I love appetizers. Mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, french fries, chicken fingers, little mini tacos…you name it, I will devour it. Appetizers are meant to be an inexpensive starter from restaurants to prepare you for something more expensive and filling, like a meal.
Some shops treat services like brake jobs as “appetizers,” – meaning they’re quick, low-cost jobs to draw customers in. However, this approach may not serve customers’ best interests. While brake jobs are essential maintenance, they’re not meant to be quick and cheap. Let’s talk more about that in this Tire Review Continental Tire Garage Studio video.
Some shops see cheap brake jobs as a way to get customers through the door so they’ll spend money on more profitable services later. But brakes aren’t like appetizers, they’re critical to driver and passenger safety.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to brakes and no two drivers or vehicles are the same. So why provide blanket, limited-time pricing for brake jobs instead of pricing based on each vehicle’s unique needs?
Many shops cut brake service prices simply to compete with other shop prices. That may get customers through the door now, but performing quick, cheap brake jobs won’t work for those who want to build long-term customer growth and profitability.
According to industry standards, replacing brake pads typically takes around 42 minutes, and replacing a rotor requires an additional 6 to 12 minutes, depending on the vehicle. Let’s say an average of 54 minutes is needed to complete the job correctly… that means brake jobs done in less time almost certainly require shortcuts not recommended by the OEMs, like skipping measurements or lubrication steps.
Other shortcuts may involve using cheap, low-quality parts to avoid losing money on a brake service. Shortcuts will decrease the life of brake service, reduce safety and almost certainly lead to the customer coming back dissatisfied looking for a fix.
Shops relying on cheap brake jobs make a risky assumption that the customer prioritizes discounted pricing over quality service, which likely isn’t the case. Selling on price alone compromises quality, safety and customer satisfaction – build your shop’s reputation through trust and value instead.
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