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

Can any Garage Service my car and keep my Warranty valid?

One of the questions we get asked, as an independant garage, is "can you service my new vehicle" or "does it have to be serviced by a Manufacturers Approved Agent (also know as a Main Dealer)" to keep the Warranty valid.

The short answer to this question is No, it doesn't have to go to a main dealer. The reason for this is because of the "European Block Exemption Ruling," which stops Vehicle Manufacturers from stipulating that you must go to a main dealer. I'm going to try to explain the key elements without getting bogged down with jargon.

There are several things that you will need to consider before taking the plunge and moving outside of Main Dealer Garage Network.

Firstly, any garage can service your vehicle providing they follow the manufacturers service schedule correctly, use the correct oil and use parts that are original equipment matching quality approved (also called OE matching quality). Services also need to be recorded correctly.

1. Following the Correct Service Schedule
Good Quality Garages subscribe to technical data that ensures they have up to date vehicle information, including "Manufacturers Service Schedule" information. For example, at Oldfields Garage we subscribe to technical data from Autodata and Autovista. We also subscribe to Autowork for service schedule information. Other information sources are available, but we find that using these sources of technical gives us enough coverage for most vehicles.

2. Using the Correct Oil
To ensure we use the correct oil, we use Millers Oils who blend oils in the UK to meet various manufacturer specifications. Millers aren't the only company who blend the correct oils. In cases where Millers Oils don't have the correct blend we uses other suppliers. I've written a blog about using the correct oil here.

3. Matching Quality Parts
Original Equipment matching quality doesn't necessarily mean they have to be bought form the manufacturer. There are a number of aftermarket suppliers who have achieved OE Matching Quality status. We work carefully with our local suppliers to ensure we use high quality parts, which are of the required quality and readily available.

4. Recording Services Correctly
Once the service has been carried out using the correct schedule, oils and parts it must be recorded correctly. This is either in the service book that is provided with the car or with some manufacturers via the Online Electronic Service Record. The garage you use will normally need to subscribe to be able to update the Online Service History. We subscribe to most Online Service History systems to ensure service information is recorded correctly.

5. Is there Anything Else to Consider?
Some manufacturers offer an extended warranty and a goodwill system (although goodwill is becoming less seen in the industry). Some manufacturers only offer extended warranty to vehicles that have been serviced in there manufacturers.

About us: Oldfields Garage Services Ltd in Leominster carry out MOT testing, servicing and repairs for cars and light vans in Leominster, Herefordshire and the surrounding villages of Kingsland, Eardisland, Kimbolton, Bodenham, Luston, Stoke Prior, Yarpole, Docklow and more. 

What is the difference between a Service & MOT?

We are sometimes asked what's the difference between a Service and MOT? I'm going to try to explain this as succinctly as possible. In the simplest of terms, the MOT is a legal requirement and must be carried out on Cars and Vans at least once per year to ensure the vehicle is safe for the road. Without a valid MOT, your vehicle will not be able to be legally driven on the road, with the exception of taking it to and from an MOT test centre. 

Servicing on the other hand is aimed at maintaining your vehicle, helping to ensure it operates at its optimum level. Vehicle manufacturers recommend servicing after a certain amount of miles (usually around 10,000) or after a certain period of time (usually 12 months). Timescales and mileage recommendations vary depending on the vehicle and manufacture. Servicing is increasingly important with modern vehicles to ensure miles per gallon efficiency remains strong and components of the vehicle don't wear or damage prematurely - causing  unnecessary expensive repair bills. Items that have a recommended service life can include engine oil & filter, air filter, cabin filter, fuel filter, spark plugs (on petrols), cambelts/timing belts, air conditioning systems, brake fluid and so on. Whilst the vehicle is still in its warranty period it is important to carry out servicing to the schedule set by the manufacturer using parts and oils that meet manufacturer's specification. You don't however have to take your vehicle to a main dealer to keep the warranty valid due to the European Block Exemption Laws. 

With quality servicing there will inevitably be some crossover with the requirements of an MOT and this will vary depending on the level of Service that is carried out. 

For an example on a major service, like our Silver Service we would pre-flush the engine, cleaning the inside of the engine ready for fresh oil and renewing the oil filter. We also change the cabin filter, fuel filter, air filter and spark plugs as necessary, check the vehicle underbonnet levels, tyre condition and pressures along with inspecting safety items, such as brakes, brake pipes and other safety/maintenance checks.

Oldfields Garage Services Ltd in Leominster carry out MOT testing for cars and light vans and provide a variety of servicing options, which can be found by visiting our website.

www.oldfieldsgarage.co.uk/services/servicing