The Magic of the Instant Phone Call

One of the things we’ve discovered in 6 years of selling auto glass installations on the Internet is what I call the “Instant Phone Call Magic.” And I’ve confirmed this talking to other independent shops over the last few months as we’ve been expanding our service area.

The sooner auto glass shops call a customer after they’ve submitted an online service request, the more likely they are to get the job. If you think about it, it makes sense—someone with damaged auto glass sits down at the computer to find an auto glass shop and they want to get the job done right then. So if you can call them while they’re shopping, they’ll be more likely to schedule with you. And the more promptly you call, the more you support the idea that the Internet makes things happen instantly.

I pulled some of the comments that we’ve received over the years from customers who were amazed how quickly we followed up with them. These 3 are just a sampling of all the hundreds of e-mails from customers for whom speed of response was the key ingredient in making the sale:

“I was totally impressed with the response I recieved back from your customer service, after filling out the online quote. It was within minutes. Awesome to work with, definately will use your company again, and refer you to others.” —Robert L., Beaverton, OR

“I was surprised at how fast I was contacted after clicking on scheduling an appointment. It was within minutes.” —Dan J., St. James, NY

“VERY impressed with the ease of online ordering and scheduling. Had phone call 5 minutes after placing order and followup to confirm installation the next day. Installer called the morning of installation and left me know when to expect installer.” —Brian A., Freeburg, IL

I’ve compiled some tips from our call center staff summarizing the things that work best for them. What I like about these tips is that they’re not just theory—they really work, based on years of fine-tuning:

• Check e-mail and fax constantly to check for new service requests.
• Follow up within 5 minutes of receiving the customer’s information, if possible. Even if you’re calling just to reschedule, don’t wait—call.

If you have other sales techniques that have worked for you, leave a comment—we always enjoy hearing from you.