Happy customer: Clare Allen receives her prize from Lou Aracsi

A customer of Tollgate Garage in Hinkley got more than good service after filling in a feedback card about Lou and Tracy Aracsi’s garage.

Clare Allen was one of nearly 33,000 motorists to take part in Forté’s Good Garage Scheme prize draw and won a Nintendo Wii for her trouble.

Anndi Sheppard, GGS campaign manager, said: “Customers like Clare are the driving force behind the scheme and we are delighted to be able to give something back.

“To achieve 32,841 feedbacks in the short space of time the competition was running was a fantastic achievement.”

The company said it will run another competition in the run up to Christmas.

Quentin Willson is took to the airwaves last week to promote the BSI Kitemark schemes for garages and bodyshops.

Willson, who is perhaps best known for presenting Top Gear in the 1990s, took part in 20 radio interviews on national and local radio stations, including Smooth and Kerrang, Kingdom FM in Fife and BBC Radio Derby.

The consumer motoring champion was trying to muster consumer support for the kitemarks and encourage more workshops to sign up to the scheme.

To date, 479 bodyshops and 126 garages have been accredited.

“While there are other industry codes that are subscribed to by mechanics, garages and bodyshops, many will be assessed only once, or in some cases not at all,” said Willson.

“The Kitemark scheme has the most rigorous of assessments and insists upon annual reassessment to make sure that that same quality and service is delivered year after year.

“I strongly believe that with motoring costs spiralling, every garage and bodyshop needs to prove they are offering industry leading standards and transparent billing.

“Without these standards the motorist will vote with their feet.”

Sarah Sillars, former chief executive of the IMI, has been made executive chair in a restructure at the Institute.

The move will see her take responsibility for implementing the IMI’s business plans and overseeing the financial security of the organisation.

Sillars, who was recently appointed to the BEN board, will also continue to lead the ambassadorial role of the IMI within the industry.

In other moves, Professor Garel Rhys has stepped down as president to become a vice-president. He is replaced by former chairman and aftersales director of BMW in the UK Steve Nash.

Day-to-day management will now be the responsibility of chief operating officer Linda Stansfield and group finance director Edith Yembra. They will both report to Sarah Sillars

The restructure comes after the Government announced its decision to renew the license of the IMI as the Sector Skills Council for the automotive retail sector earlier in November.

In particular, the IMI was praised for the work it has done developing the Automotive Technician Accreditation scheme.

It was also recognised for rebuilding the credibility of the SSC with employers after taking on the then beleaguered Automotive Skills in 2007.

Automotive Skills Ltd was originally granted the SSC status but ran into financial difficulties after an employee, James Munroe, who was financial and corporate services manager, was convicted of stealing £400,000 from the organisation over two years to fund a lavish lifestyle.

He turned out to have had form, holding a previous conviction for embezzling some £3m from a former employer.

Commenting on the news of the relicensing, Paul Everitt, SMMT chief, said: “It is vital that the automotive industry has its own Sector Skills Council and we consider it a significant industry achievement that the IMI has been successfully relicensed.”

IMI president Steve Nash, added: “This news means that the IMI can continue to work with employers and individuals to focus on delivering a better skilled and recognised workforce.”

The IMI will now drop the Automotive Skills name and brand.

CORTECO is the No.1 name for radial shaft seals. You can expect original quality and a first-to-market range from Freudenberg, the inventor and world’s leading Original Equipment manufacturer of radial shaft seals.  This catalogue is superbly laid out and allows you to find your required reference quickly and easily.

CORTECO experts have developed specific kits that provide, in one solution, all the sealing components that should be changed during the repair of a damaged or worn clutch. This catalogue, printed with 100% recycled paper, has a quickly readable layout thanks to the use of icons that ensure you get the correct reference.

Riding schools merge with MCIA

The Motorcycle Rider Training Association has left the umbrella of the Retail Motor Industry Federation to join forces with the UK’s biggest professional motorcycling body.

It has merged with the Motorcycle Industry Association to create a new organisation known as the Motorcycle Industry Trainers Association.

The merger follows a review of motorcycle training issues, including the recent implementation of the problematic Second Driving Licence Directive and is intended to create better representation for trainers.

Paul Williams, chairman for the RMI, said he recognises that motorcycle trainers would be better represented by being a larger, single voice.

He added: “We are pleased that our foundation work on behalf of the training industry will by this merger be continued by the enlarged MCITA.”

The new body’s first big challenge will be to respond to the consultation relating to the Third Driving Licence Directive, which includes provisions dealing with issues related to the minimum age for riding bikes.

Marko Wowcyzna: sales and marketing director, SOGEFI

SOGEFI has developed an online ‘marketing toolbox’ designed to increase sales for its UK distributors.

And the company is claiming that distributors could gain extra business by using the site to create bespoke marketing campaigns for its products.

The toolbox allows distributors to:

• Create and action direct mail campaigns
• Access professionally designed templates for leaflets, adverts and fliers
• Design bespoke marketing campaigns for individual garage customers

The web-based tool kit – found on a secure site – has the potential to boost sales of air, oil, fuel and cabin filters.

“The tool kit allows factors to create their own local promotions and to effectively communicate the advantages of OE-quality filters and grow profits,” said Marko Wowcyzna, marketing director of SOGEFI.

In future, distributors will also be able to use the site to order SOGEFI-published literature to support their campaigns.

Correct tyre pressure is crucial to safety

Kwik Fit has introduced nitrogen tyre-filling to help fleets and company car and van drivers boost fuel economy and improve road safety.

The fast fit is charging £1 per tyre for the service.

A recent study by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US concluded that inflating tyres with nitrogen instead of air:

• Enhances tyre pressure retention
• Maintains tyre performance properties such as rolling resistance, handling and durability

In a 90-day static laboratory NHSTA test, the average pressure loss rate for tyres inflated with air was 2.13% per month, while the average for tyres inflated with gas containing 95-99% nitrogen the loss was 1.39% per month.

The inflation of tyres with gas mixtures containing more than 90% nitrogen has long been claimed to be beneficial to tyre performance.

However, according to Kwik Fit, tyres are typically inflated at dealerships and on garage forecourts with air that contains approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other gases.

Mike Wise, head of Kwik-Fit Fleet, said: “We know that either through oversight or laziness checking tyre pressure regularly is not a frontline priority for many drivers.

“Inflating tyres with nitrogen, while not a substitute for regular pressure checks, will help. In turn that will maintain tyre performance and therefore improve safety, tyre life and fuel economy.”

Consumers save up to £50

Retailers of Cooper tyres are hoping that the manufacturer’s latest promotion will get cash machines ringing.

Cooper Tires has launched a cashback promotion for the final two months of 2009, offering customers up to £50 when they buy two or four qualifying tyres.

The offer applies to the Cooper Zeon 2XS and Cooper Zeon CS6 performance car tyres, as well as the new Cooper Zeon 4XS, Cooper Zeon XST and Cooper Zeon XST-A range of 4×4 tyres.

Discoverer STT and Discoverer S/T 4×4 tyres are also included.

The promotion, running from November 1 to December 31, 2009, will be supported by national press advertising, point of sale materials and a special website at www.coopercashback.co.uk

The amount of cashback available per customer depends on the size and quantity of tyres purchased.

Cashback recipients will also be given a £5 voucher to pass on to friends and family towards the purchase of Cooper tyres for their vehicle.

“We’ve had really positive feedback from both our dealers and consumers on the ‘Take the Money and Drive’ programme in the US, and we’re happy to give consumers the opportunity to take advantage of savings in the UK,” said Cooper Tire Europe MD Julian Baldwin.

90% of Osteopaths believe that adding a seatbelt stabiliser can reduce back ache and 70% say it improves safety in an accident, according to a survey by BackInAction.

The Osteopaths each fitted a CG-Lock seatbelt stabiliser to the standard three-point seatbelt system. They then used it in their daily driving before returning their feedback.

The stabiliser, which is distributed by Lap Belt Cinch Europe Ltd, prevents slack from returning to the lapbelt when it is removed and keeps the belt over the hip bone so that it does not ‘ride up’ over the stomach.

It has a recommended retail price of £49.99 and can be fitted in minutes to existing inertia reel seatbelts.

David Newbound, MD of BackInAction, said: “Although we provide 1000s of items to improve posture at home and in the office, the car is a difficult challenge.

“We try to test every supplier’s claims with experts and wanted to know what Osteopaths thought. The results are typical of what we hear from users… with 90% recommending the device to other drivers.”