Meineke President Says Uber for Auto Mechanics Is the Future

Uber’s on-demand model is disrupting countless industries from transportation to medicine - and the auto repair industry is next. ‘I think this is where things are going and I see it as a huge opportunity,’ said Danny Rivera, president of Meineke Car Care. ‘Americans want convenience - I don’t want to go to a shop on a Saturday morning to get my oil or brakes changed – I want someone to take care of it.’ Rivera said Meineke, which is a franchise based business, is trying to transition into such a model, likely by the end of 2016 and into 2017. ‘We want the app to tell you your car is due for service and to allow you to schedule an appointment, which may involve us picking up the vehicle for you,’ he added. ‘We’ll fix it up and we’ll return the car to you and you didn’t even have to leave your couch.’ He said that model currently exists at its China locations. ‘We have a master franchisee in China who is developing an entire business model around convenience,’ he added. ‘When we look at what Uber is doing in the United States, we’re actually doing that in China - consumers can have a concierge service where there car is picked up, fixed and delivered back to the customer.’ TheStreet’s Scott Gamm reports from New York.