It’s more than offering a service

The garages that are building trust, one customer at a time

Portrait of a mechanic at work in his garage

Taking a car to a garage for work can be outside the comfort zone of many drivers. A lack of understanding about the machine they use daily leads to unease about being talked into work that doesn’t need to be done, being overcharged, or simply being taken for a ride.

But across the UK, independent garages are proving that the most effective way to counter this consumer wariness isn’t through price wars with main dealers, but by demonstrating an unwavering commitment to a human-centric service.

We’ve covered them before, but as a point of reference, the remarkable story of Dukes AutoTech in Cornwall, a business that exemplifies this ethos. Back in 2020, they earned an award for their extraordinary care towards a customer with a broken-down vehicle.

Their actions went far beyond a simple repair. From the initial phone call, the team at Dukes showed a level of empathy that is often missing in our modern, transactional world.

After a customer had broken down and called Dukes, they stayed on the phone until the recovery service arrived, ensuring they felt safe and not alone. Upon arrival, the customer was not just another job sheet; they were greeted with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. The garage’s owner then drove them home and, in a final act of kindness, even picked up some essentials from a local shop on the way.

This isn’t an isolated incident for independents either, Andy Parsons at Shortfield Garage recounts…

A few years back, we sold a virtually brand-new Fiat 500 to a new customer. Over the next three years, he brought it back in for regular servicing etc. For us it was just the normal.

One day I saw Mr X arrive on the forecourt. I didn’t know he was in, but it was a day that I had my door shut trying to get through some paperwork. There was a knock on the door and my senior service advisor said he’d like a word.

I of course welcomed him into my office, and after a few niceties, he explained the reason for his visit. Up until he came to us he’d always used main dealers. He said from day one he was treated like he’d been with us for years. Always greeted by “any” member of staff, and that he felt recognised.

Sadly he was advised that he should give up driving. His reason for visiting in person was to give us the car. He wouldn’t accept a bean for it; he insisted that we would have it.   

This human-first approach is the very reason many independent garages are currently thriving. Unlike large, faceless main dealers, family-run businesses often rely on word of mouth for new customers. This reliance places extra attention on delivering exceptional levels of service, as a reputation for integrity and care is their most valuable asset.

Luke from Marchwoods Motor Engineers in Folkestone proves this case in point…

These relationships are worth more than we realise, in our neighbourhood there is a residents WhatsApp group comprising of 3 roads, it’s used as a neighbourhood watch, a missing cat etc type group. A request was put out for local garage recommendations recently, my wife proudly showed me 9 glowing recommendations from residents all singing our praises. The lady then booked in with us and whilst in the office, showed us the WhatsApp messages and told us how glad she was to find a good garage.

Our customer relationships often extend to 3 or more generations of the same family. We’re not a small town; the local district has 110,000 people living in it, and we have all the major fast fits and dozens of garages, so these customers don’t come through lack of choice.

Many come because the now “grandparent generation” trusted my dad to fix their cars, my dad saw this first generation have children who learnt to drive and then they too came to us. I have seen that middle generation go on to build families and now start bringing their children to us with their first cars.

That original customer has now directly sent children and grandchildren to us, this is why we go the extra mile and build strong relationships.

It’s by using this strategic approach that independents can and clearly are successfully countering consumer hesitation by building an emotional connection that transcends a number on an invoice.

It’s a powerful reminder that the most valuable assets a garage possesses aren’t its tools, the latest diag kit or its prices, but its people and the culture of empathy they foster.

Beyond marketing, business plans and finances, it’s this dedication to your community and your customers that can position you not merely as a service provider, but as a trusted pillar of the community.

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