Auto repair shop online marketing: 5 ways you’re losing customers without realizing it – News Channel 3-12

Sign up for Email Alerts from KEYT.com!By Shiva Kumar for WayImagine this scenario: It’s 4:45 p.m. Adam, a potential customer, is on his way back home when his check engine light flashes. He takes out his phone and quickly searches for “auto repair shops near me.” Your shop comes up. He taps the listing and notices that your shop is only open until 5 p.m., when in fact it’s open until 6. Adam calls the phone number to double-check whether you’re still open, but no one picks up. He is already moving on to the next shop on the list.  Adam doesn’t leave a voicemail or an angry review, so you never hear about him. You’ve simply lost a customer you never knew you had a shot at. Way shares five auto repair shop online marketing gaps that cause this, and how to fix them A potential customer is likely to look your shop up online first. Your Google Business Profile is what comes up. If the information on your listing isn’t correct or up to date, you’re losing customers. Google says customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable when they find a complete profile, and 70% more likely to visit.  But there’s actually a detail that most shop owners miss. Google lets users suggest changes to a business’s details, so your hours, phone number, and even your category can change without you touching them. Google reports that users suggested roughly 80 million updates to business hours, contact details, and other information across Maps in 2025.  Google may send an email or display an alert on your dashboard to let you know about a suggested edit, but sometimes such alerts are easily forgettable when you’re running a busy shop. You have four days to accept or reject the changes. Once those four days pass, Google may publish the changes automatically if other public information, like your website, supports them.You don’t have to spend hours on this. Just set aside 10 minutes once a month to go through your Google Business Profile. Make sure your hours, holiday hours, phone number, and category are all updated. Also keep an eye on your email so you’ll know if any changes have been suggested.  About 73% of consumers began their most recent search for a local business on a phone, according to a 2026 BrightLocal survey.Your customers should be able to easily find the services you offer, price estimates, timing, and an online booking form. Slow loading, a lot of pinching and zooming to see details, and copying your phone number by hand are inconveniences that are likely to prompt a customer to close the tab without a second thought.Open up your website on your phone right now. Can you find your hours, your services, a tap-to-call button, and a way to book without scrolling too far down? If not, these need to go on your to-do list immediately. You can also ask family, friends, and staff to go through the website and point out any issues they find.  Plenty of people look for a repair shop at 9 p.m., long after you’ve closed. And while the phone is still the most popular way to reach a business, in March 2025, YouGov found that only 35% of Americans prefer it for customer service, which means about two-thirds would rather reach you another way. A booking form gives these customers an easy way to reach you, even after hours. According to research from Cox Automotive, reported by SalesFuel, 76% of dealership service customers who booked online said they’d likely do it again. The study focused on dealerships, but it still points to something worth paying attention to. Customers appreciate being able to book a service appointment online.Place your booking form where visitors can see it easily and not just on the “Contact Us” page. Also add your booking link to your Google Business Profile. Make sure someone checks it daily. An automatic reply that goes something like, “Thanks, Adam! We’ve got your request. Your appointment is confirmed for 10 a.m. tomorrow,” will give your customers a more personal experience.  Of course, some customers will still choose to call your shop. They might have an emergency or an inspection deadline, which means they’re already looking to book. Marchex analyzed 8.7 million calls to aftermarket auto service locations in its 2019 Auto Services Industry Report and found that 13% of calls never connected, and 68% of callers who didn’t reach a business on the first try didn’t bother to call back.  Marchex estimated that poor call handling cost the average business location around $108,000 a year, including at least $49,000 from failed calls.You’re taking apart a car, your service advisor is busy explaining a repair to a customer, and the phone just keeps ringing until it stops. Nobody’s slacking off, but you still lose a job simply because there’s no one free to answer.For a week, keep track of every missed call. Then estimate how many could have turned into repair jobs and multiply that number by your average repair order. You might be surprised by how much missed calls are costing you.You can set up a voicemail greeting that points your customers toward a booking link or a missed-call text that goes out automatically. Today, there are also smart tools that can answer your phone and book appointments that go directly into your calendar.  The work that you did was fine, and the service was great. But if nothing sets your shop apart from competitors, there’s nothing to remind the customer that your shop exists. So, how do you make sure your customers remember your shop after they visit for the first time?  A simple text can change that. Something like: “Hey [Customer Name], just checking in to see how the car’s running. If anything feels off, reply here, and we’ll take a look.” Customers seem to like this kind of update, too. JD Power’s 2026 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) Study found that more than half of customers prefer texts for service updates.You can also keep them updated on the maintenance they need, especially as the seasons change or before they go on a long road trip. Never bombard your customers’ phones with texts. Keep it simple and relevant. Otherwise, your customers will get annoyed and opt out of receiving any messages.  It’s easy to lose customers when you don’t know the reason you’re losing them in the first place. All you need is a routine for your auto repair shop online marketing. Review your Google Business Profile to make sure your hours, phone number, and category are correct regularly. Check your email for any suggested edits that may come through. Test your website on your phone every few months, especially after making any changes. Keep an eye on your booking requests every day. Make sure to check on the number of missed calls you get, and don’t forget to send customers a quick, friendly follow-up after each visit.At the end of the day, customers like Adam don’t always choose another shop because the techs there are better. Sometimes, they go with the shop that’s way easier to reach and way simpler to book online.This story was produced by Way and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.Imagine this scenario: It’s 4:45 p.m. Adam, a potential customer, is on his way back home when his check engine light flashes. He takes out his phone and quickly searches for “auto repair shops near me.” Your shop comes up. He taps the listing and notices that your shop is only open until 5 p.m., when in fact it’s open until 6. Adam calls the phone number to double-check whether you’re still open, but no one picks up. He is already moving on to the next shop on the list.  Adam doesn’t leave a voicemail or an angry review, so you never hear about him. You’ve simply lost a customer you never knew you had a shot at. Way shares five auto repair shop online marketing gaps that cause this, and how to fix themA potential customer is likely to look your shop up online first. Your Google Business Profile is what comes up. If the information on your listing isn’t correct or up to date, you’re losing customers. Google says customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable when they find a complete profile, and 70% more likely to visit.  But there’s actually a detail that most shop owners miss. Google lets users suggest changes to a business’s details, so your hours, phone number, and even your category can change without you touching them. Google reports that users suggested roughly 80 million updates to business hours, contact details, and other information across Maps in 2025.  Google may send an email or display an alert on your dashboard to let you know about a suggested edit, but sometimes such alerts are easily forgettable when you’re running a busy shop. You have four days to accept or reject the changes. Once those four days pass, Google may publish the changes automatically if other public information, like your website, supports them.You don’t have to spend hours on this. Just set aside 10 minutes once a month to go through your Google Business Profile. Make sure your hours, holiday hours, phone number, and category are all updated. Also keep an eye on your email so you’ll know if any changes have been suggested.  About 73% of consumers began their most recent search for a local business on a phone, according to a 2026 BrightLocal survey.Your customers should be able to easily find the services you offer, price estimates, timing, and an online booking form. Slow loading, a lot of pinching and zooming to see details, and copying your phone number by hand are inconveniences that are likely to prompt a customer to close the tab without a second thought.Open up your website on your phone right now. Can you find your hours, your services, a tap-to-call button, and a way to book without scrolling too far down? If not, these need to go on your to-do list immediately. You can also ask family, friends, and staff to go through the website and point out any issues they find.  Plenty of people look for a repair shop at 9 p.m., long after you’ve closed. And while the phone is still the most popular way to reach a business, in March 2025, YouGov found that only 35% of Americans prefer it for customer service, which means about two-thirds would rather reach you another way. A booking form gives these customers an easy way to reach you, even after hours. According to research from Cox Automotive, reported by SalesFuel, 76% of dealership service customers who booked online said they’d likely do it again. The study focused on dealerships, but it still points to something worth paying attention to. Customers appreciate being able to book a service appointment online.Place your booking form where visitors can see it easily and not just on the “Contact Us” page. Also add your booking link to your Google Business Profile. Make sure someone checks it daily. An automatic reply that goes something like, “Thanks, Adam! We’ve got your request. Your appointment is confirmed for 10 a.m. tomorrow,” will give your customers a more personal experience.  Of course, some customers will still choose to call your shop. They might have an emergency or an inspection deadline, which means they’re already looking to book. Marchex analyzed 8.7 million calls to aftermarket auto service locations in its 2019 Auto Services Industry Report and found that 13% of calls never connected, and 68% of callers who didn’t reach a business on the first try didn’t bother to call back.  Marchex estimated that poor call handling cost the average business location around $108,000 a year, including at least $49,000 from failed calls.You’re taking apart a car, your service advisor is busy explaining a repair to a customer, and the phone just keeps ringing until it stops. Nobody’s slacking off, but you still lose a job simply because there’s no one free to answer.For a week, keep track of every missed call. Then estimate how many could have turned into repair jobs and multiply that number by your average repair order. You might be surprised by how much missed calls are costing you.You can set up a voicemail greeting that points your customers toward a booking link or a missed-call text that goes out automatically. Today, there are also smart tools that can answer your phone and book appointments that go directly into your calendar.  The work that you did was fine, and the service was great. But if nothing sets your shop apart from competitors, there’s nothing to remind the customer that your shop exists. So, how do you make sure your customers remember your shop after they visit for the first time?  A simple text can change that. Something like: “Hey [Customer Name], just checking in to see how the car’s running. If anything feels off, reply here, and we’ll take a look.” Customers seem to like this kind of update, too. JD Power’s 2026 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) Study found that more than half of customers prefer texts for service updates.You can also keep them updated on the maintenance they need, especially as the seasons change or before they go on a long road trip. Never bombard your customers’ phones with texts. Keep it simple and relevant. Otherwise, your customers will get annoyed and opt out of receiving any messages.  It’s easy to lose customers when you don’t know the reason you’re losing them in the first place. All you need is a routine for your auto repair shop online marketing. Review your Google Business Profile to make sure your hours, phone number, and category are correct regularly. Check your email for any suggested edits that may come through. Test your website on your phone every few months, especially after making any changes. Keep an eye on your booking requests every day. Make sure to check on the number of missed calls you get, and don’t forget to send customers a quick, friendly follow-up after each visit.At the end of the day, customers like Adam don’t always choose another shop because the techs there are better. Sometimes, they go with the shop that’s way easier to reach and way simpler to book online.This story was produced by Way and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Jump to comments ↓ Stacker is a news organization committed to telling engaging, research-driven stories. For more information, click here.News Channel 3-12 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. 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