It's goes back to the customer expectation of what a professional establishment should look like. If you're accustomed to going to a dealership, you are conditioned to have certain expectations about the overall service experience; it's the professional image.
Independents, especially smaller ones, do not have the same processes and formality that many white collar professionals expect. Digital Multi-Point inspections, digital video inspections, text communication, clean waiting rooms, shuttle service (hey, people have busy lives), etc. Perception of expertise. etc.
But those are also the same folks who have the money to invest into their cars. So now, more established independents are trying to chase after that business -- the wannabe dealerships.
