A study by UK website WhoCanFixMyCar.com has produced some interesting findings on how far motorists are prepared to travel to get good service from a garage. The data shows that the perception that most customers stay very local is not correct, with some happy to travel 5 miles or further to get the get work done by a trusted garage. 

The data shows that the average distance for basic servicing is 2-3 miles, but this goes up to 5.7 miles for higher value specialist repair work. Interestingly, the survey found garages with positive feedback could increase their geographical reach by 50%.

The implication of the findings is that garages that offer some kind of specialisation, in a specific type of service or repair or vehicle marque, can attract business from a much wider area that those who do not. Equally, garages who attract good online reviews or word of mouth recommendation, can also expect customer to travel that extra mile for their service.