The automotive industry is in transition. Month after month, small garages are closing their workshops or being swallowed up by large car dealerships. Rural areas are particularly affected. Because far from cities, the number of small repair shops that can be operated profitably is decreasing.
A proposal from the political center should provide countermeasures. Center Party President Gerhard Pfister (60) is dedicated to small garage owners. In particular, the Zug National Council demands: The Federal Council should include in a binding regulation the vehicle declaration of the Competition Commission (Weko), which has existed since 2002. This aims not only to promote fair competition, but also to ensure the quality of services.
Access to digital service books
Concretely, the resolution is intended to assist small garage owners in the following areas: They should be given clear conditions when purchasing spare parts, general access to digital vehicle data and free use of diagnostic devices.
One of them is Roger Kunz (53). He runs a repair shop at Wohlen AG and is president of the Independent Auto Dealers Association in Switzerland. “Today, SMEs and small repair shops cannot take legal action against large companies,” says Kunz. This should now change.
not everyone is bad
Blick visits a small garage in Turbenthal ZH. Two people work here. Its owner, Johnny Ferreira (32), has one employee – a car mechanic. Ferreira primarily makes money from service jobs and settings. He himself does not want to participate in litigation.
Ferreira has regular customers, it is an expert in the fine tuning business. But Ferreira knows that not everyone makes a living as well as she does.
Costs are too high
“Diagnostic devices are a big problem,” says Ferreira. Almost every car brand needs its own diagnostic device. And they are expensive. A diagnostic device can cost several thousand francs. Also, you must log in to the vehicle manufacturers online to view vehicle data. “I have to pay to view the data – and that’s per manufacturer,” Ferreira says. There are devices that cover more than one brand. But a small garage can hardly afford that, Ferreira emphasizes. One solution: controlled use of diagnostic devices for everyone and realistic prices.
He underlines that everyone who holds big companies responsible for the crisis has made things very easy for themselves. Technology has changed a lot, everything has become more expensive. “You used to be able to complete a mechanic’s apprenticeship and fix any car,” Ferreira says. Today this is no longer possible.
A new legal basis is needed
«Technology is changing so fast, as a garage owner you always need new tools.» Large car dealerships could afford to always be up to date and train their staff. Small garages lack the capital to do this. Therefore, Ferreira hopes the federal government will invest in education in the future. And it will financially support small businesses for equipment.
Association President Roger Kunz sees another obstacle. “If a garage owner wants to buy spare parts from a large car dealership, they can say no.” Small garages have rights to parts, but they have no chance if they take legal action against large garages. “So minors are forced to buy at higher prices than other people, and at some point they can no longer afford it.”
Amag sticks to vehicle notification
“A solution must be found urgently,” Kunz says. With a legal basis, small companies can defend themselves and large companies should no longer allow themselves to be told “no”.
“Amag Import AG supplies small garages and adheres to the specifications of the current vehicle announcement,” says Marie-Therese Zell, Amag’s spokesperson. Therefore, a change in the existing legal ground is incomprehensible. “The reality is that Amag supplies spare parts to so-called small garages,” Zell continues.
“The little ones want to be like the big ones”
Luigi S.* (42) also runs a small garage in Turbenthal ZH. He has an apprentice. Two sports cars sit on the meticulously polished floor in his small showroom, covered and ready for sale. “I don’t think the bigs are outpacing the little ones,” she says. The problem is that the little ones want to be like the big ones.
A garage owner should be customer oriented rather than trying to imitate the elders. “A business of three or four people does not have the capacity to bring coffee to customers, set up a saloon, run a ten-car showroom, a workshop with twenty repairmen.”
resort to politics
Luigi S.* describes his experience as follows: “Customers are happy when the garage attendant in overalls tells them what he is doing in the car with his hands dirty and gives the coffee to the customer himself.”
Association President Kunz is addressing politicians. “As soon as there is a legal footing, the little ones can defend themselves and no longer have to close shop at the end of the month.
General importers review
Major general importers Amag and Emil Frey are interested. It imports brands such as Amag, VW, Audi, Porsche and Skoda. At Emil Frey the brands are BMW, Mini, Toyota and much more. Together they sell more than 40 percent of all cars imported into Switzerland.
Emil Frey AG acknowledges that the framework conditions for the garage business in Switzerland are getting tougher and the earning potential is reduced as a result. “Additional investments in employee training and work tools are required to meet market demands, products, manufacturers’ safety requirements, and most importantly policy,” says Peter Hug, spokesperson for Emil Frey AG. “Even the Emil Frey Group as a larger provider cannot escape this development.”
Auto-Switzerland welcomes Motion
The Swiss Automobile Importers Association (Auto-Switzerland) takes the issue seriously. Spokesperson Christoph Wolnik says: “With the increasing complexity of products in the automotive industry and the ever-increasing proportion of electronics, the situation for small garages has certainly not gotten any easier.”
Auto-Schweiz members have already adhered to the rules applicable in competition law in the past. “We therefore welcome the inclusion of regulations in one regulation for all market participants, as required by the Pfister proposal,” Wolnik says.
* Name known