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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Will Your Car Pass its Next MoT?

The MoT test checks that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards.  An MoT is required when a car is three years old (four years in Northern Ireland) and then annually after that.

As we all know the MoT test fee itself is not the most worrying cost but rather the repairs required in order for your vehicle to pass the test.

Research by What Car? shows that nearly 4% of the 285,236 MoT test failures recorded between August 2012 and August 2013 were on cars having their first test and for items that could have been easily avoided.

According to their research the Top 5 reasons for MoT test failures include:

1 Screenwash not topped up
2 Car dirty or full of clutter
3 Reg plate anomaly (incorrect font/spacing, dirty, missing) - If you have a personalised plate, make sure it adheres to DVLA rules
4 Stickers on windscreen blocking driver’s view - Keep any windscreen furniture, including tax disc and parking permits, strictly outside the area of the wipers’ sweep
5 Warning light on dash - Warning lights have been part of the MoT test since 2012 and relate to anything from brakes to tyre pressures and airbag; if you see one, get it checked out

What Car? has launched a handy new online tool designed to help drivers boost their car’s chances of passing its first MoT test. It offers motorists advice on how to get their car through the test and ranks cars by make and model on their likelihood of passing first time. Find your vehicle here.

To find a local trustworthy garage to carry out your next MOT test, visit the Good Garage Scheme's website and enter your postcode or town name.

1 in 14 motorists admit to taking 'selfies' while driving

Confused.com research shows that 1 in 14 motorists (7%) admit to having taken a photograph while driving and 4% also use the social media app of the moment - Snapchat - to send photos to friends while at the wheel. The price comparison website also discovered that in a recent 30-day period, 287 tweets were tagged with #drivingselfie and #drivingselfies.

In addition, 36% of motorists admit to using their mobile phone when driving, mainly to make or answer calls (75%) and send or check texts (43%). Yet, despite so many flouting the law, only 8% say they have actually been caught by police using their phone behind the wheel. And, of those who have been caught, 57% admit to continuing to use their phone while driving after their brush with the law.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) director of policy and research Neil Greig said: "Research shows that it is simply not possible to use a mobile phone in any way whilst driving and stay safe no matter how confident you may be in your driving ability. This seems to be another form of peer pressure to take part in the latest trend and the best way to avoid it is to give young people the skills to stand up for themselves and not follow the herd and post silly photographs online. It is also really worrying that many drivers caught using a phone are not learning the lesson. The IAM want to see more traffic police out there catching bad drivers but this survey would seem to suggest not even that will stop those addicted to using their smartphones."                                                                 

The Good Garage Scheme would like to thank the Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) for this week's guest post.

Over 5000 Services With a Smile

Good Garage Scheme member, RM Services in Hathern, Loughborough is the first member garage to list over 5000 customer feedback posts on the website with a five star rating to boot.  And if that's not enough to shout about, 97.7% of their customers would visit again and recommend them to friends and family.                This is an outstanding achievement for the staff at the garage and the Good Garage Scheme is very proud to congratulate them all. RM Services has been in business since 1975 and has been a member of the Good Garage Scheme since 2007.

Jane Harrison, who runs the reception of the busy garage, ensures all customers are given an opportunity to send in feedback about the service they receive. Roger Coates, owner of RM Services, says that they monitor all feedback and contact customers if they receive less than 5 stars to find out what they could have done better for them for next time.

Well done and congratulations for an outstanding effort!

The Good Garage Scheme is now offering the opportunity for a lucky customer to Win Back the Cost of their service or repair up to £200. Visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com to find a garage near you.