March 2020

MARCH 2020 AFTERMARKET 19 www.aftermarketonline.net something very similar. How many of you have seen a MOT price go up? I certainly haven’t. Most prices advertised are anything from £19.99 to £24.99. This comes down to what we include within a service. If I asked 10 garages owners what they would include, they would give me at least five different versions. So, if we can’t decide what a service consists of, how do we expect the public to do so? Can we really blame online service providers for taking advantage of this inconsistency? These websites are here to stay. Let’s stop criticising them all and try to work with the better ones to make them understand our businesses a little better. That way everyone can benefit. If I were to open up a garage again, there would be a couple of areas which would have to be certainties in order for me to consider signing up to a third-party booking provider. Firstly, I would need control of the customer from start to finish. Secondly, I would have to be in control of the parts buying. As a compromise, I would accept a small fee to get access to a new customer. At the end of the day, however, I would prefer to focus on the overall service levels provided at my garage, providing a customer experience that is unmatched in the local area. I would put more resource and energy into a social media presence and website offering, as this is an area that garages regularly struggle with. There are many decent, better qualified companies around that can provide specific digital services, so make use of them. Direct route It has become more important than ever that your website is responsive, has simple and intuitive navigation, and enables customers to book quickly and securely. A good website will increase enquires and bookings. It will direct users to the information they want to find and guide them through a simple conversion process. Social media should also be taken into consideration, as it is one of the easiest and most direct routes to engage with customers. You must ensure your brand is active within the channels your customers are using. In the end, what I am trying to get across is that before we look to attack these online service providers, we need to realise that these platforms exist because we have not kept up with the digital revolution. These aggregators have simply taken advantage of our industry, and given that they are unlikely to be going anywhere, should we really shun them before truly understanding why they are here in the first place? Business training days Business skills are paramount to the success of your garage, so that’s why leading aftersales expert The Garage Inspector (Andy Savva – an experienced award winning former garage owner), has launched his eagerly awaited courses which are unique to the independent garage repair sector. Book today to secure your place. Limited spaces • Book early Please email andy@thegarageinspector.com or visit The Garage Inspector website for booking instructions and full terms & conditions: www. thegarageinspector .com For those readers who may not know me, I offer several business improvement services for garage businesses including, one day business training days in, finance, marketing and customer excellence. These courses have been specifically written and are delivered for independent garage owners, managers, technicians and reception staff by me. Please visit www.thegarageinspector.com for much more information NEW DATES & COURSES FOR 2020 • Cardiff: 3rd March Effective Leadership/Managing Quality • 4th March Customer Excellence/Reception Management • 6th Oct Financial Understanding for the Garage Business • 7th Oct Marketing Essentials • Newcastle: 7th April Effective Leadership/Managing Quality • 8th April Customer Excellence/Reception Management • 1st Sept Financial Understanding for the Garage Business • 2nd Sept Marketing Essentials • Fleet: 2nd June Financial Understanding for the Garage Business • 3rd June Marketing Essentials • Chester: 22nd Sept Financial Understanding for the Garage Business • 23rd Sept Marketing Essentials • Lincoln: 3rd Nov Financial Understanding for the Garage Business • 4th Nov Marketing Essentials To book or for further information, please go to www.thegarageinspector.com