[GBB]

Hi,
A friend of mine is taking a class on entrepreneurship and wanted some feedback on an idea related to online record keeping for car repair/maintenance records.

The survey can be found here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N2YW7XC

There are only 10 questions, so it shouldn't take too much of your time.  Your assistance would be appreciated.  Of course, you can also comment here if you have more to say than can be done in the survey.
Thanks,
---Gary

[Chromisdesigns]

After replying, I would say IMHO it's another one of those surveys designed to prove what the developer wants and believes -- the questions are nearly all slanted that way.

Re the actual question, I think it would be essentially useless unless/until detailed records could be uploaded by the mechanics and dealerships.  I'd never even take the time required to scan multiple page invoices, blank out personal data, etc., much less enter all that detail myself.

And, I can't believe the major brands and dealership chains are going to give up that kind of marketing gold to some independent for nothing.

[GBB]

Thanks for taking the time to answer and for the feedback.  Every comment helps.

[JLM]

Automotive electronic maintenance records is a tiny example of what is being pushed in U.S. medicine: EMR (Electronic Medical Records).  Could be very helpful if the data was entered/maintained, transferable between organizations, and easily manipulated.  Manipulation would involve some form of intelligence (screening out irrelevant data, making intelligent associations).

I've got routine appointments today for Dad and me.  I've developed paper "data sheets" for each of us that includes contact, physician, insurance, brief summary of medical history, list of perscriptions/over the counter drugs being used, and high points from every appointment/hospitalization.  When Dad enters the hospital, staff thinks that "data sheet" is gold and when a cardiologist asks, "How's your Dad's blood pressure been running," I hand it to him.  Crude, but better than any system I've seen in place.

[Photon46]

At present, I think the value such a data registry would have for average automotive consumers is negligible. If someone's looking to buy a 100k. plus mile used car, the value of knowing service history with certainty is a positive. But cars are so well made these days, someone buying an average 2-4 year old used car with less than 40-50k. miles is not going to be persuaded one way or another over service history IMO. As someone with many years working in high end automotive service, I 100% agree with everything Chromisdesigns said. Dealer networks wouldn't even consider giving up this kind of valuable consumer data to a data base accessible to everyone.