What to Do When a Competing Repair Shop Bad Mouths You

The repair industry is full of great people doing honest work. As the industry is huge, competition is also expected. But what if that competition turns dirty?

Imagine running a successful shop, staying professional, and still being dragged into defamation because your competitor is threatened by your growth. This can damage your shop’s reputation, affect customer trust, and hurt the morale of your employees and technicians.

Sadly, it happens more than you’d think—even from top national franchises located just a few feet away. So, what to do when this becomes a regular issue?

Let’s explore how to deal with a competing repair shop bad mouths you. Additionally, you will learn how you can keep growing and streamline every operation with repair shop management software.

1. Understand the Real Issue

When a competitor consistently bad-mouths your repair shop, it’s likely due to your success, not your service. In fact, most of the time, it’s not about you but them, and their issues. The issue may not be poor service, unethical business, or customer theft. It is all personal ego, not business.

So, you must understand that the issue lies with their insecurity, not your competence. Therefore, you shouldn’t badmouth your competitor as it does nothing to add value to your business. Instead, focus on protecting your reputation and keep serving your customers in the best possible way.

2. Stay Calm, and Kill It with Class

When faced with negativity for any reason, your first instinct might be to respond back. However, it can be the worst thing you can do. The smarter move? Stay calm and professional. Keep offering high-quality repairs and let your work speak for itself.

In the repair industry, how you act under pressure defines your brand. Thus, when you maintain integrity, customers will surely notice that. And that’s how you show leadership, turning the heads in the right way.

Use Google reviews automation to get feedback from your customers. It will help you understand how your clients feel about your business. For instance, whether they are satisfied or not and if there’s any room for improvement.  

3. Document Every Complaint and Defend

Always document every shady move your competitor makes—customer feedback about them, screenshots of fake reviews. The reason? If things get worse, you can share these with a lawyer for a possible cease-and-desist. Also, calmly respond to any fake reviews with factual replies on your website.

In addition, clarify your repair store’s values and invite the reviewer to discuss concerns offline. This way, you not only protect your reputation but show your professionalism to others as well.

4. Boost Marketing and Online Visibility

We recommend you not to always play defensively. Contrary to this, use the best marketing practices for your repair business and take your game to the next level. Run Facebook, Instagram, or Google ads, highlighting your honest service and strong reputation. Similarly, you can design bold signs, post local flyers, and run discount campaigns.

Leveraging a marketing automation tool can be very helpful in this regard. With that, you can run SMS and email campaigns in just a few clicks, letting customers know about your services, accessories, and any discounts. This can help grow your customer base and increase sales effortlessly.   

5. Know your Legal Rights but Be Smart

As a repair business owner, knowing your rights gives you a way to protect yourself legally. However, be careful and act smart as if you have no hard proof, a lawsuit might not be successful. In addition, your defamation case may be hard to win unless you have recordings or written statements.

It can also be tough to get the evidence because in some states, it’s illegal to record someone without permission. So, ensure you follow the law and get proof that can help you file a case. Sometimes, a simple legal letter is enough to make them stop. Therefore, if the situation gets worse and hurts your income, consult a lawyer.

6. Focus on Customer Service and Build a Loyal Community

Offering great customer support can help you grow your repair business. It is something that will make one-time visitors your permanent clients. For that reason, it is a must to focus on building trust with your local customers and listen to their queries and concerns with full attention.

Always be there to address their issues and strive to offer them the best, high-quality repairs. Charge fair prices that retain customers and earn their confidence.  

With the RepairDesk loyalty program you can offer rewards and loyalty points against their purchases. Your customers can redeem those points to get discounts on their purchases, boosting repeat business.

Lastly, don’t forget your local community. Join repair exhibitions, and events. Become a familiar face in your neighborhood. When people know you and trust you, they will ignore gossip as much as possible.

Final Thoughts

Dealing with a competitor’s bad mouthing your repair business can be frustrating. But remember customers see through fake behavior over time. If you keep doing honest work, build a reputation, provide excellent service and manage every operation using an automation tool like RepairDesk, you will always stay ahead.  Eventually, your competitor’s false claims will drive their own customers away.

You don’t need to fight dirty but compete smartly. Stay focused, stay kind, and stay winning.