RAC launches garage price comparison

RAC Garage Compare.co.uk is being formed by a new partnership between the RAC and The Motorists Organisation, the company behind the former TootCompare site, and is being supported by an extensive consumer marketing campaign.

Working on the same principles as comparison websites covering products such as motor insurance and other financial products, RAC Garage Compare is designed to provide RAC members and other motorists with absolute transparency when they compare prices and service standards from independent and franchised garages all around the UK for car servicing, repairs and MoTs.

Users simply enter their postcode and registration number plus details for the kind of services they require from a menu – choosing from three pre-defined levels of servicing with the option of an MoT. They then book online, receiving a confirmation and are also encouraged to rate the garage after use.

For garages, the new site provides free listings and access to a potentially entirely new pool of local customers as well as the opportunity to build a strong reputation through customer ratings. Each can list up to three different types of service schedule. Their profile can include accreditations along with details of memberships including the RAC Approved Network.

More than 10,000 garages will be contacted to invite them to join RAC Garage Compare on a ‘no work, no fee’ rule with just a small commission charge for each booking.

Results from RAC Garage Compare are ranked in terms of availability and garages can easily update their current status in real time, providing the opportunity to drive bookings higher when there is spare workshop capacity by influencing their position.

TootCompare research apparently suggested that customers rarely opt for the cheapest price, but instead are seeking to book a service or MoT as quickly as possible, taking into account factors such as garage ratings and customer feedback.

During the last month Dipstix announced it had received funding to expand its own garage price comparison site.