More important than ever to be online as dealers cut servicing costs

Mark Carter, owner at Abacus Vehicle Services in Taunton, is advising fellow independent garage owners to up their game online and show customers why they should be the first port of call for vehicle repairs and services.

As a garage that provides an array of specialist services such as ADAS calibration, advanced vehicle diagnostics, module programming, and EV servicing and repair, Abacus is well placed to compete with its local main dealer. However, Carter says the dealer is now reducing its prices to draw customers in.

He said: “We’ve had cases of customers getting an initial cheaper quote with the main dealer. However, that doesn’t always mean the final bill will be more competitive.

“As independent garage owners we need to really display our expertise and demonstrate to customers that we can match, and often exceed, what’s on offer with a main dealer. Price is important to a customer, but they should be able to make an informed decision.

“That starts online. It’s where the customer gets its first impression of a garage and what to expect of it. Image is so important.”

Carter says he decided to entrust Abacus’ online image to Garage Services Online, the aftermarket’s leading provider of independent garage websites, after meeting MD Jim Lang at an OESAA event.

He continued: “Jim was incredibly knowledgeable about the garage sector and gave me loads of advice about websites. I remember thinking he was one of the nicest and most intelligent guys I’d ever met, and that Abacus really needed him and his team onboard!”

The decision has paid dividends for the garage. Around 70 percent of Abacus’ enquiries originate from a Google search. More importantly, they’re for jobs the garage has identified as its ideal day’s work.

The ramps are now filling up with vehicles under 10 years old and the garage is also doing a lot of trade work, something Carter asked Garage Services online to focus on.

“I now want to fine tune the website to draw in even more general fast turnaround work like servicing, and fleet work too. When it does that, I’ll use the return on investment to take on more staff and expand.

“What’s great is I can leave Garage Services Online to get on with everything, I don’t even need to think about it. That’s crucial for me because I’m busy running the business on the ground.

“From the outset, the team proved themselves to be knowledgeable, slick and asked all the right questions. Just what us independent garages need!”