The more that customers are encouraged to maintain their vehicles and do the fuel-savings math that reveals the cost-effectiveness of vehicle maintenance, the more service you can sell and provide.  In this regard, customer relations management has seldom, if ever, been more relevant.

The first definition of the word "maintain" is to keep in an existing state of repair, efficiency, or validity, or to preserve from failure or decline.  The second definition is to sustain against opposition or danger.  It appears that both definitions deserve some reflection.

It's difficult to understand why this industry, and the maintenance benefits it provides regarding fuel savings, fleet efficiency, and emissions reductions, just can't get the attention it deserves.  Without the efforts of the Car Care Council and the Be Car Care Aware campaign, the industry message would be close to nonexistent.

 
The council recently received top national media recognition from the North American Precis Syndicate for its consumer radio feature titled "Put the Brakes on Soaring Gas Prices." The radio news release sparked an extraordinarily high volume of placements by America's radio broadcasts in 15 percent of the leading 50 media markets.

At the local level, each automotive business should consider increased contact with customers and potential customers in whatever ways are most comfortable and cost-effective.

As stated here regularly, an increased demonstration of professionalism and customer relations management are two keys to maintaining your business and sustaining it against the dangers inherent throughout an economic downturn.

During the first stage of the downturn, it has been so far, so good for most shops and parts stores.  A significant percentage of customers do, in fact, realize the value of maintenance.  Regular contact will remind them. 

October – Fall Car Care Month
Fall Car Care Month provides a point which the industry can concentrate its efforts to send a message.  Whether your business prefers events, media advertising, signage and handouts, or customer mailers and e-mail attachments, there is promotional assistance and marketing materials available at www.carcare.org.

If this is the year for your business to participate; coordinate your marketing message on the street with the media market placements achieved by the Car Care Council regarding fall car care.  Download all you need for e-mail attachments to your customers, signage for your events, and materials to hand out. 

Order the new, green-improved, Car Care Guide as a promotional and sales tool.  Jobber stores of the major programs can make them available to you, or you can go directly to the site to order the guides yourself.

For whatever form of marketing and advertising is comfortable and cost-effective for you, the Be Car Care Aware campaign can provide promotional support and educational materials necessary to get the word out with a professional look, a unified industry message, and fact-based appeal.

Fall Car Care Month demonstrates professionalism and dovetails nicely into whatever customer relations messaging you use.