Digital self-service use increased by 47% in 2024
Over 2.5 million customers chose digital self-service to check-in their vehicles for service, repair and MOT
More than £9.2 million in additional revenue raised, with over 240,000 customers opting to purchase additional products and services during digital check-in
Over 126,000 UK customers requested vehicle valuations during the self-service process, generating valuable hot leads for retail teams
Customer demand for self-service in aftersales rose sharply in 2024, with over 2.5 million customers in the UK using digital check-in and check-out solutions, a significant 47% increase from the 1.7 million in 2023. In addition, over 240,000 UK customers bought value-add products or services during the digital check-in process, a 56% rise from the 154,000 customers who did so in 2023.
The findings are based on the latest usage data from Tjekvik, the market leader in self-service aftersales technologies, which has 650 motor retailers using its solutions in the UK, including Group 1, Hartwell, John Clark Group, Lithia and Vertu.
The latest self-service solutions give customers the flexibility to check in and check out their vehicles at a time and place convenient for them, either at home using a mobile-optimised site, or at dealers via tablets and easy-to-use touchscreen kiosks. Instead of waiting for service advisers to become available, more customers have been using digital self-service to provide pre-service instructions, select added-value items, provide authorisation and drop off their keys.
Convenience drives digital self-service popularity
The convenience of digital self-service and the ability to avoid queues has meant more customers than ever have opted to use Tjekvik’s solutions. The most popular digital interaction in 2024 was for home check-ins, with 1,699,137 customers (56%) checking in their vehicles for service, repair or MOT from the comfort of their own homes. Many continued their journey and checked their vehicles in at the dealer. For example, 777,168 customers (26%) used Tjekvik’s kiosks last year, while 15,226 were checked in by service advisors using tablets featuring Tjekvik software. More than 82,000 customers used Tjekvik’s digital check-out solution when collecting their vehicles, with over £1.8m of cash collected through its payment partners.
These figures highlight that when offered a choice, customers are eager to embrace a variety of convenient digital touchpoints throughout the aftersales journey.
Increased spending on products and services; also creating new sales leads
Dealers are also using digital check-in to promote value-added products and services to customers, such as season-specific tyres, premium lubricants, air conditioning checks and service plans. With many customers being more comfortable in choosing such items at a time to suit them, dealers are benefitting from additional revenue as customers choose to spend more on such items.
Tjekvik’s digital self-service solutions delivered over £9.2 million in additional revenue for dealers last year, a 59% increase compared to the £5.8 million generated the previous year, with lubricants and additives proving to be the most popular choices.
While Tjekvik’s tech solutions benefit aftersales departments, they’re also having a positive effect on new and used car sales. Its digital check-in solutions logged over 126,000 vehicle valuation requests, a 32% increase when compared to 2023, creating valuable hot leads for sales teams.
Christian Mark, CEO and Co-founder at Tjekvik, said: “The marked rise in digital self-service adoption shows how more customers are prioritising convenience and efficiency in their aftersales experiences. Our solutions help dealerships meet this demand and also create valuable opportunities for upselling and enhancing customer engagement.”