The first time a customer meets your team might not even be at your shop. It could be during a quick phone call, at a community event, or even while standing in the grocery store checkout line. No matter where it happens, that first impression sticks with people far longer than we sometimes realize.
In auto repair, those impressions carry even more weight. Car problems are rarely planned and rarely fun. They are inconvenient, stressful, and sometimes expensive. People rely on their cars for work, family, and daily life, so when something goes wrong, emotions can run high. In that moment, your team’s warmth and care can be the difference between a customer feeling overwhelmed or feeling like they are in good hands.
Back when Brian and I had our shop, I remember realizing that customers were not just deciding if they trusted our services. They were deciding if they liked our people. The smiles, the way we greeted them, and whether we remembered their names all mattered more than I realized.
One first-time customer walked in, caught the smell of fresh coffee, saw the clean counter, and got a friendly wave from the tech in back. Before we had even talked about repairs, I could tell they liked us. And when they like you, they relax, even when they are dropping off a car they cannot live without.
I have also seen the flip side: burnt popcorn drifting from the breakroom, yesterday’s receipts scattered on the counter, and a half-hearted “yeah?” from behind a computer screen. In that moment, you can watch the walls go up, and in our industry, where trust is everything, those walls are hard to take down.
So, how do you help your customers not just trust your team, but genuinely like them, especially when they are walking in after their day has already been turned upside down? Let’s talk about that.
First Impressions Matter
That first interaction sets the tone for the entire relationship. If a customer walks into your shop and no one greets them, it sends a message.
A friendly hello can go a long way. For a customer worried about how long they will be without their vehicle or how much the repair will cost, that small gesture can ease tension right away. It says, “We see you, we are here to help, and you are in the right place.”
A clean and organized space matters too. When a shop looks messy, it tells people that details are not important, and if they are trusting you with thousands of dollars’ worth of vehicle, that is not the message you want to send.
Here is something I encourage shop owners to do: once a month, walk into your shop like you are a customer seeing it for the first time. Notice what you notice. Does the lobby smell clean? Is the counter cluttered? Is there someone looking up to greet you? Those little details are the first handshake your shop gives every new customer, and that handshake is especially important when a breakdown has already thrown off their plans.
Core Values Create Culture
You cannot talk about team culture without talking about core values. Team culture is not an accident. It is built with intention, and the foundation is always your core values.
I will be honest. When Brian and I first created our core values, they sat in a folder and on a wall. They were not in our hearts. We could not say them quickly, and they did not guide our daily work.
That changed when we took the time to create a list of core values that truly reflected who we were. We started using them in every decision, every hire, and every customer interaction. That is when culture began to shift. And in auto repair, that shift is powerful because your values are what guide how your team treats people during some of their most inconvenient and frustrating moments.
When a customer hands you their keys, they are putting trust in you to get them back on the road safely and fairly. Core values make sure your whole team handles that responsibility the same way, with care, respect, and integrity.
Hiring and Training for People Skills
When you hire for customer-facing roles, you are looking for more than job skills. You are looking for people who:
- Put people first
- Are patient and listen well
- Stay calm when conversations get tough
- Balance organization with flexibility
I always say you can train for technical skills, but you cannot always train for heart. Someone can learn your shop software, but it is much harder to teach them to genuinely care about the person standing in front of them, especially when that person is upset about being without their car.
During onboarding, set clear expectations. Let them know that being professional is important, but so is being personable. Show them what that looks like in real interactions. In our industry, even small gestures like a reassuring tone or a patient explanation can turn frustration into relief.
Some resources I love for building people skills:
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Communication books by John Maxwell
- TED Talks on empathy and connection
These are great tools for helping your team understand not just what to say, but how to truly connect.
Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
Emotional intelligence is the ability to read people and respond in a way that meets their needs.
Pay attention to mood changes. If a team member or customer seems “off,” check in. Sometimes it is as simple as saying, “Are you okay?” And I promise, you might be surprised at how much that one question can mean to someone who is having a rough day. That small question can change someone’s whole day.
For customers, it is also about remembering details. Say their name. Ask about something they mentioned last time. “How did Caitlin’s soccer tournament go?” is a lot more personal than “How’s it going?”
Even if you only see them twice a year, those personal touches make them feel remembered. And feeling remembered is a big part of feeling cared for.
Avoid Sounding Scripted
I understand why scripts exist. For someone new, they can be a safety net to remember key points and stay consistent. But in auto repair, customers often arrive with concerns about cost, time without their vehicle, and whether they will be treated fairly. If they sense you are just reading lines, it can feel like a transaction instead of real help.
Reading from a script sounds impersonal. It is like calling customer service and hearing the same “I’m sorry for your inconvenience” in the same tone over and over. When someone’s car is on the line, they need to feel they are talking to a human who cares.
Use scripts as a starting point, but teach your team to make them their own. Role-play until it sounds natural. Have them record themselves and listen back. The goal is for the words to become muscle memory so they can adapt to the customer in front of them.
A real conversation flows with room for pauses, laughter, and genuine interest. And remember, confidence is contagious. When your team speaks with ease and warmth, customers will relax and trust you, even during a challenging repair.
Body Language and Tone
The way you stand, look, and speak tells a customer more than your words do.
When someone drops off their vehicle, they are putting a lot of trust in you. A smile, eye contact, and a slight lean forward say, “we will take care of you and your car.” Crossed arms, no eye contact, and a flat tone can send the opposite message and make them wonder if they chose the right shop.
This is why body language and tone matter so much. They set the emotional temperature of the interaction before the first sentence is finished.
One of the best exercises I ever did was recording myself. I thought I was coming across as engaged and friendly, but on camera, I looked distracted and a little rushed. It was eye-opening.
Encourage your team to do the same. Watch for habits like frowning while thinking or speaking too quickly. Small changes like softening your expression, slowing your pace, or opening your stance can completely change the way customers feel when they walk through your door, even if the repair was the last thing they expected today.
Handling Difficult Situations
Most customer issues can be turned around with empathy and active listening. Not all, and that’s okay, but far more than you might think.
- Let them speak without interrupting.
- Repeat back what you heard to confirm you understand.
- If the issue is online, call the customer instead of only replying in writing.
I have seen entire relationships turn around because a shop owner took five minutes to call a customer after a negative review. Sometimes, hearing your voice and knowing you care is all it takes.
Internal Team Dynamics
Customers notice more than you think. They might not hear every word exchanged between your team members, but they can feel the energy in the room. If they catch bickering, eye rolls, or obvious tension, it plants doubt. They start wondering, “If they treat each other like that, how will they treat me or my car?”
Now flip the picture. A customer walks in and sees your service advisor chatting comfortably with a tech, maybe sharing a laugh or offering a quick “thanks” for a job well done. They notice team members stepping in to help each other without being asked. That kind of teamwork tells customers they are in a shop where people enjoy working together, and that energy spills over into how the customer is treated.
It comes back to core values. If respect, collaboration, or camaraderie are part of your values, they should show up in every interaction, not just in meetings or on paper. When your team lives those values out loud, customers pick up on it instantly, and it makes them want to keep coming back.
Leading by Example
The culture you want starts with you. Continue learning and developing as a leader. Read, listen to podcasts, attend training, and model the behavior you expect from your team.
One of my favorite daily habits is the morning stand-up meeting. Everyone stands in a circle and shares two things:
- Something they are grateful for today
- Their top priority for the day
It is quick, but it sets a positive tone, keeps everyone connected, and helps you notice if someone is having a hard day.
TL;DR:
Car repairs aren’t fun. They’re often stressful, inconvenient, and costly. But when your team is warm, genuine, and easy to like, you can turn a bad day into a positive experience. Start with great first impressions, live out your core values, hire for people skills, and train for empathy. From body language to unscripted conversations, every interaction is a chance to show customers they matter. Do that consistently, and you’ll earn their trust, loyalty, and repeat business.
The Heart of a Likeable Team
Your team should feel trusted to do something special for a customer without having to stop and ask for approval. These are the moments that turn an ordinary transaction into a lasting relationship.
It might be as simple as helping a stranded customer on the side of the road. Sponsoring a customer’s child’s sports team when you hear they are looking for support. Or contributing to a community fundraiser, you know, is important to one of your long-time clients.
These are not just “nice gestures.” They are your core values lived out loud. They tell your customers, “We see you. We value you. You matter to us.” When your team has the freedom to act on those moments without hesitation, it becomes part of your shop’s DNA, the way you do business, every single day.
Here is the bottom line. Getting your customers to like your team has very little to do with price or even the quality of the repair. It has everything to do with culture, connection, and care. It is about building a team that will go out of their way for someone simply because it is the right thing to do.
Start with strong core values. Hire for people skills. Train for empathy. Lead in a way your team wants to follow. Do that, and you will not just have customers who like your team; you will have customers who look forward to seeing them again and again.
Brian Walker
Brian Walker is the Owner and CEO of Shop Marketing Pros, a marketing agency specializing in marketing independently owned auto repair shops. Brian is a Mercedes Benz Master Technician and has owned multiple shops and served as the Mechanical Division Director for ASA-NC.He’s a mechanic at heart who loves fixing things that are broken, which is why he loves marketing so much.
“Digging in and figuring out why a business’ marketing isn’t working is a lot like it was when he was elbows deep into a car that no one else could fix. When you figure it out, there’s nothing else like it.”
To get to do this for auto repair shop owners combines his passions, and he couldn’t be more excited about helping shop owners.
About The Author
Kim Walker
Born to connect, teach and serve, Kim is one of the lucky ones who gets to put her life purpose into action while working. Her career roots of being a teacher and school counselor fit perfectly into her role at Shop Marketing Pros. As Co-Owner of the company, Kim enjoys pairing her experiences as a past automotive repair shop owner with her marketing for repair shops. She loves teaching, connecting and serving each shop as if it were her own. Kim is a Master Certified Solution Provider in Email Marketing with Constant Contact, was a StoryBrand Certified Guide and actively involved in numerous civic, professional and community organizations.
