Car owners in the greater Washington DC area can now turn to their smartphones for the task of finding a mechanic who can take care of their auto repair needs.
Repair Jungle, an online service that has allowed customers to receive online estimates for auto repair services, launched a mobile optimized version of their site so customers can process requests from anywhere.
How Repair Jungle works
Car owners who need maintenance or repair work fill out a short online request form. Mechanics who have their own Repair Jungle portal on their smartphone can then provide an estimate to the customer. Based on the responses, the customer can choose the best quote and bring his or her car in for service.
To set customers’ minds at ease, Repair Jungle checks the reputation of all repair shops that it includes in its listings. However, the real benefit of the app seems to be for the shops themselves.
Location-based marketing
Auto repair shops aren’t usually highlighted on the major review apps like Yelp or Around Me. But a majority of consumers would take proximity and user reviews into consideration when they choose a mechanic. Many times, these two qualities are more important than offering the lowest price.
Apps like Repair Jungle allow shops to promote themselves through a marketing medium they are used to: word of mouth. The only difference in this instance is that the recommendations come via the Internet.
For shops and customers who aren’t in or near Washington DC, the RepairPal app for iOS and Android devices provides the same service with some additions. In addition to customer reviews and the ability to locate a shop nearby, RepairPal breaks down estimates by parts and labor costs and even connects you with roadside assistance.
Shops can capitalize on the location-based services in other ways, too. Savvy customers using both apps will also be able to save a bit of money based on the location of the shop.
“Where you get screwed in our business is labor hours,” explains John Mallette, owner of Burke Auto Body and Paint. His Long Beach shop charges 40 dollars per hour, but he has heard of shops in nearby Newport Beach that charge 90 dollars an hour for the same service.
The rationale is that Newport Beach is a wealthier area. Shops who are able to provide quality service for a lower price should be able to draw in some business from other parts of town.
Making the most of online services
Participating in services like Repair Jungle or RepairPal should be second nature to those in the auto industry. As previously stated, most of their business comes from word-of-mouth advertising.
Add to this the fact that most cars are loaded with more sophisticated technology than early NASA rockets. However some shops still don’t advertise on the Internet, despite the fact that more people than ever use the web to research everything before becoming a customer — including their auto mechanic.
Online advertising can be much more cost-effective for the shop, as well. Consider the fact that services like Google AdWords or Facebook Ads charge only when someone clicks on the ad. Compare that to the cost of running an ad in a local newspaper or magazine.
In addition to cost, online marketing campaigns tell the shop about customer intentions, behaviors, and the effectiveness of the marketing campaign.
Auto repair shops, like any other business, stand to gain a great deal from harnessing the power of online marketing through commercial apps, social media, and search advertising. All it will take is some time to get familiar with the tools.