By Mr. Retail
Many shops have now experienced customers handing them a shopping list with prices created by AI. And very often, the estimate is a poor idea with wrong part numbers, that may make you scratch your head wondering “How did they come up with this information?”
The reality is that more and more customers will likely use AI to create system estimates because it is easy. So, how do we combat it as independent specialists?
First and foremost, your best defense is to be considered the source of good information in your market. If you have a reputation for designing, building, and delivering better sounding, better performing, and more reliable solutions, then combating this will be easier. If you are known as the value shop or the low price leader, then it will take a lot more work to convince clients that your info is more accurate. In a nutshell, if you polled 100 folks in your market, what would they say of your reputation?
Second, your sales process will either encourage people to trust AI or to trust YOU. Let me explain. If all I do is take down a little info and then start quoting prices, I will have an uphill battle looming, in my opinion, because why should the customer trust me more than AI? But, if I urge folks to stop in and meet with me so I can sit in their vehicle and listen to their current set up, I have an advantage. If I then talk through what they like and what needs improvement, I have an advantage. And then if I can give them a demo in a vehicle, I have a third advantage.
You see, AI can only give suggestions based on how you input your question and where it goes to “scrub the internet” in reply. If you only ask a few simple questions and then start quoting prices, clients may feel they input more details into their AI query. Again, every single thing you do is defining who you are in the market. So, take an honest look and see if any changes could be made.
Third, your installation work, assuming it is good, is your ace in the hole. If a client uses AI to create a shopping list and then goes and orders those products, the likelihood of everything not working well together is higher. And, if you don’t install products you didn’t sell to the client, it nips this issue in the bud instantly. But we won’t debate that here.
With that said, you can have a discussion like this: “Mr. Client, over the last umpteen years we have developed a reputation for selecting and installing products that we know will work well together, perform better, and overall, be more reliable. We select our product mix very carefully in order to meet the above goals.” You can reword that quote to better suit your individual style. But if you are only installing products that you have tested to create a good package, then you insulate yourself from AI in a big way.
I can tell you, again, in closing that every detail in all you do is creating your image in the marketplace. From the way your store looks on the outside, the inside, your bay, to the way your staff dresses, it’s all important. Add in how you talk to clients, how you handle the sales process and customer service after the sale, all of it is a piece of how you are viewed. And it is important. Maybe today should be the day you start thinking differently about your company and the long terms goals for it. I believe in you and I believe in this industry. So let’s make it happen.
About Mr. Retailer (Mark Miller)
Mark is the CEO of Westminster Speed & Sound, an award-winning retailer in Westminster, Maryland. The company was founded in 1969, and Mark took it over in 1990 at the age of 23. He first started in the industry in 1986, so he has been at it for a while. He has served on the board of MERA, taught seminars in over a dozen different cities, and served on the SEMA New Product Awards judging team. He has been married to his wife Dawn for 35 years now and has four grown children and five grandchildren. His hobbies include being a sound engineer, doing life coaching, and being active in the local and national Porsche community.
Maybe they noticed the store also using Ai for their advertisements? Seems to be a trend I’m noticing more and more daily, Every ad is looking the same these days Chat CPT is kicking out the same thing daily for everyone and no one is noticing that before posting it? This was all fun and game for knowledge and some help here and there to expand and fit images but its gone way too far now and making people, stores, and brands lazy and now we are looking at competing against the real average cost comparison it generates to perform the job when is it enough?
I’ve seen AI offer some ridiculously low labor quotes. My comeback for that is “then get AI to install it for you.” (obviously in a nice way).
Great advice. One suggestion I would throw out is it isn’t just your customers using AI but your competition as well. Familiarize yourself with it there’s so many places you could use it. Best practices for vehicle check-in. Trying to chase down fit on new vehicles. Tweaking your SEO. Giving you feedback on your website.