Driving Up Customer Service

UK -- Motor industry acts to address the large number of complaints motorists make about poor service at garages across the United Kingdom.

A group of 25 leading Retail Motor Industry representatives has agreed a code of practice designed to drive up standards.

Consumer Minister Gareth Thomas welcomed the Retail Motor Strategy Group's (RMSG) efforts by saying: "It has been estimated that shoddy servicing and repairs could cost consumers as much as £4 billion a year. Clearly something needs to be done and I am reassured that the industry is taking positive steps to address this issue.

"I urge garages to join this code now so that we can drive out the rogue operators and help consumers choose a garage that guarantees high standards."

Roger Putnam, CBE, and Chairman of the RMSG and the former Chairman of Ford said: "This is an important decision, and the culmination of a great deal of hard work. It underlines the professionalism and dedication of the team, and the desire of the sector to address the issue. That desire will now drive the process forward to public launch."

The next step is for the RMSG to submit the code to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The OFT's Consumer Codes Approval Scheme aims to promote and safeguard consumers' interests by helping them to identify traders who promise to treat them fairly, and to encourage those traders to raise their standards of customer service, beyond the basic requirements of the law, by
following codes of practice which meet robust and challenging OFT criteria.

The group intends to launch the scheme to the public in spring 2008.