HiQ survey reveals female mistrust for fast-fitters, talks strategy for change

A recent HiQ survey suggests that negative perceptions of the fast-fit industry amongst women continue to linger after independent research revealed that while 70 per cent of women believe they receive a dishonest and untrustworthy experience when they visit a garage. The research, commissioned by HiQ, also disclosed that 24.3 per cent of women charge the men in their lives with taking their car in for new tyres because they found the whole so unpleasant. However it is worth pointing out that the level of trust is not much higher amongst members of the more traditionally dominant sex: 62 per cent of men feel the same way. What’s more, 53 per cent of men surveyed “do not trust garages and tyre dealers for advice, and would rather research online instead”. HiQ says that five female marketing experts are attempting to change these perceptions by bringing the fast fit industry in line with high street shopping experiences.

HiQ’s ‘fast fit you can be sure of’ marketing is driven by the all-female team, believing they are in the perfect position to banish the old ingrained views of the fast fit industry and create a memorable retail experience for motorists: “As women who are passionate about changing retailing standards in fast fit, the results of this research really shocked us,” says HiQ’s marketing manager Geraldine McGovern.

“We knew motorists sometimes distrusted garages but this was far worse than we thought. We need to rebuild that level of trust and make sure that drivers believe we know what we’re talking about, that we’re giving them the best possible advice, and that we’ll also treat their partners well. The comments from drivers in the UK include ‘iffy’, ‘overpriced’, ‘rip-off merchants’. This has to stop, now. We need to radically change the whole experience of buying a tyre, so it feels as trustworthy as shopping on the high street.”
 
Researchers from independent pollsters OnePoll spoke to 2,000 motorists, also finding that almost two-thirds of men had experiences at garages and dealerships that were neither honest nor trustworthy. Only one in five would call a garage or dealer for advice – twice as many would prefer to research the tyre online before buying. Men typically spend about £6 less on a tyre than their female partners, but take more interest in technical performance such as fuel efficiency, road grip, noise levels and handling on ice.
 
HiQ’s response to this data is to modify its own approach to selling tyres to the public, and in particular women. The fast-fit franchise network has “a programme of investing in clean and pleasant customer surroundings; producing clear, jargon-free pricing and menu boards so customers know exactly what they are buying and how much it costs; creating an online ordering service; and sending its technicians for professional assessment under the ATA accreditation programme”. The brand also sends mystery shoppers to its franchises, as well as carrying out daily telephone checks. These programmes run alongside HiQ’s “mirror hanger” customer feedback programme and online feedback pages.

“With this in mind, we are doing what no other fast fit network is doing – offering a unique combination of retail and technical skills to provide motorists with a genuinely memorable and expert retail experience, says McGovern. “Our comprehensive HiQ Tyre Expert Programme includes technicians being fully trained in offering the very best advice to motorists, demonstrating how seriously we take this issue. Our customers deserve to be treated with the same standards, respect and honesty that they’d demand in any other high street store.”

“The results of this research into our own industry surprised us,” says HiQ’s Retail Director Peter Tye. “We knew that customers were sometimes treated poorly when buying tyres but we never guessed the situation was as bad as this.

“Tyres are a critical safety product; they’re the only thing on your car keeping you in touch with the road… Buying a tyre should be a pleasant, stress-free experience for every shopper,” Tye concludes.