Being “female-friendly” should really be a given, not something unique and worthy of announcement! But unfortunately for our automotive repair industry, there is a general perception of mistrust and also anxiety among women when it comes to bringing their vehicles in for services. We understand that, and we also see that women are the majority of our customers these days. I like to believe that is true because word has gotten around that we are a place they can trust.
So when I learned about AskPatty®, I knew it was a program I wanted us to embrace. AskPatty.com is a web site dedicated to providing women with a safe and reliable source for expert automotive advice and research. To become a certified member of their program, our staff had to go through several hours of training to improve their communication skills and learn why sometimes women’s expectations and reactions can be different from those of men. Much of what our guys learned in the training was familiar to them already, but there were some new ideas introduced, so it was definitely worthwhile. Now we are proud to display our official AskPatty certificates and are pleased that we have another way to show potential customers what makes us different! We are dedicated to doing all we can to change the negative perceptions so many people, in particular women, have about our industry, and we applaud AskPatty for providing a powerful and valuable option for women car owners everywhere.
If you live outside of our service area, be sure to go to www.askpatty.com and search for a certified female-friendly shop in your vicinity! If you are looking for a new car, there are also certified auto dealers in their program. Happy shopping!
Donna McCord
Owner, Dean’s Automotive, Inc.