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At a time when consumers are demanding transparency, convenience and personalisation, the new MOT rules add an additional layer of confusion for motorists when it comes to car repairs.
A recent RAC survey of 1,866 motorists found that 49% were confused by the ‘Minor’ category, assuming this would mean an automatic fail, when it fact it means the vehicle passes with issues being noted. On the other hand, five percent of respondents thought a ‘Dangerous’ fault wouldn’t stop the vehicle from passing, with six percent thinking the same of a ‘Major’ fault! Both categories equal a fail with the vehicle needing urgent repairs before they can be driven again.
The RAC have urged motorists to quickly get to grips with the changes and that garages and technicians do a good job of explaining the new fault categories so car owners understand correctly the severity of faults with their vehicles.
Personalised customer videos are a great way of enabling garages and technicians to educate the customer about the new rules, providing transparency around the urgency of work that needs carrying out on the vehicle to ensure it is road worthy and ultimately building enhanced trust with the customer.
For the vehicle technician, they will become much more visible to the consumer as they narrate the video and clearly explain all the issues. It is therefore vital that they fully understand the new regulations and that they clearly and confidently get them across to the consumer on the video.
Ben Smith, Co-Founder and Director of Smart Garage Solutions said: “The new MOT rules provide a great opportunity for testing stations to take the initiative and proactively help customers to understand the new rules, in a way in which they can physically see the fault on their vehicle and appreciate just why it is either a ‘Major’ or ‘Dangerous Fail’. Personalised customer videos enable you to do this and at a time and place that is most convenient for the customer i.e. without them having to physically come into the garage as they can’t quite grasp the severity of the repair over the phone. By seeing the issue first hand and having it explained one-to-one by a qualified technician, the customer feels much more satisfied by the service received and can therefore confidently approve the works there and then.
“Based on the conversations we have had with garages and motorists since the new rules were introduced, most of the discussion has been around the ‘Dangerous Fail’ and that although the garage cannot hold the customers vehicle, it is still illegal for them to drive it on the roads (and may affect their insurance), even if the test is done before their old MOT expires. So, by sending the customer a video to explain why it is a ‘Dangerous Fail’ and hopefully getting the approval to fix it in advance of them coming to collect their vehicle (or enabling them to seek alternative transport until it can be fixed the following day), this saves the customer running the risk of them driving the vehicle illegally and potentially uninsured.”
Mandla Ndhlovu, Head of Autotech Training, a division of Autotech Recruit, said: “From the customer’s perspective, personalised videos, which allow them to see what is wrong with their vehicle, will instil greater confidence in the garage carrying out the works. As competence breeds confidence, technicians need to be fully proficient in all elements of the new MOT regulations, including how to identify and record defects. Consequently, garages need to ensure their vehicle technicians receive the regular training, and assistance in completing the annual MOT assessment, which is readily available to them.”