Lyft offering services for autos at home
Program launches in Houston, 3 other cities
Lyft has launched a new service through its app that will allow Houstonians to order from a menu of car maintenance services and have the work done at their home.
The service, an expansion of an existing program Lyft has for its drivers, will allow customers in Houston to order oil changes, windshield repairs, tire rotation, spark plug and brake work by booking them through the app. The mechanics come to the vehicle, and Lyft promises “upfront estimates and no upselling.” The company also offers diagnostic work on engines, sensors, ignition and belts.
In the works for some time, the program’s rollout was accelerated in response to booming demand for delivery services during the pandemic.
“Going through the process of getting repairs can be frustrating and time-consuming, which is why we began offering these services to drivers on the Lyft platform,” Max Loosen, regional director for Lyft in Texas, said in a press release. “We’re happy to be providing these same, top-notch services to our rider community, as well.”
But Tony Molla, vice president of industry relations at the Texasbased Automotive Service Association, greeted the new driveway offerings with a dose of skepticism.
Auto shops such as the ones his association represents are equipped with all the equipment
technicians need to do the job. And if something goes wrong, he said, you know where to find them.
“You can take out an appendix on a kitchen table, but that’s not the correct way to do things,” Molla said.
Lyft chose these particular services based on which types could be done outside of a shop, Loosen said in an interview. He said the technicians were carefully vetted and are experts in their field. And, he added, unlike in the shop, customers can watch their car being serviced and ask questions.
Unlike the Lyft ride-share drivers who are independent “gig workers” who drive their personal cars, the mechanics are employed by Lyft, which owns the vehicles they operate from.
For maintenance services, Lyft said it will redo the work within 30 days if there is an issue. For all other services, Lyft is offering a parts and labor warranty on the first 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Loosen said Lyft is committed to quality and has no intentions of cutting corners.
“That’s one of the reasons we decided not to operate on commission,” he said. “This is really about the long-term life of the vehicle.”
Customers can also order services to be done from their office parking lots, Loosen said, adding he hopes it staves off any safety issues that stem from deferred maintenance. He said Lyft is starting out small, with four technicians in Houston so far, but will soon look to expand.
The launch comes as revenues have plummeted during the pandemic for the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company. Lyft said it is also offering auto care for riders in Los Angeles, San Diego and Chicago.
“You can take out an appendix on a kitchen table, but that’s not the correct way to do things.”
Tony Mollo, Automotive Service Association