From field to your plate - Why do we only fit parts we supply?

You'd be forgiven for mistaking the above as a picture from space, but if you live in rural Herefordshire you will have identified it as a humble Potato. This actual one was leftover from the recent harvest of the field behind my house in Kingsland, but I would like to use it demonstrate some very important points for garage businesses like ours at www.oldfieldsgarage.co.uk.

Occasionally we get asked by customers if we would fit a part they have supplied and we have to explain that we don't fit customer supplied parts and this blog is intended to highlight some of the main reasons why. 

The right suppliers. We carry out a lot of work behind the scenes to carefully select suppliers who provide us with the right level of service at the right price and the quality of parts that meet and exceed the job requirements. We work with those suppliers to enable us to receive brilliant levels of service. Did you know that we have 20 + deliveries a day from just a handful of key suppliers? In some cases parts are sourced and available same day from over 60 miles away. If we don't support these suppliers, they won't be here in years to come. 

Traceable. Now I know where the above Potato is from, but it's very rare for us to trace exactly where things we consume are from. Imagine if that Potato was plastic? Our parts are sourced through a traceable supply chain so we know they aren't fake. Fake parts are becoming more prevalent and this can result in placing you, your family or your vehicle at risk of being unsafe or potentially causing unnecessary damage. 

The right parts. Our suppliers have invested £££s in systems that help minimise parts being sent incorrectly. We're all human and parts can be supplied incorrectly. Sometimes this is our fault. Sometimes this is our suppliers fault. Sometimes this is a manufacturers fault. The end result however, is that it's down to us to try and resolve. If we do have issues, we spend the time working with them to resolve the issue at no additional cost - sometimes this can take hours of time. 

Good old fashioned customer service. Parts issues are usually resolved the same day with minimum disruption to our customers. Where they can't be resolved the same day you will be kept informed and up-to-date with progress with a likely timescale. Subject to availability, we may even be able to offer a courtesy car to keep you mobile. 

Parts and labour warranty. When we fit parts we provide a minimum 12 months, 12,000 miles warranty against manufacturing defects. This includes parts AND labour. Our chosen suppliers often support us with parts warranty and also contribute towards the labour aspect and we pay for the remainder. We accept that where there is a shortfall that it is ultimately down to us to resolve. 

Investing in our future. Finally, we need to make a profit on parts. As a family business with the second generation now leading the way, we'd really like to be here for years to come. This isn't unusual or a terrible thing, every business needs to make a profit to be able to grow, invest in tooling, equipment, training & employ people from the local area. With profit we pay taxes, support local school and community events and ultimately put ourselves in a position to survive. 

Selling parts is a by-product of the work we carry out. Whilst we work with suppliers to ensure our monthly £££ spend means we benefit from trade prices, we realise that in some cases we are not able to supply parts at the same price as you'd buy online. 

Think about the cost of a Potato and then how much you pay for your meal. You wouldn't take this Potato to your local chip shop now would you? The same scenario can be applied to pretty much any business. 

I hope this explains why we only fit parts we supply, if you'd like to understand more please get in touch with me. 

Thanks for reading, Tim

How capable is your garage?

When you take your car or van to a garage you should feel assured that they have the capability to look after it!

Garages need to invest in keeping up to date with vehicle changes. This starts from the bottom up, apprentices are given the time to learn and assist more senior technicians and allowed to flourish over time. Senior technicians are provided with up to date information and have the resources to carry out work of a more technical nature.

At Oldfields Garage Services Ltd in Leominster, we do this in three ways.

Firstly - choosing the right staff. All of our staff are trained and have the necessary skills to carry out the level of work that is required. We have a mix of time served mechanics and younger team members, which gives us a blend of experience and the ability to keep up to date with modern changes with your vehicle. For example, our apprentice not only learns about general mechanical maintenance (which hasn't changed massively since cars hit the roads), but also the latest technology and systems on newer vehicles.

Secondly - providing training. We have access to excellent training, but being independent this doesn't tie us to any one provider. We make a conscious effort to invest in training for our team to update and refresh their skills and keep us up to date with technological changes. One example is

Thirdly - specialist tools, information and diagnostics. Oldfields Garage subscribes to several sources of technical information which enables us to carry out more technical diagnostics and procedural tasks. Throughout the year we invest in some of the latest specialist tooling which enables us to carry out work efficiently and in some cases simply just carry out basic jobs!

Some of our specialist diagnostic tools include Bosch KTS, Delphi Diagnostics, Launch (general diagnostics for most manufacturers), Delphi Diagnostics, VAG Com (Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat), Battery/Charging Testers, Oscilloscope (for advanced testing and vehicle data measurement).

About us: Oldfields Garage in Leominster is an award winning Garage who are approved by The AA and RAC. They subscribe to the Motor Industry Code of Practice and are part of the Approved Garages Network. 

How to Find a New Garage when Moving to a New Area?

If you have moved to a new area and drive a vehicle, finding a good local garage you can trust is something that will crop up and you'll need to think about.

There are a number of ways you can look and I'm going to highlight a few key questions that will help you identify the type of garage to fit your needs.

Have they got a Website?
Searching Online is one of the most popular ways of finding a garage, but a good garage would normally have website with there address, contact details along with information of any bodies they are a member of or recommended by. They would normally have a link to reviews on their site.

Do they subscribe to a Office of Fair Trading Code of Practice?
Most good quality garages will subscribe to a Code of Practice, such as the Motor Industry Code of Practice (Motor Codes). Garages who subscribe must adhere to a minimum standards and would usually have several reviews for you to look at. You can visit Motor Codes here and use the "find a garage feature." If a garage has more than 20 feedback reviews it would be reasonable to consider these

Are they Approved by Reputed Motoring Organisations such as the AA or RAC?
MotorCodes approved garages are currently inspected every 2 years by the AA (although this is not going to happen in the future), but the AA also run a list of garages in an area that they would recommend for customers who break down in an area. If you are an AA member you can contact them and they should be able to provide some recommendations for an area.

The RAC also have approved garages who are inspected annually and you can find these by visiting  
there garage finder. RAC approved garages are also allowed to display an RAC sign on their building.

How Long Have they Trading?
Whilst it isn't necessarily important how long a garage has been operating, Garages that have longevity would normally indicate they provide a service level that meets the needs of the local community.

Is the Garage Generally Busy?
If a garage is generally busy then this is normally an indication of their reputation in the local area. Good Garages are usually busy, but will also try to accommodate you if possible - setting a realistic timescale.

Do they Offer Courtesy Cars or Collection and Delivery?
This may or may not be important to you, but it is worth considering to allow some flexibility with getting your car looked after. It is also helpful during busy times with the garage.

Do they have enough Staff?
This might sound a silly consideration, but if a garage only has one member of staff they are unlikely to be able to respond quickly to an emergency.

Are their Staff Qualified to the Required Level?
Keeping up to date with modern vehicles is very important as vehicles and their management systems are becoming more complex. Garages who regularly provide staff training would usually display these in there reception area.

Have you Asked your Neighbours?
If you have a garage in mind following your research don't forget to ask your Neighbours what their reputation is like.

About us: Oldfields Garage in Leominster is an award winning Garage who are approved by The AA and RAC. They subscribe to the Motor Industry Code of Practice and are part of the Approved Garages Network.