Courtesy cars and waiting appointments
For a great many customers the repair is not the decision — transport is. Whether they can get to work on Thursday determines whether they book with you at all, and it is frequently the question they ask before price.
Three ways people cope without their car
The strongest offer you have, and the most constrained. Usually a small fleet, booked well ahead, and subject to insurance conditions worth stating early.
Works for short jobs, and turns your waiting area into part of the product. People will accept ninety minutes if told it is ninety minutes.
The default, and the one that generates the "is it ready?" calls.
Why "we might have one" loses the booking
A caller cannot plan around a maybe. They are deciding whether to take a day off, and an uncertain answer sends them to a garage that gave a definite one — even a definite no, which at least lets them arrange something. Certainty is worth more than generosity here: "no courtesy car Thursday, but Friday I can do one" converts better than an open maybe.
The three questions worth asking early
Whether they need transport at all, which a surprising number do not. Whether they can wait, which turns a two-day job into a morning if the work is short enough. And whether anyone else can collect the car, which sometimes removes the problem entirely. Establishing these before discussing dates avoids arranging a slot that has to be undone.
Say the conditions on the call, not at the counter
Minimum age, licence held for a period, an excess, fuel policy, whether it can go on a motorway. Discovering any of these while standing at the desk on the morning of the job is how a good experience turns bad before the work has started. None of them is a problem when mentioned in advance; all of them are when sprung.
Frequently asked
For many customers the repair is not the decision — getting to work is. It is frequently asked before price.
A caller cannot plan around a maybe while deciding whether to take a day off. A definite no with an alternative date converts better than an open maybe.
Whether they need transport at all, whether they could wait while it is done, and whether somebody else could collect the car.
On the call — minimum age, licence held, excess, fuel policy. Sprung at the counter on the morning, they turn a good experience bad before work starts.