EPISODE: 218 – 37% of Your Leads Are Booking. Where Are the Rest Going? Real Data w/Stan Stokes
What if the problem isn’t your marketing? What if the phone is ringing, the opportunities are there, and you’re simply not converting enough of them into appointments?
Brian sits down with Stan Stokes of GuestX to dig into data from more than 17,000 service inquiry calls across Shop Marketing Pros clients. And some of the numbers are pretty eye-opening. From a 37% booked appointment rate to the fact that 65% of missed opportunities never even received an appointment offer, there’s a LOT of revenue sitting on the table.
They also tackle something Brian has pretty strong feelings about: labeling every new caller who asks, “How much is it?” as a price shopper. That person probably isn’t just shopping. They have a problem with their vehicle, they’re looking for someone to help them, and chances are they’re going to get that vehicle fixed somewhere within the next few days. The question is whether it’s going to be at your shop.
Marketing’s job is to create opportunities. What happens when the phone rings is where your service advisors, processes, coaching, and customer experience take over. If you’re spending money on marketing but aren’t paying attention to what happens after those leads call your shop, you need to hear this conversation. Listen now and find out how much revenue could already be sitting right there in your phone calls.
Timestamps
Introduction to Stan Stokes and GuestX (00:00:10) Host Brian Walker introduces guest Stan Stokes and his company, GuestX, which analyzes phone calls for auto repair shops.
Introduction to Stan Stokes and GuestX (00:00:10) Host Brian Walker introduces guest Stan Stokes and his company, GuestX, which analyzes phone calls for auto repair shops.
The Origin of the Partnership (00:01:32) Brian explains how his marketing agency started using GuestX’s AI to replace manually listening to and analyzing client phone calls.
The Problem with Marketing Leads (00:03:20) Stan discusses how shops often blame marketing for slow business, when the real issue is converting phone opportunities into actual customers.
Analyzing the Data: Booked Appointment Rate (00:08:10) Stan reveals a 37% booked appointment rate from a sample of over 17,000 calls from top-tier auto repair shops.
Reasons for Missed Opportunities (00:09:08) A breakdown of why appointments aren’t booked, with 65% of the time being because the service advisor never offered one.
The Financial Impact of Missed Calls (00:11:44) Stan calculates that improving the booking rate by just 10% could equate to an average of $10,000 per shop.
Understanding New Customer Behavior (00:13:54) Discussion on the difference between planned and unplanned service needs and why new customers often lead with questions about price.
The “Price Shopper” Misconception (00:17:08) Brian argues against labeling customers as “price shoppers” just because they ask about cost, calling it an arrogant perspective.
The Power of a Simple Question (00:20:27) Stan explains how asking “what concerns are you having?” can completely change the outcome of a call with a new customer.
Real-Time Recovery and Coaching (00:23:00) The discussion turns to using call analysis data for real-time recovery of missed appointments and for targeted team coaching.
The Handoff from Marketing to Sales (00:27:17) Brian emphasizes the critical point where marketing efforts end and the shop’s sales and customer service performance takes over.
The Success of Top-Performing Shops (00:32:16) Brian highlights shops that excel at converting calls, noting their high booking rates are due to focusing on phone skills.
Knowing Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (00:35:47) Stan stresses the importance of knowing front-of-house KPIs, like the percentage of new versus returning customers, to guide strategy.
How to Contact Stan Stokes (00:39:50) Stan provides information on how listeners can get in touch with him and learn more about his company, GuestX.
How To Get In Touch
Join The Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind Group on Facebook
Meet The Pros
Follow SMP on Facebook
Follow SMP on Instagram
Get The Ultimate Guide to Auto Repair Shop Marketing Book
Email Us Podcast Questions or Topics
Lagniappe (Books, Links, Other Podcasts, etc)
GuestX
Episode 159 – There’s No Such Thing As A Price Shopper
