96% of women drivers want to see more females in garages according to a recent survey.
With only 1% of vehicle technicians being female and the number of women drivers set to outnumber men – the IMI has launched a campaign to warn the trade to employ more women or risk losing business.
The survey also found 31% of women drivers don’t feel comfortable getting their car repaired due to the fear of not understanding technical jargon and the possibility of being ripped off, research released by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), the professional body for the UK motor industry, revealed.
The IMI is warning businesses that more needs to be done to introduce females into the automotive industry as the survey showed women were four times more likely to get someone else to take their car to a garage than men, and felt reluctant to go to a professional technician due to the fear of spiralling costs.
Nearly 40% of drivers said they didn’t notice any females working in their local garage on their previous visit, and also said how they didn’t know what they were being charged for and wouldn’t know how to challenge a bill if they felt it was wrong.
When it came to choosing a garage in an emergency most said that without knowing the difference between a professional and a rogue trader, they simply went for the closest available and hoped for the best.
IMI CEO Steve Nash said: “The number of women drivers in the UK continues to increase year on year; its important businesses understand and develop their methods, behaviour and attitudes to reflect the changes in the consumer landscape.
“There is a massive knowledge gap between the professional and the customer (whether they are male or female), in this industry so it’s important businesses enforce changes such as diversifying their workforce, introducing transparency when describing faults and pricing to ensure all their customers feel as comfortable as possible.
“With over 250 different job roles and automotive technology continuing to develop there is a wide variety of career choices available – the IMI are working with organisations to encourage females to consider the automotive industry as an exciting sector to be a part of.”
