Fixed Ops Journal - February 2020 - F6

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

SERVICE COUNTER

 Breaking it down

It is estimated that Americans spend
about 120 million hours a year sitting in
traffic as a result of vehicle breakdowns.
These roadside incidents not only cost
the person with the damaged or broken
vehicle, they also put a dent in the
economy because of lost production.
A new study by the roadside-assistance
service provider Agero estimates the
costs of various aspects of vehicle
breakdowns in the U.S.:
 69 million: Number of breakdowns
each year
 $41 billion: Annual cost of breakdowns
to U.S. economy
 $7 billion: Cost of roadside assistance
 30 million: Number of workdays lost as
a result of breakdowns
 $9 billion: Cost to drivers and
businesses because of breakdowns
 $315: Cost of breakdowns per
household
 $15 billion: Annual repair costs from
breakdowns
Source: Agero Inc.

 Rising tech pay

The average hourly wage of automotive
service technicians - at new-vehicle
dealerships, repair shops and service
stations - rose by 17% from 2008 to
2018, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics figures compiled by the Auto Care
Association. The hourly wage by year:
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

$15.70
$15.99
$16.13
$16.16
$16.27

Source: 2020 Factbook,
Auto Care Association

PAGE 6

2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018

FEBRUARY 2020

$16.13
$16.62
$16.86
$17.27
$17.81
$18.42

 Fancy or frugal fixes

The costliest

The annual maintenance cost of a vehicle increases
only slightly in the first decade of ownership before
taking a big jump in years 11 and 12, according to
mobile car repairer YourMechanic. Its website ranked
the most expensive and least expensive vehicles to
maintain during a 10-year period, using data from
120,000 vehicles serviced in 2018 that were 1 year to
12 years old.

 Porsche 911: $19,600
 BMW 640i Gran Coupe: $15,700
 BMW M4: $14,900
 Lincoln MKS: $14,600
 Infiniti Q45: $13,900
The cheapest

 Toyota Corolla: $3,247
 Toyota Yaris: $3,289
 Toyota Camry: $3,499
 Honda Fit: $3,673
 Honda Civic: $3,774
Source: YourMechanic.com

 Wanted: Convenience

A recent Cox Automotive study showed that
the most appealing customer service amenity
was having the service provider pick up the
customer's car from home or work, provide a
loaner vehicle and then drop the repaired car
off after the work is complete. Some stats:
 89% find this concept appealing
 67% would switch to a brand that offered
this service
 79% felt it would save them time
 75% said it would be more convenient
 55% said it catered to them
Another top concept: Having the service
provider perform the vehicle service at the
customer's home
 79% find this concept appealing
 75% said it would save them time
 65% felt it was more convenient
 52% said it catered to them
Source: 2019 Cox Automotive Future of Consumer Experience

 Pain points

Time and convenience are the leading
issues customers cite when providing
feedback on their interactions with
dealership service departments,
according to a Cox Automotive service
industry study. Here are the top
reasons customers gave for being
frustrated with their service experience
and the percentage of people who
cited that particular issue:
 30% took longer than expected
 20% pushed more services
 13% had to wait despite having an
appointment
 10% no loaner vehicle
The same survey also gave the
average time it took for work to be
performed at a service provider:
 2 hours, 23 min. for maintenance
 3 hours, 7 min. for repair
Source: 2018 Cox Automotive Service Industry Study
http://www.YourMechanic.com
Fixed Ops Journal - February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - February 2020
