Good Garage Scheme Staff Support BEN

Good Garage Scheme supported BEN's "Back 2 School" charity campaign on Thursday, 19th July.

This month BEN celebrates 107 years of helping those who work or have worked in the automotive and related industries, as well as their dependents, with a "Back 2 School" themed charity campaign running from 16th-22nd July.

 

Accounts Dept go head to head

Staff at Good Garage Scheme's head office in Coventry showed up at work with school ties, satchels and name badges to mark the occasion and also shared a picnic lunch. A tuck shop was set up in the office with old-fashioned sweets including Dib Dabs, Refreshers and Mint Humbugs.

The "GGS pupils" (including little Miles Better) embraced the challenges of the day which included a very competitive egg and spoon race, penalty shoot out and "Guess Who?" photo competition.
 
There was lots of giggling and cheering during the day all
aimed at raising money to support the fantastic work BEN does.



And the winners were...

Egg & Spoon Race Champions 2012 (Mark, Emily and Dave)

It is clear from the photos that we all enjoyed the day and look forward to sending off our cheque to BEN soon.

Have a look at our Facebook page for more photos from the day.



More information about BEN can be found here.

Good Garage Scheme Goes Back to School for BEN

The Good Garage Scheme will be holding a ‘Back 2 School’ themed day on the 19th July to raise funds for BEN – the Automotive Industry Charity, during National BEN Week.

Staff at the Good Garage Scheme head office in Coventry will be dressing in a "Back to School" theme in celebration of BEN’s 107th Anniversary of providing help and support to the automotive and related industries.

There will be a school-style picnic dinner and lunchtime games.

Employees are also bringing in school photos of their "younger selves" and there will be a prize for the person who can match most faces to names.


BEN exists to provide care, support and advice to those in the automotive industries who need help in times of hardship or distress. It costs approximately £12 million each year for BEN to continue its vital work, and it’s only thanks to the generosity of supporters that BEN is able to do so.

National BEN Week is an annual event aiming to raise awareness and funds for the charity as well as bringing people together from across the industry to celebrate the birth of their dedicated charity.

Read more about the charity at www.ben.org.uk

Good Garage Scheme is all a-Twitter!

The UK-wide Good Garage Scheme has proved that social media can benefit the automotive business by recruiting a new member through consistent social media activity.

John Wyatt of Manchetts Garage

Manchetts Garage based in Cambridge and Newmarket was already aware of the Good Garage Scheme but was unsure of the member benefits. The independent garage already had its own Twitter account, from which it regularly tweeted special offers and blog posts.  Upon seeing a number of consistently informative tweets from the Good Garage Scheme, Manchetts sent a direct message to enquire about membership.

“I followed the Good Garage Scheme by chance. Someone I follow retweeted something they had sent out and when I had a look at the kind of tweets they were sending, I realised that they had some really interesting facts and advice on motoring that garages like mine could benefit from”  said Mandy Manchett, Marketing Manager, Manchetts Garage.

“I liked the fact that the Good Garage Scheme is consistently tweeting interesting content and engaging with followers. It uses Twitter to actively promote member garages and I wanted Manchetts to benefit from being a part of an online independent garage community.”

The Good Garage Scheme is regularly active on Twitter and its Twitter name @GoodGarages was another feature that raised the interest of Manchetts.

“I think the Good Garage Scheme has a really good Twitter handle, which says everything you need know about it. It quite literally is a network of good garages, working together to offer the best service possible to motorists” said Mandy.

Apart from social media, the Good Garage Scheme offered Manchetts appealing benefits as a Good Garage Scheme member. Mandy added: “I particularly like the feedback system the Good Garage Scheme has in place for its member garages. Customer relations are very important to us and we want to hear when we have done a good job so we can build on the positives and improve our service even more.”

Follow the Good Garage Scheme on Twitter @GoodGarages and have a look at our Facebook page.

Safe Summer Driving with a Holiday Check

Is your car ready for your summer holiday?  Our research has found that 55% of holidaymakers this year will be cutting costs by holidaying at home.  However, very few motorists have considered the effect a breakdown could have on their staycation.

 
According to further research by the Good Garage Scheme, 58% of British holidaymakers will not have their cars checked before heading out on the road this summer, which means thousands of motorists could be putting their lives at risk by travelling in cars that are unfit and dangerous.
 
To help avoid a costly breakdown during a summer getaway, there are a number of checks you can make to ensure you don’t miss out on a great holiday because your car has let you down.
 

• Tyres – look after your tyres and they will look after you. Ensure correct pressure to cope with increased weight of luggage and passengers. Check treads are legal to keep a firm grip on the road – they are the link between you and the road!
• Oil and Fluids – check, top up and change oil and coolant if needed to ensure a smooth running car and prevent engines overheating.
• Washers and wipers – they can take a hammering over the winter so check and see if wiper blades need replacing.
• Brakes – listen for excessive noise from brakes and have the discs and pads checked for excessive wear. Motorists can get used to driving with worn brakes without realising the danger. It’s essential to check them regularly.
• Air conditioning – check for a bad smell such as a dirty sock smell that may indicate harmful mould and bacteria in the air conditioning ducts which can cause flu-like symptoms.

Still unsure if your car is fit to travel?
Proper preparation will give you the peace of mind that your car is in the best possible condition before you head off on your ‘staycation’.  To enable drivers to have their cars checked before their holiday starts, the Good Garage Scheme has launched a comprehensive 21-point Holiday Check.
 
The 21-point Holiday Check includes:

• Air conditioning operation and cabin comfort
• Fluid levels
• Lights and wipers
• Tyres and exhaust

Simply visit www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/holiday_check to find a garage near you to check your car before you set off.

Don't forget to download our award-winning app
The Good Garage Scheme app is an ideal travelling companion to have when driving on holiday. Voted App of the Week recently by AutoExpress and cited as one of the best motoring apps of the year by The Sunday Times, it allows you to pinpoint your local Good Garage Scheme member on the move, from anywhere in the UK.  It’s like having a friend in the know! Click here to download our free app.

Lights, Camera, Action at Lawlor Motor Company

Long-standing Good Garage Scheme member, Lawlor Motor Company in Newcastle-upon-Tyne were only too happy to help when we asked to film our latest national television advertising campaign at their premises. 

Photo courtesy of Lawlor Motor Company

Photo courtesy of Lawlor Motor Company

We are grateful to the team at Lawlor Motor Company for taking time during a cold February day of filming and especially to owner, John Lawlor - quite the natural film star!

The Good Garage Scheme advert is currently appearing on SKY TV during June and you can see John alongside our newly named animated character, Miles Better.

Many thanks again to John and all of the team at Lawlor Motor Company. For more photos of the making of the advert, visit Lawlor Motor Company's Facebook page.

Click here to see the Good Garage Scheme's TV advert currently running on Sky TV.

Say Hello to Miles Better

Thank you to all who participated in our “Name Our Star” competition.
 
We invited all Good Garage Scheme members, staff and our followers on Facebook and Twitter to come up with a name for the new star of our TV advertising campaign. We had some great suggestions including Gary Toogood, Frank, Carter Fix, Harry,  Mike the Mechanic and even a Tarquin, but the popular choice was Miles Better.

Congratulations to Heidi Twigg, whose husband owns MT Cars Ltd in Whittlesey. MT Cars has been a member of the Good Garage Scheme since 2007 and has a five star feedback rating. Heidi came up with the name and won a free tank of fuel for her creative name.

Colin Austen presents cheque to Heidi Twigg.  Also in photo: Mark Twigg, Chris Simpson and Kim Vawser

Miles Better will next appear on SKY television in June during the Good Garage Scheme's next national television campaign helping to spread the message, "It's like having a friend in the know!"

Follow Miles on Facebook here and also on Twitter: @MilesBetter_GGS

Prestige car owners turn to The Good Garage Scheme

Owners of high-end vehicle marques are increasingly turning to independent specialist garages for care and servicing, according to the UK-wide Good Garage Scheme.

Prestige marques BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar all make the top ten list of car manufacturer searches carried out by visitors to the Good Garage Scheme website, www.goodgaragescheme.com. Once again, popular vehicle model Ford tops the list, closely followed by BMW and Volkswagen in second and third place respectively.
The research aimed to highlight that motorists are looking to have their quality vehicles serviced by a specialist independent garage rather than taking it to a main dealer.  Over a recent three-month period, a total of 54 different marques were searched by over 2,900 motorists looking for a specialist independent garage.

The top 10 car manufacturers searched on the Good Garage Scheme website are:

1. Ford
2. BMW
3. Volkswagen
4. Vauxhall
5. Audi
6. Renault
7. Mercedes
8. Peugeot
9. Jaguar
10. Land Rover

 

Motorists visiting the website can find their nearest Good Garage Scheme member and refine their searches to identify those who have expertise in specific makes of vehicle.

Anndi Sheppard, Good Garage Scheme marketing manager, said: “Our research shows that a typical visitor to the Good Garage Scheme website will look for a local garage that services their particular make of car. Good Garage Scheme members specialise in custom model vehicles as well as servicing the more common marques. Our survey shows that motorists are recognising the specialist care and attention our members can dedicate to cars of all models.

“Our website provides motorists with the ideal tool to find their nearest independent garages quickly and efficiently. This is enhanced by being able to refine searches to find expertise in specific makes and models.”

To find a local Good Garage Scheme member to service your car, visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com. It's like having a friend in the know!