1-800-CAR-HELP or www.CarHelp.com

Listen to the Advertisement (MP3)

 

Need a doctor? Call 1-800-DOCTORS for a referral. Looking for a new dentist? 1-800-DENTIST will help you find a dentist nearby. How about a plastic surgeon? That’s 1-800-4PLASTIC.

Insurance… lawyers… home refinancing… just about any service or product you can think of has an easy-to-remember, 1-800 vanity number connected to it. And most people know these numbers by heart, thanks to the advertising campaigns used to introduce them to the public.
Now your transmission shop can have that same level of national exposure… if you’re an ATRA member. Because now, every ATRA member is automatically connected to 1-800-CAR-HELP— a new 1-800 information and referral service for the motoring consumer.
Transmission repair referrals from the 1-800-CAR-HELP network are reserved exclusively for ATRA member centers. Every consumer who calls 1-800-CAR-HELP with a transmission problem will be forwarded directly to an ATRA member center in his or her area… every time! No other transmission franchise… no other chain… no other organization… can offer this service.

“1-800-CAR-HELP is a terrific new service, and we’re proud to have gotten in on the ground floor,” says ATRA CEO Dennis Madden. “It’s really what ATRA is all about: Finding new ways to bring more traffic into ATRA member centers.”

How 1-800-CAR-HELP Works
Consumers dial 1-800-CAR-HELP (1-800-227-4357) from any phone in the country. An automated answering service picks up, and sends them to a couple simple menus to identify their specific needs. At the same time the system uses Caller ID to determine the area code and exchange of the originating phone. This allows the system to identify right where the call is coming from.

Consumers are then forwarded directly to an appropriate automotive center, right in their area. And if they’re calling about a transmission problem, that means they’ll be forwarded to an ATRA member center… every time.

As a test, I decided to give 1-800-CAR-HELP a try. I dialed the number from my office, and chose menu selection “4” (transmission or exhaust problem), and then “1” (transmission problem). Instantly, the phone began to ring again, and just like that, I was speaking to one of the ATRA members, just a few miles away.

So there’s no doubt about it: 1-800-CAR-HELP works. And, as many shop owners are beginning to recognize, it can drive a lot of new business right to your shop.

How Will Consumers Find 1-800-CAR-HELP?
A 1-800 phone number is only valuable if consumers know about it. So how will consumers know to dial 1-800-CAR-HELP when they have a car problem?

1-800-CAR-HELP President Larry Peterson was only too happy to discuss some of the national marketing programs they’re working on: “The key to 1-800-CAR-HELP is combining the resources of some 200,000 automotive centers, from coast to coast,” he tells us. “This allows us to take advantage of major advertising outlets that would be well beyond the means of individual repair centers.”

One of the primary national advertising programs targeted involves a series of spots with CBS Radio. Consumers will begin hearing about 1-800-CAR-HELP every day, on their way to work and home again. And they’ll begin seeing it on billboards on interstate highways, all across the nation.

Additional targeted advertising will include:

Print Ads: A number of newspapers and magazines have been targeted for a media blitz, to introduce the CAR-HELP network to the public, and keep it right out in front of them, where they’ll remember it.

Cell Phones: A major national cell phone network will begin adding 1-800-CAR-HELP to its internal software within the next few months. Consumers will be able to access the CAR-HELP network with just a touch of a button. And all calls to the CAR-HELP network will be absolutely free.

Service Vehicles: Tow truck and other service vehicles will soon display 1-800-CAR-HELP on roadways across the country.

Auto Racing: There are programs already in the works for advertising through NASCAR and NHRA.

Yellow Pages: Soon the 1-800-CAR-HELP number will appear under every automotive topic in your local Yellow Pages.
And these are just a few of the marketing programs designed to put 1-800-CAR-HELP right at the fingertips of every motorist in the country.

1-800-CAR-HELP is also affiliated with the Amber Alert program, a network for providing information and financial assistance for families of missing children. Says CAR-HELP president Peterson: “Families dealing with missing children suffer from both financial and emotional stress. That’s why we’re establishing a trust account to assist these families. Any CAR-HELP providers who contribute to the fund will be allowed to display a Code Amber decal for their business.”

Will all of the marketing strategies and community services that 1-800-CAR-HELP is working on, it won’t be long before every consumer in the country knows that 1-800-CAR-HELP is the number to dial when you need automotive services.

There’s Also a Web Site…
Customers can also use the CAR-HELP web site to find their way to your shop. Consumers type www.carhelp.com to stop in at CAR-HELP on line.

From the CAR-HELP home page, clicking on the “transmissions” link takes the consumer to a page that explains CAR-HELP’s criteria for recommending a transmission repair center:
We strive to find the best and most reliable automotive related businesses available for you, the consumer. We want you to get the best job for the fairest price possible. In our research to accomplish this, we’ve discovered that ATRA (Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association) member centers fit our criteria. That’s why you’ll find ATRA member shops listed exclusively on the carhelp.com web site and available through the CAR-HELP Network.

It then goes on to explain who ATRA is, and why ATRA members are the best choice for transmission repair. And it provides a link that takes consumers right to ATRA’s Member Shops Search Page. This page is part of the ATRA Online website. It allows consumers to find an ATRA member center by area code, city, state or province, county, business name, or zip code.

So by phone or through the net, 1-800-CAR-HELP is a direct line to an ATRA member center. Which means its one more way to bring new business into your shop… but only if you’re an ATRA member.

Getting More from 1-800-CAR-HELP
Since 1-800-CAR-HELP is a forwarding service, it’s critical for your center personnel to obey proper phone etiquette. “Yeah?” is not an acceptable way to answer the phone — not ever — and you can bet that the customer on the other end isn’t going to be impressed with that kind of greeting.
Remember, consumers who are forwarded through 1-800-CAR-HELP don’t know who they’re calling. All they know is they have a transmission problem. It’s up to you to let them know, from the moment you pick up the phone, that they’ve reached the right center.

“Thank you for calling Joe’s Transmission Repair; this is Bill speaking. How may I help you?” (Insert your actual names in the appropriate places.)
Once they know they’ve reached the right repair center, they’ll be that much more likely to respond favorably to you.

And don’t let the phone just ring and ring. After 5 rings, the 1-800-CAR-HELP service will switch the call away from you, and forward it to someone else in your area. If you can’t pick up the phone right away, make sure you have your answering machine set to pick it up. And listen to your answering machine message; it should identify your shop, and promise to get right back to the consumer.

Not sure you’re getting the proper coverage for your area?
Call 1-800-CAR-HELP a call, and select the Service and Support option. Brian will be happy to check the routing for your area, and adjust it if necessary.

1-800-CAR-HELP means more business and bigger profits. In fact, just one additional transmission rebuild could pay for your ATRA membership fees for the entire year! And once the network starts reaching the motoring public, you may see two or three calls every week, depending on where you are.

1-800-CAR-HELP is just one more way that the new ATRA is working to help you meet the challenges of the 21st century. And it’s yours — for just a one-time only FEE — just for being a member of ATRA. If you’re already an ATRA member, make sure to take full advantage of all of the money saving and moneymaking programs that ATRA provides.

If you’re not a member, what are you waiting for? There’s never been a better time to become a member of the world’s largest trade association dedicated exclusively to the automatic transmission industry. Sign up as an ATRA Member today, and start earning more… with the ATRA!