Vroomly – leader in online garages booking – carried out a study on customer behavior in the context of car maintenance, with the Poll & Roll institute. Conducted among 1,000 drivers, this survey reveals a strong acceleration in digitization. What impact does this have for aftermarket players?
About Vroomly
Vroomly supports more than 3,500 partner garages and has more than one million unique visitors per month. Created in 2017, the startup now proposes 2 services:
- Vroomly Booking: the garage comparator, allowing you to book online safely.
- And Vroomly Parts: the 1st spare parts comparator “designed by and for garages, allowing them to buy all their parts on the same platform, at the best price and with the best level of service”.
In February, Vroomly launched a study to better understand drivers’ changing behavior in the context of auto maintenance. The result is clear: faced with a strong digitalization of consumers, a mechanic that isn’t on the web is an invisible business.
What should we retain from this study ?
The observation of driver’s habits digitization, a fact that does not only concern the youngest or urban areas.
The web would be mainly used for:
- Find out about service’s price
- Find out about a breakdown
- Find a mechanic
1 in 2 French people have already given up visiting a professional because of a lack of information online & 24% of appointments are booked online in Ile-de-France
56% of French people now use the Internet to prepare for their car maintenance (67% among 18-34 year olds)
90% of drivers want to read a review before going to the mechanic
“During their research, drivers consult an average of 2.45 websites. Having your own website is no longer enough. It is now imperative to multiply the acquisition channels: online reservation platforms, Facebook, Google My Business.”
Alexis Frerejean, CEO of Vroomly
What are the reasons? Automobile costs – and its contingencies – are very high. Therefore, it is very important for French drivers to get a quotation online, before going to the mechanic.
A focus on the essential features of a website:
According to 84% of the surveyed drivers, it would be essential to “receive an instant online quote”. However, very few mechanics offer a quote calculator on their site. In addition, practical information comes in second position, and provided services in first position.
The selection criteria have also evolved with the internet: “considered important by 75% of drivers, reviews are now more important than the brand when choosing a mechanic.
“The prices charged and the brand are no longer the only markers of quality. Garages can promote the quality of their work thanks to online reviews.”
Alexis Frerejean, CEO of Vroomly
A study made by Vroomly, which leads to the birth of the Vroomly Academy
Considering the important drivers’ digitization, Vroomly has decided to strengthen its commitment to mechanics by launching the Vroomly Academy. Designed to help garages master and boost their online visibility, these free training courses aim to help mechanics take the digital turn.
“Vroomly’s first goal is to advise and support mechanics in the development of their activity. This is what we are doing with Booking and Parts, and this is what we keep doing with Vroomly Academy. ” To access all training courses, all you need to do is log into the Vroomly Academy.