A new report suggests the aftermarket is on the verge of major change, with expectations on the industry by customers shifting.
With electric vehicle numbers on the rise, especially in the used-vehicle market, together with sustainability pressures and increasing vacancies, there have been several significant events disrupting the market this year alone.
According to ‘Making Tracks: The Auto Repair Report’, by FixMyCar, EVs remain a lucrative opportunity for mechanics and garages as it finds EV repair requests have grown by 98% on the platform in the last 12 months. This also highlights a growing second-hand market for EVs. Drivers increasingly leave original equipment manufacturer servicing cycles and turn to group or independent garages for repairs and maintenance.
With a popularity for EVs amongst fleet buyers, which will often replace their vehicles after three years, the coming months will se a bigger increase in the number of used EVs on the market, resulting in increased requirements in the independent sector.
Making tracks
The ‘Making Tracks’ report also suggest that consumer demand for speed and efficiency, seen in other service sectors, is also reaching the auto repair industry.
It finds that 71% of jobs posted on FixMyCar by drivers are confirmed with a chosen garage within 24 hours. 63% are confirmed within the first hour. This race to win work intensifies the competition and demonstrates a need for garages to innovate. Embracing digital tools and technology that streamline operations and make garage bookings more convenient for drivers is increasingly becoming a “must-have” for auto repair businesses to remain competitive.
Making Tracks also finds evidence that modern drivers are looking to become more informed about their cars. Of the hundreds of car advice articles available to drivers on FixMyCar, the top three most viewed are those relating to advice and information about specific car makes and models. In fact, an article about ‘Common problems with the Nissan Qashqai’ has been viewed over 48,000 times in the last 12 months.
Openness required
As consumers educate themselves, their expectations of the service they receive is also changing.
“Transparency and approachability are essential today for good customer relations,” says Matt James, one of the auto repair experts interviewed in the report. This sentiment is echoed by others quoted in ‘Making Tracks’. It is no longer enough for garages to simply have the skills to repair a car. Today’s drivers want to understand what they are paying for and have confidence in their chosen garage. The report reinforces that a lack of transparency in the customer journey can see drivers lose confidence and take their business elsewhere.
With so many changes, both in technology and the levels of service required, the aftermarket of the past needs to adapt to ensure it can meet the challenges ahead. For many workshops, this is already happening, by taking advantage of digital opportunities to reach customers or train, and learn more about what is coming for the industry.
“The repair sector remains a key pillar of the wider automotive industry, and so it is time for auto repair to adapt to the changes on the horizon,” commented Amanda Webb, Interim CEO at FixMyCar. “If the auto repair industry is to maintain its historical strength, our new Making Tracks report finds that garages and mechanics must amplify transparency, technology and efficiency. The data analysis suggests a need for mechanics and garages to modernise and innovate for a new generation of drivers or risk falling behind the competition.
“By elevating their standards, improving efficiency and building driver trust with transparent communication, garages can turn the challenges facing the auto repair industry into opportunities for growth.”
FixMyCar’s ‘Making Tracks: The Auto Repair Report’ has analysed data from its large driver and garage networks to identify trends in consumer behaviour that are opportunities for garages to grow. It also establishes key themes that give insight into which of the many important events from the last 12 months will likely be the most influential on the industry.
While industry bodies predict a widening skills gap as the vehicles on our roads increasingly become hybrid or electric and new drivers enter the market with different needs and expectations, FixMyCar calls for modernisation and innovation desperately needed in the aftermarket.
