How Free Inspections Might Be Hurting Your Business

Oct. 12, 2015

Winning, whether it’s in a race or in business, isn’t random. There are certain things winners do that ensure their success.

The tricky part is in knowing when to switch gears. “Do you dare make a decision to give more to get more?” That’s a question Wayne Williams, Modern Tire Dealer’s Counter Intelligence columnist, asks in his latest column.

Williams offers one counter-intuitive example — when a shop stopped offering free vehicle inspections, and instead started charging $9.95.

“I know how you feel; I felt the same way,” Williams writes. “Let me tell you what we found. Customers were skeptical of a free vehicle inspection. They thought we were just trying to find additional ways to charge them more money. Imagine that.”

The results were surprising, and “better on both sides of the counter,” Williams writes. Read about the benefits of charging for a free service in Williams’ latest column, on page 72 of MTD’s October edition.

Then, share your experience. Have you switched gears and found a 'new way' to be more profitable, or discovered a way to provide an improved service to your customers? Tell us about it by posting a comment.