Richer Sounds and Bodyshop profitability
Submitted by RAB Lee
Some of you may have used Richer Sounds. They are a Hi-Fi, Flat TV specialist chain across the UK. I used them recently and was so impressed by their customer service that I asked the store manager if I could have a head office contact to see if I could get one of their training people (this level of excellence doesn’t happen by accident), to talk at an Acoat Bodyshop Debate.
Not only was I given a contact, I was given a direct line to contact Julian Richer the Managing Director. A phone call was answered by his secretary who took all my details and assured me of a reply. One day later I received a package with a personal reply from JR declining my request, due to shear volume of requests, but including a complimentary copy of his book ‘The Richer Way’.
His chain of shops has had, for several years now, the record in the Guinness Book for the highest sales per square meter of any retail outlet globally! How is it done, well read the book, but in two words ‘Customer Service’.
Marketing people talk about two types of businesses; Internally orientated, who assume price and product are key to success, ignore competition, think marketing is an expensive luxury and are efficient rather than effective (this is a perfect widget therefore it’s what you want).
Then there’s the Market Lead businesses, achieve profit by satisfying their customers, do this through focus on customer service rather than the businesses’ convenience. Where does JR sit and where, at present, do bodyshops operate?
Fantastic! I’m convinced! But where does this sit with Insurance Companies, Customers and PAS 125? Well it actually fits with all of them. They have an expectation when they come to you. The Customer particularly wants mobility (a courtesy car), right first time repair and on time. The Insurer will add ‘at a price’ and PAS ‘in this particular way’. Giving the customer what they want is simply good customer service.
There’s clearly a lot to this so where to start? John Kiff & Dave Brunt in their new book ‘Creating Lean Dealers’ talk about Customer Fulfilment. Did you do all the bits along the repair process to achieve the customer’s goal?
Create a spreadsheet that shows all the major steps from first notification to delivery back to the Customer. Every time there’s a problem note at which stage it happened. Is there a pattern emerging? Spend some time on the trouble spots; maybe redeploy staff to where they can be more effective. All the time have the customer looking over your shoulder asking “if this brings value to them”?
Many businesses outside our sector do this stuff as a matter of routine and culture. It is a great opportunity to get ahead of the pack, who, by the way, still think their customer has four wheels!
Good luck with your profit building… RAB Lee
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