Can’t Fix a Car Over the Phone… and You Shouldn’t Buy Garage Insurance That Way

Can’t Fix a Car Over the Phone… and You Shouldn’t Buy Garage Insurance That Way

If your car started making a strange noise, would they call a mechanic and ask them to fix it over the phone?

Of course not.

They wouldn’t diagnose it properly without seeing it. They wouldn’t guess what’s under the hood. And no good mechanic is going to say, “Just open it up and check the mass air flow sensor—you’ll be fine.”

So why are so many garage owners buying insurance that way?

I’ve personally visited about 90% of my clients’ businesses. I walk the shop floor. I see how vehicles move in and out. I understand how the operation actually runs.

For the few clients I’ve worked with remotely, I don’t rush it. I ask detailed questions. I take the time to understand the risks properly.

But what I’m seeing more and more is something different:

• The quick online application

• The five-minute phone call

• The “good enough” policy

And it’s leaving gaps—big ones. I even saw a broker with an advertisment, saying it only takes 60 seconds to review your garage risk. What quickly comes to mind is; "would you like fries with that"?

The Coverage Most Garages Miss

Here’s one that comes up more often than it should.

Garage operations don’t just need one insurance policy, they need at least two core protections:

• A policy for the business itself (fire, theft, liability, slip and falls)

• A policy for driving customers’ vehicles (garage auto / garage liability)

Why? The first is the obvious, I don't want to lose my equipment or be at risk of lawsuite. The second is because a customer’s personal auto policy typically excludes coverage when their vehicle is in the care, custody, or control of a mechanic.

In plain terms, if something happens while you’re driving their car, their insurance may not respond.

A Real Example

I met a garage owner who had been operating for nearly two years with only one policy.

No coverage for driving customers’ vehicles.

For two years, every test drive, every move in and out of the shop, every customer vehicle on the road was an uninsured exposure.

When we fixed it, his premium did go up.

But his business survival odds? They went up exponentially.

Because one accident in a customer’s vehicle without the right coverage can shut a business down. Beyond replacing the car that could cost tens of thousands, but how about being held liable for some severe and costing you hundreds of thousands or dare i say millions?

The Real Problem

This isn’t about price.

It’s about process.

You wouldn’t trust a mechanic who diagnoses your engine without ever opening the hood.

And you shouldn’t trust an insurance process that doesn’t take the time to understand your operation.

Final Thought

Insurance for a garage isn’t a checkbox. It’s not a five-minute conversation. And it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all online form.

It’s a hands-on process, just like fixing a car.

If your broker hasn’t taken the time to really understand your business, there’s a good chance something important is missing.

And in this industry, what’s missing is what costs you.