50 of the UK’s best in running for top garage accolade
Motorists vote in nationwide attempt to map out the good guys
In a bid to reward good customer service, motorists have voted in droves to dispel the myth that taking your car for a service can be a nerve-racking affair. Garages from across the UK have been nominated as reliable and professional car service and repair centres, in the annual Golden Garages competition – http://www.goldengarages.co.uk/ – and the top 50 has just been released.
Thousands of motorists have voted in the contest, organised by the government-backed consumer watchdog for the motor industry, Motor Codes, to highlight first class, honest operators. The top 50, selected from across ten UK regions, will now progress to the final voting stage of the competition to find the UK’s best workshop, with the overall winning Golden Garage set to be announced on 4 April 2011.
The shortlist of garages can be found on the Golden Garages website and motorists are invited to vote in the next stage of the competition, to select the ten best, by casting their vote online.
The national Golden Garages winner will then be chosen by a panel of expert judges, including 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.
Top 10 voting for Golden Garages opens this week and closes on Sunday 13 March 2011.
As Chris Mason explains, Golden Garages is an initiative designed to celebrate good customer service and instil confidence in the motorist, “We all need to feel secure about who to trust with our car and our money and, at Motor Codes, we’re developing a network of safe haven garages committed to open and honest trading. The Golden Garages contest allows us to publicly recognise the commitment of these reputable garages recommended by their customers.”
Steve Fowler, What Car? Editor-in-Chief, said, “We get inundated with consumers looking for recommendations of where to get their car serviced or repaired and we always say the same thing – check out the Motor Codes website to find a garage you can trust. The good guys will get the publicity and new business they deserve and, most importantly, customers will get good service and peace-of-mind”.
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.
The Golden Garages competition can be followed online at http://www.goldengarages.co.uk/, as well as on twitter at http://twitter.com/GoldenGarages.
Motorists taking part in the voting could win a thrilling Porsche Driving Experience at the world famous Silverstone race track. Garages compete for a prize fund totaling £12,000.
Top 50 Nominated Garages
Scotland
W Livingstone Ltd – Uddington, Glasgow
Rutherford Seat – Earlston, Berwickshire
West End Garage – Uphall, West Lothian
North Road Garage – Kelty, Fife
Grierson and Graham – Dumfries
Northern Ireland
Sere Seat – Lisburn
Sere Chevrolet – Belfast
Agnew Auto Exchange – Belfast
Isaac Agnew Seat – Belfast
Lindsay Ford – Bangor
Wales
A1 Motorcare – Cardiff
Easycare Car Centre – Chepstow
Three Arches Services – Cardiff
Barry & Wilkinson Tyre & Exhaust – Mold
Bayside Garage – Cardiff
North East
Fred Henderson – Durham
Carrs of Hexham – Hexham
Paul Robbie Motor Services – Hexham
Semples of Berwick – Berwick upon Tweed
Motorcare Alnwick Ford – Alnwick
North West
ABP Motorsport – Crewe
Bury Road Garage – Radcliffe, Manchester
Polar Ford Runcorn
Polar Ford Hazel Grove
Village Motor Company – Wallasey
Yorkshire
Reynolds of Selby
Autosafe Clifton – York
Polar Ford Barnsley
Polar Ford Wakefield
Benfield Honda – Stockton-on-Tees
Midlands
Crescent Motoring Services – Burton upon Trent
Church Road Garage – Shrewsbury
Oldfields Garage – Leominster
Wellsbury’s Garage – Great Barr, Birmingham
Brindley Honda – Cannock
East of England
Barrett-Lee – Sudbury
Grant’s Seat – Braintree
Kings of Witcham – Ely
Eye Car Care – Peterborough
Roy Tolley – Colchester
South East
Anglo-Continental Cars – Milton Keynes
Mid Kent Vehicle Services – Aylesford
Dagenham Motors Bookham – Leatherhead
Segensworth Automobiles – Fareham
Dagenham Motors Epsom
South West
Clive Woolford Motor Engineers – Tewkesbury
Cross Street Garage – Swindon
Moor Park Garage – Exeter
Ferris Garage – Truro
Central Garage Services – Exeter
