According to a survey conducted for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), consumers have a 70 percent increased level of trust in automotive service professionals, including manufacturers, dealerships, independent repair shops, and/or service technicians, compared to past years. About 1,500 vehicle owners were surveyed for the report.
“Trust is something that is earned over time through a series of positive experiences with service providers. From the results of our survey, we are seeing that automotive service professionals across the country are doing an excellent job earning trust and keeping it with their customers,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO.
The survey results revealed the three most important considerations consumers take into account when choosing where to have their vehicle serviced.
- Great value for the money (48 percent of respondents)
- Knowledgeable/friendly staff (46 percent)
- Conveniently located (43 percent)
Staff knowledge was further broken down into three categories:
- Service provider's ability to communicate thoroughly
- Industry certification of the technicians
- Recommendations from family/friends
The survey also found that 41 percent of respondents said that ASE certifications factored in their decision of where to get their vehicle serviced. For the respondents who were unaware of ASE's certifications, after reading a brief summary about ASE and its benefits, 77 percent said that this knowledge of ASE would influence future selection of auto repair shops.
The research was commissioned by ASE with the online survey conducted by b4 Branding, an independent research firm.
