The days of visiting a dealership to book a car service or MoT appear to be on the way out as research shows most motorists want to book online.

A survey by servicing provider Servicing Stop found that 79% of motorists prefer booking their car service online, with 15% opting to book over the phone and just 6% driving into a garage.

And while more motorists than ever  are using the internet to book in for a car service, the survey revealed that car owners also trust online reviews a lot more than those they see in newspapers and magazines.

When asked what reviews they take most seriously, 38% of respondents said that review sites such as TrustPilot swayed them, 20% more in fact than magazines to which only 18% ranked most trustworthy. Social media also ranked highly with 28% of people trusting online comments.

Servicing Stop chief executive and founder Oly Richmond said: “The internet makes the world seem tiny, and it makes chores like having a car service, simple and stress free.

“We are not surprised by the power of online reviews either as we encourage every single customer to leave a review on our website and review sites. This not only gives us an insight into what we need to change as a company but also gives prospective customers an idea of the standard of service they will receive.”

How would you prefer to book your car into be serviced?	Result
Online	79%
Over the phone	15%
In a garage	6%

 

What type of reviews do you take most seriously?	Result
Word of mouth	64%
Review sites	38%
Social media	28%
Magazines and newspapers	18%

 

Survey commissioned by Servicing Stop based on 727 motorists. Survey conducted between March and April 2017.