Northern Virginia’s oldest car audio store, Hurley’s Auto Audio, says it’s hit upon a strategy that may be useful to other car audio dealers. And the strategy can help win over a wealthier clientel.
“We have found that there are customers that want the products that we sell, and have the money to buy, but do not have the time to come by and get it installed,” said owner Gary Woodward.
So Hurley’s offers a concierge service. Not only does it pick up and return the customer’s car but while it’s in the shop, it will handle car care needs such as a state inspection or a basic safety check. Customers can also drop off the car while they travel and Hurley’s will upgrade the stereo and return it to the airport, where it awaits the customer’s return.
Hurley’s then charges an extra 10 or 15 percent for these services, plus the pick and delivery fees, but it reaches customers who might never have the time for an installation.
“My people [customers] work 60 to 70 hours a week. So we work with all the doctors and tell them we’ll pick up their car…when you are a specialist you analyze what you can do that your competitors can’t,” said Woodward.
For pickup and delivery, Hurley’s uses Uber or rents a car for $33 a day and sends any salesperson or installer available (he’s also hired a kid hired for cleaning the shop and driving) to pick up the vehicle. When the car is returned to the customer, he’s given a demo and explained the features of the new products.
In the first month the service was implemented, it lead to $12,000 in plus business, said Woodward. He advertises the service on his web site and uses it as a closing tool on the phone.
Woodward adds, “We lost competitors in the car audio business last year. I took a look at Hurley’s Auto Audio, which had been around since 1968, looking for an advantage. I analyzed my competition; little shops and large retailers. I asked myself what can we do that other shops and e-commerce cannot.”
Source: CEoutlook
AMEN TO THE ENTIRE STORY!!
On behalf of Gary Woodward, Hurley’s Auto Audio:
We lost competitors in the car audio business last year.
I took a look at hurley’s auto audio, which had been around since 1968,
Looking for an advantage, i analyzed my competition-little shops and large
retailers. We asked ourselves what can we do that other shops and ecommmerce
cannot. I will start at the top:
the large ecommerce retailers-
1-they cannot install. or send an installernet person to your driveway
2-they cannot offer our level of service. we have five install techs here
and are “ready to go”.
3-they cannot pickup and deliver a car to a busy customer.
4-they cannot spend 30 minutes with a customer, in person, training radio/nav features.
5-they cannot immediately care for a customer’s warranty claim.
6-they cannot or wil not repair a unit.
7-they cannot have an owner present on the “front lines” of retail.
8-they operate from “canned” knowledge bases, with litte real world experience.
9- if they donnot have it-they will not try to find what you want.
10-they cannot hold enough gross profit(they sometimes sell $1.00 over my dead cost).
11-they cannot rent the customer a car while the install takes place.
I am sure you are not amazed at the costs of the above efforts. At this point, when
an a customer with an ecommerce unit walks in my door i up the cost of the install by
the amount of the profit that i would have made if i had sold the product as well. why
should i do the same amount of work (and exposure to potential liability) for less money?