Chevron Knowledge Centre: THE NEW REPAIR CUSTOMER

Automotive consultant James Carter says repair shops need to anticipate a dramatic shift in their customer base.

His latest article in a Knowledge Centre series sponsored by Chevron, says while many shops currently have an 80:20 ratio of personal vehicles to fleet vehicles, those numbers could soon reverse themselves.

That’s not necessarily bad news, he says.

“More fleet business is, overall, a positive development for the automotive aftermarket,” he writes. “While fewer dollars will likely be earned per repair order, fleet work usually comes with a contract that guarantees business for a set period of time.”

Additionally, fleet owners have a duty of care towards their drivers and customers. This means they’re obliged to ensure that the vehicle is maintained properly and repaired promptly.

“Fleet owners can’t cut corners the way we’ve seen many private customers do!” he points out.

Overall, the trend towards fleet ownership could be good for repair shops, but they’ll have to start reorienting their business now.

“The future of your business could depend on how you plan for radical changes in our industry.”

AutoServiceWorld has the latest insights from Carter, the principal consultant at Toronto-based consultancy Vision Mobility.

Among other topics covered in this series, Carter discusses the new technologies that are rewriting our industry, and how long it might be before we all feel the disruption.

Check out Part 5 of our FutureTech series HERE, and look for additional articles in the weeks to come… only at AutoServiceWorld.com.

How changes in vehicle ownership will affect your business

Check out the entire Knowledge Centre series HERE

Chevron Knowledge Centre