When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit in March 2020, Mark Simons at Rolf’s Import Auto Service decided to take action to help his community. In particular, he wanted to help by supporting the frontline heroes who still had to go to work every day despite the quarantine.
He immediately thought of the Reward Dollars that his clients had been earning at his shop, and thought: why not ask his clients to donate their Reward Dollars to help frontline heroes pay for auto repair services?
Simons started the Rolf’s Pandemic Relief Fund. Through social media and email, he reached out to his customers to ask if they would be willing to donate their Reward Dollars to the Fund. The Reward Dollars would help pay for auto repair services for frontline workers. He then offered to the frontline workers 25% off their auto repair services, up to $150 off – using the donated Reward Dollars to help pay for the services.
The reaction from his community was immediate and heartfelt. Many clients agreed wholeheartedly to help! They too had been looking for ways to help their community during this crisis. When this opportunity came up for them to help frontline heroes with their auto repair services, they were eager to do it.
And the frontline workers were grateful for the help. They were able to get much-needed auto repair services done on their vehicles with the help of their community and Rolf’s Import Auto Service. Over 140 customers came in to have services done, 40 of whom were new customers. Many dropped by just to offer their thanks, several with tears in their eyes as they relayed what an impact this was for them and their families.
The results of this heartfelt campaign were unexpected. Simons was just looking for a way to have a positive impact on his community, but the campaign also helped his business during a time where many businesses were seeing a downturn because of the quarantine. The average repair order for his Lakewood store was $1399.32, and for his Fife store $1818.81. The campaign not only helped his community, it also helped him stay open and keep his staff working and employed.
The communications that create the most impact on customers are the ones that show how their actions, in partnership with your business, can impact their community and make a difference. This is a big part of Pit Crew’s mission, and we are incredibly thankful to Rolf’s Import Auto Service and to all our other clients who also help their communities in similar ways with the use of Reward Dollars and eWardMe Auto Shop Rewards.
If you’ve been looking for a way your auto repair shop business can help with charitable giving and community outreach, please contact us today and start the discussion with Jeff Rudnick. We’d love to help you help your customers and your community.