The Automobile Association is advising garages to make sure they adhere to proper standards when servicing cars for customers, while also asking motorists to give feedback on their servicing experience.
The call comes in response to a recent AA mystery shopping exercise when five cars with pre-installed faults were sent for service in five separate Dublin garages.
The AA has since had follow-up meetings with each of the garages involved and is pleased with the response received.
“We spoke to each of the garages individually and gave them our feedback,” says AA technical manager David Murphy. “In each case the garage responded very positively. Some of the errors we highlighted were cases of genuine oversight in garages that were otherwise very professional, and we are satisfied that each has tightened their procedures to make sure it won’t happen again.”
The AA is asking motorists who have had their cars serviced to provide feedback to the AA by emailing [email protected]. The AA operates a system of garage appointments whereby AA-listed garages are approved because they have attained high standards in terms of staff training, equipment, and quality workmanship. In order to ensure that standards are maintained, AA technical engineers carry out regular unannounced inspections.
“We would like to know how people have got on with their garage and what sort of customer service they experienced,” says Murphy. “We would hope that the general standard in most garages is very good and we would welcome direct feedback, positive or negative, from the general public.”
