Stop Losing Price Shoppers: Give Them a Price Range [RR 1111]

What if the customer calling for a price isn’t someone to avoid, but an opportunity your shop has been trained to turn away?

Brian Walden, COO and co-founder of Mango Automotive, challenges one of the automotive repair industry’s longest-standing practices: don’t give prices over the phone.

Instead of putting up the familiar wall of, “We can’t give you a price until we see the vehicle,” Brian’s team does something different. They give the customer a price range, explain that the vehicle still needs to be inspected and the problem confirmed, and invite them into the shop.

The result? Brian says Mango Automotive doubled its phone conversion rate.

Today’s customers have access to more information than ever. They may have already searched the symptoms, pulled a trouble code, asked AI what might be wrong, and researched what the repair could cost before they ever call your shop. Rather than dismissing that research, Brian believes shops can meet customers where they are and use transparency to build trust.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the traditional “we don’t give prices over the phone” response can create an immediate barrier
• How Mango Automotive uses AI to generate price ranges in seconds
• Why the word “range” changes the conversation with a price shopper
• How to give a price range without promising an exact repair price before inspecting the vehicle
• How meeting customers in their “comfort zone” can build trust
• Why Mango Automotive’s phone conversion rate doubled after changing its pricing strategy
• How price ranges can give service advisors more confidence on the phone
• Why every incoming phone call should be viewed as a valuable opportunity
• How AI call analysis, transcripts, dashboards, and weekly coaching help improve advisor performance
• Why Brian views AI as a “flashlight” that exposes where your strategy and communication are breaking down

The bigger lesson goes beyond pricing: don’t waste the opportunities already calling your shop. Every phone call represents marketing dollars already spent, a potential relationship, and potentially an entire repair order. Instead of building another wall between the customer and your business, ask whether there is a better way to help them take the next step.

Brian Walden, COO and co-founder of Mango Automotive

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS