Nothing says "spirit of the season" like ... a wheel alignment?
Auto service might not seem the obvious choice for a holiday gift card, certificate or coupon. But a growing number of dealerships are finding that such promotions build business and enhance customer satisfaction.
Waikem Auto Family, which operates six franchised dealerships in Massillon, Ohio, offers gift certificates for vehicle reconditioning: $159 for cars, $169 for pickups and SUVs.
David Waikem, the group's co-owner, says he expects to sell about 25 of the certificates this year, with 15 of them snapped up in November and December as holiday presents.
"This kind of happened backward," Waikem told Fixed Ops Journal. "When we had requests for donations to nonprofits for things like gift baskets, people wanted something valued at more than an oil change and tire rotation."
The company also sells 30 to 40 gift certificates each year, in varying amounts, for other maintenance and repair work at its dealerships, Waikem says.
Although the promotion heavily discounts labor and parts costs, he adds, the maintenance and reconditioning certificates do not provide enough sales volume to warrant offering plastic gift cards.