2009 - a reminder

Since the Aftermarket magazine article (see post below) I've been asked by several people to put a brief reminder on the blog about why we have created the service and repair code.

Sounds like a good idea, but very difficult to do it justice in a few paragraphs - so for now here's a whistle stop summary and I'll write some more detailed papers and put them up over the coming weeks.

So....

In 2005 the National Consumer Council (now called Consumer Focus) threatened the automotive service and repair sector with a 'super complaint' to the Office of Fair Trading if it didn't introduce a new customer complaints handling process for the entire sector via a new code of practice that would require approval by the OFT.

The outcome of a submitted super complaint regarding the garage sector is generally thought to be the introduction of an enforced licensing regime via a legislative approach, and while that would clearly make some steps at addressing the situation both Government and the industry feel that self regulation is the best approach. Only via self regulation are the people who work within the sector and have the best appreciation of how it works allowed to regulate, whilst being monitored by the OFT.

These days self regulation is proving to be a very effective and efficient method by which minimum standards of operation can be set. Enabling a trade sector to develop its own 'rules' which are then agreed with the regulators, who in turn allow the sector to look after their own affairs whilst keeping a watching brief. This in turn delivers a consistency in customer service while providing consumers with easily accessible dispute resolution services should a problem occur.

Told you it wasn't easy to explain this 'briefly'....

So, 3 years later and we launched the Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair at the end of August 2008. We now have 5,000 subscribing garages and are well progressed through the OFT approval process, securing stage 1 before we even launched.

Now we need to keep adding to the number of subscribers and operating the code to the satisfaction of the OFT and prove to all that the service and repair sector has listened to the warning and reacted to it by taking the challenge and demonstrating that they are responsible business operators by subscribing to the code.

Here's the rub for some garage owners. They take a look at the code, think 'we already do that' so think it doesn't apply to them. An easy and incorrect assumption to make - if you run a garage carrying out servicing and mechanical repairs, this applies to you. You may already carry out your daily business in compliance to the code, if you're a responsible business that's what we intended when we were developing it- so therefore you just need to sign up and carry on doing what you do.

No hidden agenda, no hidden costs, no nothing apart from a low cost code that is already well supported through the industry, government, consumer lobby and the regulators. It's really a very effective way of confirming that you're as good as the best and better than the rest - in essence if you're one of the good guys, this is confirmation of that fact and a great marketing tool.
By way of demonstration here's a couple of links to garages that have already taken the leap of faith, signed up and began applying their marketing heads it's use - and are reporting very positive returns!

http://www.kingshurst.net/

http://www.sewardautocentre.com/

http://www.gkgroup.co.uk/sitecore/content/GkGroup/Aftersales/Code-of-Practice.aspx

We still have much work to do, but following an excellent start the sector is becoming more aware of the reason why this code is so important. It really is the last chance garages have of continuing to operate as they do today, and as we continue to grow we will succeed in proving that not all, or any where near all, garages are unscrupulous business operators and are in fact quite the opposite.

Don't risk a rip off - look for the sign!

All the best

Chris