Factor chain LKQ Euro Car Parts is to offer a labour guarantee to garages that use the firm’s ‘Fit It For Me’ service.
Any technician that receives a job through the service will be given a repair time based on HaynesPro data, which in turn generates a booking cost for the customer. If a garage’s own data shows a higher labour cost, the factor branch will pay the difference.
Fit It For Me is a service where motorists can buy parts directly from ECP’s website and have them delivered directly to a participating garage who will then fit them. When introduced a year ago, the offer was not without controversy as garages obviously lose out on profit made from part sales, but they also got paid based on the book time that the factor’s system estimated, something that the new guarantee should alleviate.
READ: ECP BOSS: INDEPENDENTS MUST ‘CLOSE GAPS’ IN DIGITISATION
Nonetheless, some 21,000 jobs have been completed under the proposition since its introduction.
Anthony McAteer, Trading Director at LKQ Euro Car Parts, said: “We launched Fit It For Me to help garages bring in more work via digital channels, while tapping into a pool of end users that they wouldn’t necessary have direct access to before, like those who’ve traditionally had a go at small repairs themselves or with the help of friends and family. Of all online parts sales in the UK, half are ultimately installed by garages anyway – our ambition with Fit It For Me has been to simplify the process and maximise the benefits for garages and their customers, by ensuring quality repairs, first time, every time.
“Garages that complete a new customer’s initial repair job to a high standard can lay the foundations for a longer-term relationship and secure more, higher-value jobs in the future. And the take-up we’ve seen from garages and drivers so far demonstrates that both sides clearly see its value.”
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