GIALFYI CAR CLINIC: FACILITATING CAR SERVICING AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON

Felistus Mutinda creates a platform that connects car owners with certified mechanics in real time

Finding the right mechanic who has specialized in a certain car model or part can be a tall order for car owners. A young ambitious graduate has come up with an ingenious solution that links car owners with a pool of skilled mechanics. Felistus Mutinda, popularly known as Fiona has created Gialfyi Car Clinic, an online platform that allows car owners to connect with mechanics who have specialized in their car issues. Through the platform car owners can have their car problems sorted quickly and efficiently since mechanics listed on the platform are qualified in their respective specialties.

Mutinda graduated from Laikipia University with Bachelors in Science in Economics and Statistics back in 2021. She tried to hunt for a job but in vain. She decided to start several small businesses that also flopped. Back in school, from a research that she had done for her thesis technology emerged as one of the top investment opportunities she would consider venturing into but didn’t know what to do exactly.

Being vigilant and entrepreneurial by nature she spotted a business gap. She had observed that car owners were having a difficult time finding mechanics when stuck due to car breakdowns. With these observations, she set about to create a platform that would ease the process of locating mechanics for car owners in real time. “In case of any emergencies, maybe someone is stuck in unfamiliar location and they don’t know where the nearest workshop is, a car owner can visit our website and get a specialized mechanic service their car,” she passionately explains.

The platform went live in July 2022. It is user friendly and allows car owners to choose the right mechanic for their car. As long as one has internet connection they can log into the website, pay a small fee and look up the right mechanic as well as schedule the time they want their vehicles serviced. To spare car owners the challenge of figuring out what it might cost them, the website has a cost calculator that computes a rough estimate of what may be required for a particular service. Cost varies according to various factors like location, car model, urgency of repair, area of concern and breakdown status. What’s more, there’s a help line where car owners who need help can reach out instantly.

Why Gialfyi Car Clinic

Gialfyi Car Clinic is a problem solving platform. Its simplicity of use and convenience makes it a must-have tool for any car owner. Ideally, every car owner knows where they usually go to service their vehicles, however most of the time people travel to far places and experience car problems. This is the key reason that inspired Mutinda to create the platform. “How about your car breakdowns and you are stranded in a strange location? So we were trying to solve that problem,” Mutinda remarks.

Mobile mechanics come wherever you are even when stranded. They are fast and efficient and you can oversee the work. Notably, Mutinda’s team has been working on an application that will be published before the end of this year. This is in a bid to make their platform more accessible and easy to use. The app will come with some added benefits.

Largely, mechanics get their clients by referrals, so a new mechanic may not land as many gigs as a veteran mechanic. There is an army of mechanics scattered all over the country who are not connected to potential clients. By bringing mechanics together in one platform car owners can have the luxury to pick the best mechanic close to them at affordable rates. Additionally, the platform creates a level playing field for all the mechanics; creating more openings for mechanics while solving a pressing need for car owners.

The platform is open to all mechanics. For a mechanic to get listed they must pass a thorough test which ensures they are qualified in their areas of expertise. “We have a portal where mechanics send their registration details, specify what areas and car models they have specialized in and upload their legal documents,” Mutinda explains. “We choose only the best because we want our clients to get quality services.” So far the response is encouraging with roughly over a thousand visitors to the platform on a monthly basis.

According to a report by Market Research Future (MRFR) released early this year, the automotive industry is projected to reach USD 6 trillionby 2030. Some of the biggest contributors will be growth in auto sales, growing demand for international brands and rapid technological advances that is sweeping through the auto sector. As such, mechanics will continue to be in demand since these new vehicles will need maintenance. Therefore, creating a business model around this set of dynamics appealed to Mutinda as a viable long-term business venture.

Hurdles

Like any other business venture, Mutinda has encountered a number of obstacles along the way. Key among them is trust issues. When trying to get car owners to use the platform some people questioned the effectiveness of her platform. She laments: “People tend to doubt us. Ours is an online business so there are some prospective clients who think we are a scam.” Similarly, despite listing mechanics for free she has faced resistance from a section who ask for handouts. Since she already has a good number of mechanics across Nairobi on the platform, she is planning to start charging a small fee to mechanics who want to join.

The other challenge is marketing. As a startup, Gialfyi Car Clinic needs doses of capital to market itself in order to increase its client base. “Good marketing is really expensive. We are considering making room for investors to come and partner with us,” Mutinda notes. Running an online business requires a lot of human capital. She intends to bring on board software engineers and other related experts to help scale up the business.

Advice to youths

Being a youth she can relate with the challenges that youths are currently facing, notoriously unemployment, drugs abuse and mental issues. Nonetheless, she challenges them to find a way out, to be productive and make good use of their lives. “There is a high rate of unemployment especially with the current economic state but youths really need to brainstorm and come up with ideas that they can comfortably act on using the knowledge they obtained from school,” she counsels.

To those who wish to venture into tech she welcomes them remarking that technology is one of the best fields to be in because it is advancing rapidly in almost every sector globally. Her future aspiration is to take Gialfyi Car Clinic to international level.

Fiona Felistus at a glance

Typical day: Wakes up at around 5:30 am, begins the day with prayers. Posts content on social media for the business. Prepares and leaves for work. Works all day attending to clients then winds up her day at five. She goes home.

Best moment as an entrepreneur: When the website went live and started operations in July 2022.

Favourite cuisine: Pilau and Pork.

Hobbies: Travelling, socializing, playing games and reading.

Strengths: She is very determined and pragmatic. She easily finds solutions to problems.

Fovourite book: This child will great by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough.

Marital Status: Single.

Dream car: Convertible Mercedes Benz.

Parting shot: “Be careful of listening to opinions of those who haven’t achieved what you want to achieve.”