The MOT is not just a tick-box exercise – convert the potential, urges Comline.
For some motorists, the MOT is a yearly stress test – a necessary but often dreaded inspection. But for independent workshops, it’s more than just another task on the ramp: It’s an opportunity to guarantee safety, build trust and grow revenue. Comline Group is confident the MOT can be a business driver – and here’s why. While MOT test fees are capped – currently £54.85 for a car – they still bring in a consistent, reliable income. Plus, with an ever-growing vehicle parc, which at the end of 2024, reported the Department for Transport, stood at 41.7 million, this will only increase MOT demand.
With the average age of a vehicle almost 10-years-old, according to the RAC, and older cars likely to have higher failure rates, therefore needing repairs, this spells good news too.
Last year, the RAC also revealed that suspension, braking, lighting and tyres are among the most popular failure items on an MOT, so could independent workshops look to introduce discounts or packages for both the MOT and next service? Ensuring all the safety-critical items are ready for the test.
Press repeat
Providing a great service, fair pricing and follow-ups can all build loyalty and increase the potential of repeat business. Many customers perceive the MOT as a tick-box exercise, so if a workshop becomes a motorist’s go-to, that trust can lead to discretionary work in the future and referrals to friends and family. Even in the competitive and valuable age of digital marketing, ‘word-of-mouth’ remains a powerful tool!
An important part of a ‘great service’ is offering a dependable, high-performing and consistent product line – and at Comline, it has the MOT essentials to support both the independent workshop and motorist.
Parts support
From pads and discs to filters and tie rod ends, Comline offers an array of MOT essentials that help workshops meet demand and take advantage of what the MOT test can lead to.
Comline’s products are, they claim, designed, manufactured and tested to perform long after the motorist drives away from the workshop. There’s great availability too, with the range on offer comprising 14,000-part numbers, including 100-plus for electric and hybrid vehicles. This is supported by its 130,000sq.ft headquarters. Operating 24/7 and thanks to its rapid and efficient AutoStore picking system – delivering 95 per cent availability across 7,500 parts – Comline offers next-day delivery and same-day collection for those nearby.
Each component is rigorously tested to meet the high standards of European manufacturing, including a 900-hour salt-spray corrosion resistance test and over one million fatigue cycles for steering and suspension. It’s why the firm backs its range with a 36- month or 36,000-mile warranty – and why its warranty rate sits at just 0.13 per cent.
Comline’s brake pads are engineered with exclusive friction materials and crafted from premium components, manufactured in some of the world’s leading facilities. Integrated Noise Control Technology and testing that exceeds R90 regulations ensure confident, consistent stopping power.
The brand’s coated discs feature a specialist anti-corrosion finish that not only looks good but also simplifies installation. And with calipers made exclusively from new cast iron or lightweight aluminium, they deliver dependable performance and precise fitment every time.
From oil and air to cabin and fuel, every Comline filter is built inside audited production facilities and manufactured to exacting brand standards. Each unit is produced in line with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and TS16949 certifications.
What happens afterwards?
Comline provides tailored resources that aid workshops in staying competitive and deliver outstanding service. Technical insights and installation tips to troubleshooting guides, Comline keeps workshops well-informed. It also has a marketing portal – full of promotional materials, digital content and special offers – substantiating the point about workshops attracting and retaining customers.
The MOT then may be a routine requirement for motorists, but for independent workshops, it represents a far greater opportunity. It can build trust, generate repair and service revenue, and create longterm customer relationships. With a growing vehicle parc, ageing cars and common failure items that align with core workshop services, there’s clear potential to convert this annual check into a business driver.
And with a tested product range, complete with high availability and comprehensive support, Comline allows workshops to make the most of every MOT.
