment or have to lease it, get the equipment in your shop and you will get the customers in the door. Equipment leasing is the best way for smaller or newer shops to get the equipment they need to do the job right.
Gaining new business for your shop is easier than you think. Following the above rules will help your business enjoy continued success.
