Attending Automotive Management Institute (AMI) courses over the years, I've become accustomed to the adage that, "It costs a lot less money to keep an old customer than it does to find a new one."

On paper, it's easy to see the importance of keeping customers happy and fixing their vehicles right the first time. And since "word of mouth" advertising is one of the top advertising mechanisms many shop owners use, how you handle (or prevent) a comeback becomes even more important to the success of your shop.

Go ahead ‹ ask yourself, "Am I allowing comebacks at my shop to get out of hand?"

First, don't be discouraged. There will always be some comebacks. According to one shop owner, you can expect about a 5% comeback rate on general repair work. But there are some sound ways to keep comebacks from rising to an alarming 10% of your service work.

First, understand that defective replacement parts don't always cause comebacks.

Sometimes, a comeback is caused by miscommunication between the service dealer and a customer. As a shop owner, you'll need to modify this behavior. One suggestion is to have a service writer attend a management or business course at a local community college. Or bring them along to a future Congress of Automotive Repair (CARS) convention. Understand that your technicians aren't the only ones who need to keep up with their ...