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Using online comparators has become the number one way of shopping for all kinds of products. If you were buying house insurance or even a mortgage, chances are that you would turn to GoCompare or Money Supermarket.
So why not servicing and MoTs?
Over the last few years, several companies have tried to get momentum underway in this market, including ourselves with TootCompare. There has been success but it has relatively limited. However, we think that is about to change.
Why? The first point – and I’m going to bang the drum for ourselves here – is the arrival of a major brand name in the sector for the first time. We are relaunching as RAC Garage Compare. Attaching the most trusted name in motoring to our product will undoubtedly have a major impact with both motorists and garages. It will be good for us but also good for the awareness in general about servicing comparators.
The second is, we believe, just as important. One of the major stumbling blocks for online servicing comparators is this – how do you compare like with like? One garage’s interim service can be very different from another’s.
This is an issue that we have been grappling with for some time and believe that we have arrived at a solution. We have produced a specification for minor, interim and major servicing that is suitable for almost any car on the road. We have done this through close dialogue with all kinds of players in the industry – from manufacturers to independent garages, and from fast fits to major dealer groups.
Within a couple of years, it could be that shopping for car servicing through an online comparator becomes as natural to the average motorist as buying car insurance the same way. As a garage looking to maximise utilisation and profitability, shouldn’t you be involved?
Douglas Rotberg is the CEO of The Motorists Organisation