October 2020

OCTOBER 2020 AFTERMARKET 11 www.aftermarketonline.net mobility solution.” Downsides Is there a downside? Frank said there are several: “Experience shows us that due to the nature of the drivers who make use of this type of mobility solution, vehicle care and consideration is not always a priority. Couple this with potentially ‘rusty’ driving skills. Contrary to initial thought, these companies could offer business opportunities for good, local independent garages to keep their vehicles safe, roadworthy and available for hire. “A government survey published in 2019 showed that, other than cost savings, there was more of a negative attitude towards vehicle and ride sharing than there was a positive one, however recent events may have made this a more attractive option than using public transport.” Vital Perhaps we are worrying about nothing though: “Due to the ways in which most of the country has had to adapt to new working and living routines during lockdown, such as working from home and purchasing goods online, we have without doubt seen the number of miles being driven in private cars reduce over recent months, with a low in early April of 22% of pre-lockdown vehicle usage. However, from the beginning of August we have seen this recover to around 91% of the pre-lockdown figure, which would indicate that the private car is still a vital social utility. “As a nation we have a culture of ‘ownership’ especially when it comes to a private vehicles; with over 38 million licenced vehicles on our roads, of which 27.5 million were registered between 2000 and 2017, it is reasonable to assume that the majority of those vehicles over three years old are privately owned. “Recent press articles would indicate that the aforementioned city dwellers are beginning to purchase cars at the lower end of the value range, to avoid using public transport. All will need MOTs and undoubtedly repairs and maintenance of some description, which is all good news for independent garages and the aftersales market as a whole.” Frank added: “There is one key indicator from our recent global experiences, and that is the need for all businesses to have a good online identity and the ability to be able to connect to their customers in a way that reduces face to face contact, but also give the customer confidence in the organisation they are doing business with.” Final thoughts Whether or not motorists will embrace subscriptions in large numbers remains to be seen. However, looking at how you run your business from a different perspective will help you to innovate and take advantage of new opportunities. Remember, often garage owners take some time to realise that they are not in the business of just fixing cars, and that they are instead in the business of running a business. In the same vein, you thought you were in the vehicle repair industry didn’t you? You’re not, you are in the mobility sector. If it is changing, you will need to change too. That might mean completely re-thinking how your businesses is structured. Issues around the price of battery replacement has already helped to accelerate the leasing model in electric vehicles, which was already popular. One thing COVID-19 has shown us though is that when change comes, you can’t always predict where it will come from, or what the result will be. You just have to roll with it sometimes. Whether or not you own the vehicle that carries you, that’s up to you.