Service advisors ‘grappling with repair costs challenge’

24 March 2025  

Affordability of garage repairs for motorists is the biggest challenge faced by service advisors in their day-to-day work, according to a new survey.

A quarter of 520 service advisors polled for Sheffield based fintech firm, Bumper, cited affordability of repairs for customers as their main challenge, underscoring the increasing cost of living and rising parts prices.

Bumper, which offers motorists finance to help pay for repairs to be carried out at the firm’s partner garages across the country, revealed the data as part of research for its upcoming UK Automotive Aftersales Report 2024/25.

Customer expectations was the next biggest challenge, with 18% of service advisors signalling the growing demand for high quality service and personalised experiences, Bumper said. 

Parts availability was a concern for 12%, as service advisors grapple with supply chain issues.

Customer retention

The research also found service advisors were equally split between those who had identified operational changes in dealership priorities in the last 12 months and those who had not.

Bumper said the biggest changes identified by over two-thirds of the former group were to customer retention and satisfaction strategies, reflecting an increased management focus on ensuring positive customer experiences and loyalty.

Most service advisors (58%) reported seeing changes in customer preferences or behaviour in aftersales services compared to previous years.

Increased price sensitivity was the most frequently cited change (43%), indicating that customers are focused on affordability and value, with over one-in-five noting a rise in the use of interest-free options to settle workshop bills.

Meanwhile, a fall in the acceptance of recommended repairs was identified by 13% of service advisors.

Bumper’s head of sales Daniel Christie (pictured) said: “Service advisors are in a unique position to observe the behavioural changes of aftersales customers with our research highlighting the impact that servicing and repair costs are having across the sector.

“Push-back from customers to the costs charged for servicing and repair work is understandable and increasingly difficult for service advisors to counter.”

Offering interest-free payment schemes can help drive customer satisfaction and retention, while making necessary advisory work more affordable, Christie said.