“Garages should be charging £40 to £50 per hour – they need to be considerably lower than the main dealers to encourage the public to show what a great service they provide.
The maximum price with mandatory retest fee should be charged. Why devalue a product that has the price already set if garages discount the MOT I would question how well the vehicle has been tested.
Yes there has to be a standard put in place to stop anyone opening a premises, I can’t see it happening anytime soon, if it did happen who and how would it be policed.”
Wyn Jones, GMF
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“It’s going to vary a bit around the country but I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for and we’ve all got to make money!
It’s a no-brainer. There should be a fixed price for an MOT, just as there is for a TV licence. I don’t have a problem with a free re-test at the same garage but this is one area where there should be no discounting.
Of course we need to have formal licensing (and the licence needs to incorporate training). How else can a customer be sure of the ability of the mechanic working on their car? It would also provide credibility and argument against the claims of dealers.
I’m not sure how we can implement this but it can’t be beyond the whit of man can it?â€
Richard Swann, GSF
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“The national average hourly labour rate has now reached over £90 with some dealers charging more than double that according to recent figures released. So why do so many garages feel the need to charge so little? Garages profit should come from their labour topped up with a little profit from the sale of the parts, not the other way round.
Factors are constantly being put under pressure to reduce prices in order for garages to gain business when in reality the garage should take stock and look at what it is they are selling, their time and financial investment into training, tooling and equipment needs to be paid for, and charging the correct labour rate is the way to do it.
Plumbers and electricians charge for their skills and experience so why shouldn’t garages?
A car is a technical piece of engineering, requiring in-depth knowledge and skill to service and maintain it, this cannot possible be done at rock bottom prices.
If garages do not wake up to the fact that they have to make decent profits on their labour in order for them to reinvest and survive then the strength of the franchised dealers repair network will only increase much to the demise of the independent garage.â€
Damian Milling, Mill Autoquip
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