Mobile Service: The High-Stakes Opportunity Reshaping Automotive Maintenance

Mobile service has taken over a large part of the Fixed Operations conversation this year. From NADA to the results in the CDK Service Shopper 5.0 study, mobile keeps popping up. CDK research found that mobile service customers had higher satisfaction scores than traditional dealership service and 40% of customers said they’d pay extra for a Technician to come to them. 

Yet despite the momentum, only a small percentage of dealerships currently offer it. That gap represents a major opportunity. Time, convenience and speed are all factors that make mobile alluring to customers and it could be a way for dealers to expand their Fixed Ops radius.

What's Dealership Mobile Service?

Just to be clear, in auto dealerships, mobile service refers to a type of vehicle maintenance or repair service when a Technician goes to the customers location, like their home or workplace, instead of the customer bringing their vehicle to the dealership for service.

Mobile service may be the solution for dealerships looking to keep customers engaged. However, it requires significant investments in staffing, operations and other resources. So it's crucial to understand how mobile service differs from on-site offerings, including customers' expectations.

Why Mobile Service?

In this year’s study, speed was the number one reason people chose a mobile provider, moving up from second last year. This differs from the reason people chose a dealer, which continues to be the existing relationship and staff knowledge.  

Here are the top five reasons customers chose mobile: 

• Quick service (42%)
• Good reputation (33%)
• Easy scheduling process (31%)
• Friends and family recommendation (27%)
• Existing relationship (26%)

CDK also found that the most common mobile services are routine: oil changes, tire rotation, repair or replacement, brake service, engine tuneups and battery replacement. These jobs are the sweet spot for dealerships and don’t require much specialized equipment or expensive diagnostic tools, and drivers need them regularly. 

Online Reviews a Bigger Factor

However, mobile service invites closer scrutiny from customers. Consumers tend to vet mobile mechanics more carefully than traditional providers, likely because the service brings someone directly to their home. While CDK found that over half of all consumers said online reviews were important when choosing a service provider, that figure jumps to 77% when deciding on a mobile mechanic. This heightened scrutiny spans all age groups, not just younger generations who typically rely more heavily on reviews.

Mobile Requires Clear Communication

One of the most common pain points for mobile service customers is a lack of clear communication. Consumers told CDK they struggled to understand what services their vehicle would need in the future, what type of service was required, or what was important. These issues signal a communication gap between the Technician and the customer. However, dealers in the mobile service game already have adjusted and try to find Technicians who are more comfortable in front of customers. This almost serves as a type of dual Advisor/Technician in practice and dealers will have to staff appropriately.

Whether it's staffing or the investment in equipment, obstacles remain for dealers who want to simply jump into mobile service. But the research — and constant industry chatter — paint a pretty clear picture that mobile is only going to expand moving forward.