FEMALE PERCEPTIONS OF AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

FEMALE PERCEPTIONS OF AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

When deciding where to have their car serviced: 55% OF FREQUENT SERVICE USERS TAKE THEIR CARS IN FOR SERVICE TO DEALERSHIPS The automotive industry is changing, but the speed of that change is largely influenced by forces outside of the industry s core business. In terms of trustworthy service, women tend to favor: 50% A private mechanic 40% A dealership 10% A branded repair shop (Midas, 55% ask friends or family for recommendations 40% take it wherever they bought the car Rapidly evolving technology, economic uncertainties, and the proliferation of the customer-as-influencer have pushed the industry to transform at speeds unheard of just a decade ago. One of the areas most affected, and often overlooked, is automotive services. Jabian Consulting surveyed more than 1,000 female consumers across the United States to understand the trends, consumers preferences in how they want to interact with the industry, and whether the industry is listening. For more on Jabian s insights into the automotive industry, visit www.jabian.com/automotive. When taking their car in for service, women go to the following places: 44% A dealership 37% A private mechanic 17% A branded repair shop (Midas, 2% A friend When asked to rank the cost effectiveness of those three options, they said: 15% A dealership 25% A branded repair shop (Midas, 60% A private mechanic OF WOMEN 18-29 YEARS OLD, ONLY 67% SAID THE SAME 84% OF WOMEN REPORTED HAVING OWNED OR LEASED A CAR WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS TRUST and EQUALITY Nearly a quarter of women take their cars in for service more often than the overall average: 25% Once per year 54% Two to three times per year 21% More than three times per year 88% of women trust the advice they are given about what s wrong with their car a majority of the time 60% of frequent service users believe they know more about their car than the mechanic gives them credit for believe they know more about their car than the mechanic gives them credit for 26% of women don t feel they are treated equally to male customers 35% of women 18-29 years old don t feel they are treated equally to male customers

When asked to rank the following services in order of importance, women said: Expanded service hours The ability to schedule service appointments online to tell me what s A car that communicates with my service technician when something was wrong Approximately 60% of women 18-29 would not pay extra for any of these services 1 2 3 4 5 6 technician coming to my location An all-female service center 47% OF WOMEN 45-59 YEARS OLD, 55% WOULD BUY A CAR ONLINE of women would buy a car online, but have hesitations THE BIGGEST HESITATION (81%) IS WANTING TO SEE THE CAR IN PERSON BEFORE BUYING OF WOMEN WHO MAKE BETWEEN 25K-50K, ONLY 35% SAID THEY WOULD BUY A CAR ONLINE 30% DON T FEEL THEY COULD NEGOTIATE A GOOD PRICE ONLINE 25% DON T BELIEVE THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION WILL BE KEPT SECURE 60 % OF FREQUENT SERVICE USERS WOULD PAY EXTRA FOR AN APP THAT TELLS THEM WHAT S WRONG WITH THEIR CAR 87 % OF WOMEN SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY EXTRA FOR THE ABILITY TO SCHEDULE SERVICE APPOINTMENTS ONLINE When asked if they would pay extra for the services listed above, women said: Women with high income (>200k) said they would pay extra for: Women with income between 25k 50k said they would pay extra for the following: When asked about the most important thing to change when taking a car in for service, women said: 36% I want better explanations of what s wrong and the recommended solutions 54% 51% technician coming to my location 72 % A car that communicated with my technician when something was wrong 71% 50% technician coming to my location 41% I want a loaner car if my service will take more than one hour 9% I want to be treated with more respect 5% I want cleaner facilities 5% I want better use of technology

When it comes to connected car services, men and women agree on the top three most desirable services: #1 Safety advancements #2 Advanced diagnostics tools #3 Driver assist systems When researching automobiles for purchase, women s primary source of information was: Higher upfront costs and long-term maintenance were the two most cited concerns about buying an electric or alternative fuel vehicle of women would consider buying an electric or alternative fuel vehicle for their next purchase 53% Visiting a third-party website (Consumer Reports, AutoTrader.com, Kelly Blue Book, etc.) 21% Visiting a dealership 13% Visiting an online dealership 13% Talking to a friend 19% are highly likely to make that purchase 28% of women believe we will have driverless cars within the next 5 years 15 % believe we will never have them 68% of women think we ll have cars that can self-diagnose within 5 years 2% think it will never happen 38% of women believe driverless cars are the way of the future believe they will just be toys for the rich 43% of women and 32% of men expect to no longer be able to drive themselves at age 80 25% of women own a car, but would prefer to get rid of it in favor of public transportation if it was available When purchasing their next vehicle, the following ranked in order of importance: WHEN IT COMES TO SELF-DRIVING CARS, TWICE AS MANY MEN AS WOMEN BELIEVE FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES WOULD BE MUCH SAFER 38% of women believe driving would be safer than today if everyone had a self-driving car If self-driving cars were optional, 48% of women believe it would decrease driving safety 25% OF WOMEN AND MEN SAID AS LONG AS I WANT 67% SAFETY 1 SAFETY 44% 18% MAINTENANCE FREE 2 CONVENIENCE 22% 11% CONVENIENCE 3 MAINTENANCE FREE 20% 4 % ENTERTAINMENT 4 ENTERTAINMENT 14%

About Jabian Jabian Consulting is a strategic management and technology consulting firm with an integrated approach to creating and implementing strategies, enhancing business processes, developing human capital, and better aligning technology ultimately helping clients become more competitive and profitable. Jabian blends functional expertise, industry knowledge, and senior experience to think strategically and act practically. It s a Strategy that Works. For more information, visit www.jabian.com.