A classic meme-worthy line, but there is a good reason for that – it is the key to upselling. In many businesses, failing to attempt to upsell will get customer service marked down in their reviews.

It is not just limited to fast food chains, who try to sell you fries or a combo; home appliance and tech stores will try and sell an extended warranty or installation packages, banks will add insurance or other products to loans and mortgages, and car dealers look to upsell mechanical repair insurance and other packages.

So what about automotive repairers – what is your upsell? There are plenty of options, some genuinely helpful for your clients and many that are probably better for you than them – in which case you might question why you are selling them.

I recently had a puncture repaired at a well-known national chain and got a comprehensive upsell attempt ranging from nitrogen fill to a wheel alignment (somewhat earlier than needed).

The helpful upsells are noticing issues that whilst not critical now will be an issue before the next service is due and giving the client the option to repair now. Another might be having a range of cheaper accessories at the front counter that the client can add – and you can offer to add to the bill. What about car air fresheners, phone charging cables, security screws for registration plates and I am sure you could have many more ideas? It might not sound much but if you can make an extra $5 on average for every service what does that add up to over a year.

For instance, if you do say eight services a day, that is 40 a week and over 2,000 services a year – at $5 each that is $10,000 a year in extra profit! It’s in the mindset of “look after the cents and the dollars will look after themselves!”

The key to upselling is to be consistent but also do it in a way that will not annoy your customers – but does anyone really mind being asked if they want fries with that!