As part of Schaeffler’s ongoing commitment to the independent sector, the company is keen to gauge the opinion of the many professional vehicle technicians that fit its original equipment (OE) parts, regarding several key issues, as garages face the many challenges, opportunities and uncertainties of the ever-changing aftermarket landscape.
The Motor Ombudsman has launched its 2021 Garage Star Awards. The awards follow a successful inaugural 2020 recognition programme, which attracted more than 800 online customer nominations for Motor Ombudsman-accredited garages and dealerships across the UK. Cornwall-based Dukes AutoTech was crowned the first national winner. Two new awards have been added to the scheme for 2021, with 40 vehicle manufacturers accredited to The Motor Ombudsman’s New Car Code and 13 businesses that are part of the Vehicle Warranty Products Code eligible for two separate Customer Service Star Awards.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA), which represents the independent garage sector in the UK, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Collison as Chairman effective from March 2021. Collinson succeeds Colin Parlett, who recently stepped down from the role after many years.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has released the Garage Guide to Working During COVID-19, to help independent garages easily find the guidance they need to support them through the current lockdown. The guide is available to all member and non-member garages and can be downloaded from the ‘COVID-19 Guidance for Independent Garages’ page on the IGA website.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has been shortlisted for the ‘COVID Champion Award’ at the 2021 Learning Awards, for the support they have given to garages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This award is a new category for 2021, created to honour and pay tribute to those that have shown great strength and a deep passion for helping others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) is urging the Government to remove the six-month MOT extension with immediate effect, following the Prime Minister’s announcement that further social distancing measures will be relaxed from 4 July.
Schaeffler is promoting its Repxpert online technical platform for professional vehicle technicians with a new promotion. New and existing users of the Repxpert app have the exclusive opportunity to win a Ring RBS50 borescope inspection video camera. Connected to and powered by a laptop computer to show a direct feed, the RBS50 is waterproof and features two LED lights to illuminate the area around the probe. App users need mail a code within the app to info@repxpert.co.uk to enter. The code will be live until 3 July 2020.
The Transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has responded to a letter requesting the six-month MOT extension to be reconsidered. The Indepent Garage Association (IGA) asked for the extension to be reassessed with car utilisation increasing after Coronavirus lockdown restrictions were eased. In response, Shapps explained that plans to stop the extension are constantly under review. The IGA said this mirrors the association’s desire to meet the safety measures required to end the MOT extension.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) is launching a Covid-19 compliance certification scheme for garages wishing to demonstrate to their customers that the environment is safe. The scheme is based on the Government’s safe working guidelines to prevent coronavirus transmission and will underpin the IGA’s case to overturn the six-month MOT extension by providing evidence that garages are safe places for consumers to visit.
“We welcome the Chancellor’s update and extension to the furlough scheme, which will allow businesses to bring staff back to work on a part-time basis.” said Stuart James, chief executive of the Independent Garage Association (IGA). The IGA wrote to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak on 29 April, requesting a partial furlough scheme that would allow employees to return to work part-time to support businesses throughout their reopening.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has requested an enhancement to the furlough scheme. It wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to request an alteration to the current scheme enabling employees to return to work partially as the country prepares for the next phase of lockdown restrictions.
Forced by the coronavirus crisis to close their showrooms, many determined car dealers are still working behind the scenes to keep NHS and other key workers moving.
Many garages have responded to the drastic decline in business under lockdown conditions by offering discounts on MOTs. However, the Independent Garage Association (IGA) argues that such a measure cannot be sustained. The associations says that it is campaigning against the practice of discounting MOTs to help garages recuperate costs from the loss of revenue throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Statistics published in Catapult’s Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles report show that 71 per cent of new vehicles registered in the UK in 2019 had connectivity features. With the ending of Block Exemption on the horizon for 2023, vehicle manufacturers could restrict access to vehicle data for the independent garage sector, limiting consumer choice for their service and repairs.
IGA
(Photo: Malte luk; Pexels)
Schaeffler
Chris McAndrew