FixMyCar has removed commission charges from jobs secured through its repair booking platform, replacing them with fixed monthly subscriptions for participating garages.
Under the new model, garages will no longer pay a variable fee each time they win work through FixMyCar.
Instead, they will select one of three monthly packages and retain all the revenue from individual jobs, subject to their subscription cost and normal operating expenses.
The company said the change was designed to give repair businesses greater certainty over customer acquisition costs as wages, parts prices and other overheads continue to put pressure on margins.
Three subscription levels
Garages can choose between Standard, Premium and Pro packages, with prices linked to the average value of work a business secures through the platform each month.
The commercial benefit for individual garages will therefore depend on the subscription price and the volume and value of work generated through the platform.
The change removes the risk of the platform fee increasing automatically with every job won, allowing garages to treat their FixMyCar membership as a fixed monthly cost.
Amanda Webb, chief executive of FixMyCar, said: “We’re seeing that variable job fees do not work for auto repair businesses today. Their environment is already too challenging and too unpredictable to make this model sustainable. Feedback from our network was key in our decision to move FixMyCar to a new subscription model that better supports the way our garages are currently working.
“More importantly, this change is part of a more central focus for FixMyCar as we transition from a transactional business to a model that forms meaningful partnerships with garages and helps them grow and develop at a pace that suits them.”
Network support expands
The pricing overhaul follows FixMyCar’s management buyout in March and forms part of its strategy to expand and invest in its garage network.
The company is also broadening the services available to repair businesses beyond the supply of customer leads.
A partnership with Bosch gives garages access to automotive repair training courses, while One Funding provides participating businesses with access to finance for investment and expansion.
FixMyCar has also introduced Aircall’s intelligent voice agent within its customer service operation. The technology is intended to answer routine enquiries from garages and drivers more quickly, leaving employees to handle cases requiring human support.
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