WORLDPAC - Customer Retention Program

MechanicNet Customer Retention Program

Frequently Asked Questions - Shops

What is MechanicNet Customer Retention Program?
MechanicNet Customer Retention Program is a Customer Retention Marketing Program. The MechanicNet Customer Retention Program sounds complicated, but it is not. It is simply about communicating with your customers – reminding them when services are due, telling them about special offers, thanking them for being your customers and asking them if they are happy with your services. The MechanicNet Customer Retention Program builds customer loyalty and a better bottom line.

How do I get an Internet Connection, do I need to add more phone lines?
The same people who provide phone service typically can connect you to the Internet. Having a dedicated line is a good idea but not a necessity. Better yet is a high speed connection, such as DSL.

Is there a minimum or maximum number of postcards I have to send?
No. The number of postcards or e-mails you send is up to you.

Are there any up-front costs or long term contracts?
No. This is a pretty risk-free opportunity. WORLDPAC has arranged no start-up costs and a month-to-month agreement so you can get started right away and try it out for a few months. The program works really well and is very effective, so most shops continue using the service.

My customers love me and always come back for service, how will this help?
It’s great that you do such a good job with your customers that they always return for service. What we’ve found is that customers often come in a little late for their service. What would it mean to you if 10% of your customers came in one more time each year? Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Wouldn’t you appreciate getting service reminders and thank you cards from the shop that takes care of you and your vehicle? How can it hurt to communicate with your customers?

I’m already too busy and if I use a service like this I’ll just have to turn customers away.
Some of our best customers are just like you. The real question is: what is your ratio of Maintenance services to Repair services? Our busy customers have discovered that they are much more profitable and have more satisfied customers as they increase the percent of maintenance services. These are customers that are interested in spending money to maintain their vehicles and avoid unexpected breakdowns.

How can I be sure that the MechanicNet Customer Retention Program works for me?
Each month MechanicNet will mail you an easy to read statement that will tell you exactly how much you spent and how revenue was generated. Most customers make between $1,500 and $4,100 on MechanicNet Customer Retention Program generated business.

What if I don’t have any of my customers’ e-mail addresses yet?
You are not alone; most shops start out with very few, if any, e-mail addresses. The good news is that with the MechanicNet Customer Retention Program you have the option to send postcards or e-mail so you don’t have to have e-mail addresses to start benefiting from this service.

Do you offer zip code mailings or can you blanket my area for new customers?
No, MechanicNet Customer Retention Program is about targeted marketing. We focus on your customers to assure the highest return for your marketing dollars. Your best source for good long-term customers comes from word-of-mouth referrals, so we help improve your customer satisfaction.

How does MechanicNet know when my customers are due for service?
With your permission, we extract your work order history (only you and MNG have access to your information). We then use a number of factors including; mileage, vehicle age, last service date to calculate accurate service intervals.

Is my information shared or sold to anyone else?
NO. We never distribute or sell your shop’s customer information to any third parties. Your invoices are used only to send communications to your customers, and only with your prior consent.

How much of my time does it take to run an effective MechanicNet Customer Retention Program?
As little as a few minutes each week. Because this is a fully automated solution, the job of sorting the database, selecting customers and doing the mailing is done in seconds. All you have to do is take a few seconds to review the mailing list and you’re done.

How do I put together a special promotion?
You can create an effective promotion by yourself using the online Promotion Manager or call our Marketing Associates and let them do it for you. We do not charge extra for this service

Will your software damage my system or slow it down?
No. We load a very small software utility on your system that exports data. Because this utility never imports data it will not damage your system by bringing in a virus or worm etc. We highly advise every shop to subscribe to a firewall and security service.

Is there complicated software to learn or operate?
There is software, but you don’t have to learn how to use it to run the MechanicNet Customer Retention Program. On the other hand, you can call one of our Marketing Associates and they will either walk you through the process or do the work for you.

What if my customers don’t want to give me their e-mail address?
You will find that the majority of people with e-mail will happily provide them if that is their preferred form of communication. Some will say no and others will not have an e-mail address to give. For that reason we recommend that shops ask their customers how they prefer to get reminders, by email or postcard. In doing so you are offering your customers an option and not “putting them on the spot”.

Frequently Asked Questions – Technical

How does MechanicNet get information off my computer?
With your permission we use a software utility and the Internet to copy service related information from your shop management program. Once a day this program “wakes up” and encrypts and sends new repair orders through a secure connection to our server. This takes less than 2 minutes and is scheduled so that it does not interfere with your normal business operations

How large is LinkUp™, the MechanicNet software that resides on the shop’s computer?
The resident program is very small, around 1.5 megabytes.

How is LinkUp™ installed?
In the majority of cases, LinkUp will be installed by your MechanicNet representative. If you have a dial up connection to the internet, the installation will be completed by a short phone call from MechanicNet’s technical support team.

How do I make sure that my data is safe?
We require a firewall and virus protection before installing “link up” software. Once Linkup is installed, all activity is outbound. Before any data is sent it is encrypted and compressed so that the data is secure. The data is sent to and stored on a highly secure server which is locked and guarded. It is housed in facilities that also house data from Google and Yahoo.