Zero Dollar Customers – Tom Palermo [RR 511]

Tom Palermo is General Manager of Preferred Automotive Specialties in Jenkintown, PA. Tom is a world class Master Technician and a Certified ASE Advanced Level Technician, is certified from ASE including Master Auto, MasterTruck, Master Truck Equipment, Master School Bus, Master Collision, Master Transit Bus, L1, L2, C1, X1, P2, F1 Besides the 2015 NAPA/ASE Technician of the Year, Tom also earned the 2011 AAIA-ASE World Class Technician Award from the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, and the Best Tech of the Year award sponsored by WIX Filters. The majority of Tom’s business is fleets. Listen to Tom’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

  • Zero dollar customers
  • Moved to one location 2 miles down road
  • Specifically target marketing customers based on database information (how many cars they had, what their purchases were etc)
  • Noticed in first quarter they were getting a lot of zero dollar bills (car making noise, checking brakes, checking front end etc) then leaving without repair. Get repair and different shop or do repair themselves. Average RO started to drop. Started to understand behavior of customers when they come in and find out what they really want
  • Zero dollar customers can have huge effect on shop’s productivity
  • Discount if work is done at shop or ask them if they want to leave their car

Resources:

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About the author, Carm Capriotto, AAP

Carm is the founder and host of the Remarkable Results Radio Podcast and the pioneer of automotive aftermarket podcasts. Carm calls on his years of experience in the aftermarket to bring engaging stories from his guests.

Listen to raw, unfiltered, honest, and sincere stories that include insights, trends, best practices, and expertise. Each interview brings an opportunity to learn one new thing through the stories of personal achievement. Many podcast guests tell their story of transformation from working in their business to working on it.

As host of over 1,000 episodes, Carm uses his enthusiasm and passion for the aftermarket especially the service sector to take his listeners on a journey showcasing successful service professionals’ paths to Remarkable Results. He also enjoys interviews with aftermarket industry thought leaders who bring their industry perspectives to his listener.

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