Friday 25 April 2014

Collecting Your Car After a Service

All Good Garage Scheme members promise to perform services to a strict Code of Conduct and will always have a customer’s best interests at heart.
good garage scheme, checklist, mechanic, car, service

The fifth item on the Good Garage Scheme's Code of Conduct states the garage must “… make parts replaced during service or repair available for inspection by the customer.”
Any reputable garage should do this anyway, but motorists visiting a Good Garage Scheme can be assured that they will be treated fairly.

If you wish to see any parts that have been replaced during a service or repair, it is your right to ask and the Good Garage Scheme member’s duty to show the parts. It is all about building a relationship with the garage. After all, you are entrusting them with one of the most expensive items you own.

You will receive a checklist for work carried out as proof of a job well done and have the opportunity to fill in a feedback card or online feedback following your experience.

There are over 643,000 feedback entries on the Good Garage Scheme website offering consumer choice when looking for a garage you can trust. Visit the Good Garage Scheme’s website at http://www.goodgaragescheme.com and find a garage near you.

Thursday 17 April 2014

4000 Customers Feed Back at Lockwood & Greenwood


Good Garage Scheme member Lockwood & Greenwood in Ashton-under-Lyne has reached the milestone of a massive 4,000 customer service feedback reports from local motorists on the Good Garage Scheme website.

Established in 1932, the family owned independent workshop and motor dealer has long recognised the importance of providing excellent customer service and value, as well as actively seeking customers’ views through the Good Garage Scheme’s feedback system.  This commitment is reflected in Lockwood & Greenwood’s continuing success as the Good Garage Scheme’s Top National Feedback Winner for 2012 and 2013 and in the fact that 99 per cent of the workshop’s new customers are gained through personal recommendation.
David Greenwood, Lockwood & Greenwood’s Service Manager, comments: “We are delighted to have been recognised as the Good Garage Scheme’s Top National Feedback Winner for the second year in a row.  The team at Lockwood & Greenwood is dedicated to providing the highest standards of workmanship and customer service and we’re not afraid of being proactive when it comes to seeking their feedback to help us stay ahead of the game.”
Angelo Chillari, the Good Garage Scheme’s Administrator, concludes: “Being named as the Good Garage Scheme’s Top National Feedback Winner for the second year running, as well as a vast 4,000 feedbacks from local customers is a fantastic achievement for Lockwood & Greenwood and I would like to congratulate them on their hard work and success.  These achievements highlight the importance the Good Garage Scheme places on providing excellent customer service and actively seeking their feedback to help us ensure we keep the needs of the motorist at the centre of everything we do.”

Visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com and enter your postcode to find your local Good Garage Scheme workshop offering the Spring Check to ensure your car is in good health as the warm weather returns.  Smartphone users can also download a free iPhone or Android app to help them locate a nearby Good Garage Scheme member anywhere in the UK. 

Friday 11 April 2014

South Wales Motorist Wins Good Garage Scheme Prize

Lucky Mr Robert Jones has won £200 toward the cost of his recent service at Good Garage Scheme member garage, SPG (UK)Ltd in Warrington, Cheshire.
Presentation of feedback prize cheque at SPG UK Ltd garage in Cheshire
Simon Wilcox presents cheque to Mr Jones with team at SPG (UK) Ltd garage.

Good Garage Scheme representative, Simon Wilcox, presented the cheque to a delighted Mr Jones who lives in South Wales but found SPG (UK) Ltd garage on www.GoodGarageScheme.com when looking for a garage to service his car close to where he works. He filled in a feedback card giving SPG a 5 Star rating for the work carried out and commented, "Excellent communication, great service, polite staff, highly recommended!"

Congratulations to Mr Jones and to SPG for their outstanding customer service.

Motorists looking for a garage to service or repair their car have the chance of Winning Back the Cost* simply by entering feedback at a Good Garage Scheme member garage. Feedback can be entered online, via the Good Garage Scheme App or by filling in a feedback card.

*Current competition ends 31st August 2014 and maximum prize is £200.

Friday 4 April 2014

Potholes Prompt Tyre Check Advice

Despite an extra £200million being pledged in the budget to help fix potholes and damaged roads, the Good Garage Scheme joins the tyre safety campaign group TyreSafe in urging drivers to make even more regular checks for damage to their tyres and wheels. Drivers failing to do so face an increased risk of being involved in a tyre-related accident. 

"While the announcement of extra funds to help repair the UK's roads is welcome news, this will not happen overnight," comments Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. "In the meantime, it's critical that drivers pay particular attention to the condition of their tyres and wheels as hitting a pothole can cause significant damage. If this damage is left unchecked it can present a very serious safety risk for them and other road users."

After hitting a pothole, a buckled wheel or lump in the tyre are the most obvious signs of damage, but hidden problems can be just as dangerous. Hairline cracks in alloy wheels can allow air to gradually escape. If tyres are driven in an under-inflated state for a prolonged period, they are more likely to overheat and suffer from a rapid deflation. This type of event can be extremely difficult to control as it often occurs at high speeds on motorways. If you are unlucky and hit a pothole, monitor the pressure and condition of the tyres in the days following the incident.

Drivers can find their correct tyre pressures in their vehicle handbook, inside the fuel filler cap or on a plate located on the driver's door sill. TyreSafe has also developed an online tool, and a free iPhone app that provide drivers with their correct tyre pressures.
When checking pressures, TyreSafe also advises that drivers give the rest of the tyre a thorough inspection for other damage such as cuts, lumps or bulges. They should also pay particular attention to any changes in the vehicle's feel or handling as this may be a sign of the wheels becoming misaligned.
Anyone in doubt about the condition of their wheels and tyres are advised to visit their nearest Good Garage Scheme member garage to have them checked.
To find a local garage you can trust, visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com.
The Good Garage Scheme would like to thank TyreSafe for their help with this week's blog.