Motorists have voted in their thousands to find the UK’s best car service centre in the 2011 Golden Garages competition and independent garage, Clive Woolford Motor Engineers, based in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, has been awarded the top accolade.
Golden Garages is an annual initiative run by automotive industry self-regulator, Motor Codes, as part of its aim to map out a network of trustworthy car service and repair centres across the UK – based largely on direct customer recommendation. (http://www.motorcodes.co.uk/)
Overjoyed at winning the 2011 Golden Garages title, Ian Boskett, the present owner of Clive Woolford Motor Engineers who started out his career with the business as an apprentice in 1978 said, “We pride ourselves in providing a friendly, trustworthy, family-run business that our customers can rely on to provide them with value for money and excellent customer service. Winning the Golden Garages competition means so much to us, as it is actually based on the votes and recommendations of our customers – that’s the biggest compliment any business can get. I’d like to thank our customers for voting for us and to all the Clive Woolford team for going the extra mile every day”.
Alongside the coveted title of the UK’s ‘Golden Garage’, Clive Woolford Motor Engineers receives a share of a prize fund worth £12,000, including Snap-on tools and Unipart vouchers.
Motor Codes Managing Director, Chris Mason, explains why the judges awarded the Golden Garages accolade to Clive Woolford Motor Engineers, “All of the judges felt that the standard of the competition was very high this year and it was great to see such positive customer feedback.”
“However, Clive Woolford stood out for us. As well as exemplary customer service that is truly appreciated by motorists, the business feels like a part of the community. It supports the local churches and theatre, working to keep their support vehicles and minibuses on the road. Plus, it recently ran a workshop evening, teaching sixth formers basic car maintenance.”
The top 10 finalists in this year’s contest, selected from regions across the UK, were independently assessed by the RAC, to monitor quality of service, value for money and overall customer satisfaction, before the Motor Codes judging panel voted for the top performer, based on a detailed submission. The judging panel comprised TV personality Mike Brewer, What Car? Editor-in-Chief Steve Fowler, Emma Butcher, Editor of Car and Accessory Trader and Motor Codes Managing Director, Chris Mason.
Clive Woolford Motor Engineers has been trading for 34 years, employs 11 members of staff and, as well as subscribing to Motor Codes, operates as an Independent Unipart Car Care Centre.
Complementing the Golden Garages competition, Motor Codes runs a garage finder on its website –http://www.motorcodes.co.uk/ – that points people to local garages that subscribe to its customer service guidelines. Each garage has a profile page, complete with ratings generated by customers.
“It’s this word of mouth recommendation that’s so important”, adds Chris. “Our feedback shows us that people will drive some distance to get the service they know and trust or that friends have told them about. Golden Garages will help spread the word about the good guys.”
| Golden Garages 2011:
Winner Clive Woolford Motor Engineers, Tewkesbury – Independent Runners-up, highly commended East of England Roy Tolley, Colchester – Citroën Midlands Crescent Motoring Services, Burton upon Trent – Independent North East Paul Robbie Motor Services, Hexham – Independent North West ABP Motorsport, Crewe – Independent Northern Ireland SERE SEAT, Lisburn – SEAT Scotland W Livingstone, Uddingston, Glasgow – SEAT South East Anglo Continental Cars, Bletchley, Milton Keynes – Independent Wales A1 Motorcare, Rumney, Cardiff – Independent Yorkshire Reynolds of Selby, Selby – Independent
|
Motor Codes operates a self-regulatory code of practice for garages across the country, ensuring that motorists receive consistently high standards of service. Supported by consumer groups and government, including the Department for Transport, Motor Codes raises standards across the industry and the Golden Garages competition forms an important part of this process.
Motorists are able to search for garages that subscribe to Motor Codes via its online Garage Finder tool – www.motorcodes.co.uk/garagefinder/ – and can make an informed decision on where to take their car, based on the feedback of other garage customers. Ratings are viewable on garage profile pages and current statistics show that over 95% of Motor Codes customers would recommend their garage to friends and family.
