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Customers Satisfaction Ratings-Blowing our own Trumpet! Pellon Auto Centre Halifax UK

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Customers Satisfaction Ratings

Customers Satisfaction Ratings

I must admit that in most of my years as a garage owner then customer satisfaction ratings were never known. Of course up to the advent of the modern computers then there was no such things as ratings fro your customers. So its become a thing of the future! And why not. Importantly, it is one of the best indicators that your business is doing well. Whatever type of product or service that you are selling.

Another happy positive is that when you have high ratings then its no coincidence that your business will be thriving. Anyhow thats my experience! Consequences, also set out other parameters, that give will the thriving business the best results. In my opinion number one factor is having the right staff. Especially when in the garage situation.

Garage owners just dont get it !

Of course the  garages of today have got a lot to thank for the starting of the “Kwik-Fit” era. Coming out of an American idea from the infamous Tommy Farmer, then fast fits brought the garage industry into the 21st century. Incidentally we do still have the dirty back street type of garages and scruffy second hand tyre shops for all to see. However the garages that prosper will have all the right mixtures of ideas and cleanliness that the modern driver s are looking for. This also reflects on the particular garage businesses ratings of customer satisfaction.

These days of consumerism mean that we all have to try harder, be more polite and generally “bend over backwards”. So to keep our ratings high. Consumers are very savvy  and will freely give a business a good review. Strangely enough there does not seam to be a middle of the road review! At least not with us at Pellon Autocentre. Most reviews are in fact 5 stars which is excellent for us. However, we get the odd customer who will give us just a 1 star rating.

I must confess that I used to hate this. Although very rare then it is all part of system. We will never please everybody! Now I take the time to look into this. So, when we receive a low rating then I now investigate the poor result. Then first thing that hits me is that my excellent staff always know about the circumstances. I truly believe that there is a certain type of person who is never going to be happy.

Whatever and wherever they go, these people are trouble.

So, I know before I say anything that my staff know exactly what has happened. Believe me or not it is always the customer that has caused the problem leading to them giving us a 1 star rating. Importantly, we do make mistakes! After all we are only human. But a good garage will handle any problem in the correct manner. Always changing a possible bad situation into a good outcome. This includes all our garage services and products. Including tyres and associated services. and MOT testing.

Finally we do have good reviews on Google and Facebook. But in my opinion our online tyre portal www.pellontyres.co.uk is the most accurate and is not open to any low score abuse from “keyboard warriors”. Subsequently, trying to knock your reputation by giving a false low score. Bellow I have published our excellent results and would like to thank our great customers. So, for taking the time and energy to give us the results that all businesses dream about.

Net Promoter Score Results

Your NPS score is:

93.33%

What does your NPS score mean?

Your NPS score tracks customers on how they represent your company to their family, friends and colleagues.

  • A negative score means you have more Detractors than Promoters and your organization is unlikely to grow.
  • A NPS score of above 0 is considered to be good.
  • A NPS score above 50 is considered to be exceptional. This also indicates that awareness of your organization will grow through word-of-mouth marketing.

The NPS score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of Detractors (those who scored your fitting centre as a 0-6) from Promoters (those that scored your fitting centre as 9-10). This generates your Net Promoter Score.

Many Thanks from me and all my excellent staff for their contribution to having great Customers Satisfaction Ratings.

Eric Roberts

keeping your car in good shape.

MOT tester fined £1,300- for issuing fraudulent certificates

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MOT tester fined £1,300

MOT tester fined £1,300

An MOT tester who issued false MOT certificates at a Surrey garage was hit with a £1,300 fine and 200 hours of community service. On January 4, Benjamin Aaron Sinclair pleaded guilty in Guildford Magistrates Court to seven offences of fraud by false representation. I must confess that it must be a nightmare when this sort of thing happens in your garage and MOT centre.

Many years ago, I had to advertise for an MOT tester, because the one I had left to go work in a larger main dealer garage. The grass is always greener! The applicants were not what i was looking for. However I manged to select one and crack on with the Testing.

At first I thought he was trustworthy. However, we heard a couple of rumours from people in the trade and discovered otherwise. he was as crafty as a fox. However we managed to catch him fiddling a non MOT item and was dismissed immediately.

Since then I have always trained my MOT testers and promoted within. Ryan Linton and Dale Linton are my long term testers. Alternating the testing with other management skills.

While employed by Godalming Garage Ltd in Godalming, Surrey,

The tester was accused of granting MOT certificates to seven vehicles without executing a test in order to profit financially. The offences happened last year between February 18 and April 6. I am amazed at these people thinking that they can get away with these things. MOT testers are very well monitored at all times. Both by the ministry and also in house as in this case at Godalming garage.

Magistrates also ordered Sinclair to pay £1,300 in costs and a £95 surcharge for victim services, along with 200 hours of unpaid labour to be completed within the next 12 months. GW Podcast: Appreciating the influence of data from the garage workshop
The DVSA registered 1,324 incidents of MOT Fraud between 2021 and 2022. Out of these, 351 cases in 2017 and 710 in 2018 were the most serious cases including dishonesty and negligence, representing a considerable increase.

The DVSA has the authority to prevent anyone from taking tests.

This to me is the worse part. This type of thing brings shame to your garage, just for a few extra pounds in your pocket. MOT testers are hard to find these days. So, there is no need to try a fiddle your employee’s out of a few pounds. However some people are like that and are never satisfied with whatever pay they get at the end of the week.

288 authorised examiners were barred from the MOT programme in 2021, and a total of 127 authorised examiners were prohibited from operating Vehicle Testing Stations.

This includes suspensions for 185 tester cases and 85 authorised examiner cases involving the most serious offences, like dishonesty and gross carelessness.

An MOT tester has been slapped with a £1,300 fine and 200 hours’ community service for issuing fraudulent MOT certificates at a Surrey garage. Benjamin Aaron Sinclair admitted seven counts of fraud by false representation at

Source: MOT tester fined £1,300 for issuing fraudulent certificates

MOT horror submissions

DVSA Reflects on 2022 MOT changes

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DVSA Reflects on 2022 MOT changes

6 Reasons to have your car tested on time

  1. It is a legal requirement to have an MOT test done on your vehicle if it is more than 3 years old.
  2. An MOT test checks that your vehicle is safe to drive on the road, so it is important to make sure that it is done on time to ensure the safety of you and other road users.
  3. If you do not have a valid MOT certificate, you could be fined up to £1,000 and your insurance may not be valid.
  4. An MOT test can identify any issues with your vehicle that need to be fixed, so it is a good opportunity to get any necessary repairs done before they become more serious and expensive.
  5. Having an MOT test done on time can help to extend the lifespan of your vehicle by ensuring that it is well maintained.

If you are planning to sell your vehicle, a valid MOT certificate can increase its value.

DVSA Reflects on 2022 MOT changes

The DVSA evaluated “changes and enhancements” it made to the MOT during the course of the previous 12 months.

A new status page for MOT digital services, including MTS and MOT reminders, was introduced at the start of 2022.

The new page displays information on the services in real-time, including whether any of them are down for maintenance or other reasons.

In order to make the AEDM’s responsibilities more apparent, the role was reviewed in march.

More than 97% of MOT testers completed their annual training and assessment in April, which was a record-high completion percentage for the DVSA.

To enable AEs to verify that their testers had finished their evaluation, changes were made to the MTS.

Basic disclosure checks for some MOT testers

Of course, including all newly trained MOT testers, were also implemented by the DVSA in the same month.

Prior to conducting a demonstration test, a basic disclosure certificate, often known as a DBS check, must be presented.Additionally, it implemented new off-site inspections and conducted connected equipment research with MOT shops.

The DVSA upgraded and made it simpler to book MOT demonstration tests online in September.

In order to inform drivers of the additional features added to the MOT reminders and MOT history services, the agency launched a new campaign in October.

It is now simpler for drivers to access and print their MOT certificates as well as monitor and modify their MOT reminders.”We couldn’t have accomplished these improvements without your cooperation and support, so thank you from everyone at DVSA,” a DVSA spokeswoman said.

“We anticipate expanding on this effort in the coming year.”

mot test fruad

The DVSA has reflected on “changes and improvements” that it made to the MOT in the past 12 months. The beginning of 2022 saw a new status page for MOT digital services, including MTS and MOT

Source: DVSA celebrates 2022 MOT changes

catalytic converter

Catalytic Converter Care-Regular Car Servicing can help look after your Cat

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CATALYTIC CONVERTER CARE; Why does car servicing affect your Cat?

This is an interesting point; I suppose that regular car maintenance has an effect on all your car parts in the end. Your Catalytic Converter care, (CAT) is a crucial part of your vehicle. Therefore, is fitted with your engine and the rest of the exhaust system. Thus, some are attached to the manifold, onto the engine, these are known as manifold cats, and some are fitted at the end of a short front pipe on the rest of the exhaust system.

Bigger models of cars sometimes require two cats, cars such as BMWs and MERCs usually have two cats fitted, (very expensive to replace).

Your cat’s primary job is to clean the engine particles that the engine omits. Catalytic converters are made out of ceramic. Thus, with added precious metals (another reason why Catalytic Converter care is critical). Naturally to filter the dirty particles from your engine. Thus reducing the pollutants from entering the atmosphere, this helps us to clean the environment and is part of the UK MOT test.

Catalytic Converter Care

Your cat will only work correctly if the engine operates with the correct ratio of air to fuel. Naturally, this was your car servicing comes in. aged.

Catalytic Converter Care

So, since writing this post then the catalytic converter has become even more important. Especially with the tightening of exhaust emissions regulations coming from European governments. Of course this important filtering of the gases system is on every new petrol and diesel car produced these days. So, diesel cars and vans call them the “particulate filters“.

However they work very similar to each other, filtering out poisonous gases from the vehicles engine before emitting the gas into the atmosphere. I t may be interesting to know that the catalysts are made up using some precious metals.

Precious metals used in catalytic converter

So, one of the main reasons that many catalytic converters are stolen  from vehicle. Thus, is because many of them contain some rare metals. Given these points, the main metals are rhodium, palladium and platinum.

Car Finance Check

Motorists Cant Afford Next MOT-“unaffordable” for 40% of motorists, research finds

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Motorists Cant Afford Next MOT

Motorists Cant Afford Next MOT

Yorkshire may be a lovely location to drive, but nothing makes a car owner groan more than when the time for their yearly MOT arrives. The MOT (Ministry of Transport car test inspection) is a required exam to make sure that vehicles are safe for you and other drivers, but it is frequently a stressful activity that can severely deplete your financial resources.

Fortunately, there are drivers who take the MOT test very seriously and save up to make the necessary repairs should the vehicle need some. In fact I can truthfully say that many of our MOT customers are happy to have the car tested to ensure the owners safety.

Our Yorkshire roads and motorways have become extremely busy in the years after COVID. So safety is paramount. Fortunately, as I have said then most people do think it a responsible pat of their lives to have the MOT test carried out promptly and on time.

In fact here at Pellon Autocentre,

We have a system of contacting our customers and letting them know that the test is imminent. It is very rare that the customer misses the opportunity to book the test in with us. Therefore ensuring that their vehicle can be tested promptly and have any required work carried out in the same period.

Of course we may be the lucky ones! Poorer areas of the UK may be suffering far worse than others. Hence the number of cars going without tests.

There are also people who do not have the right priorities and prefer to spend their money on other things. Rather than the cars MOT Test.

The MOT test was first performed after a vehicle turned ten years old and then once a year after that. It was once only a straightforward test of the vehicle’s brakes, lights, and steering.

The vehicle testing age was dropped to seven years the following year. As a result of the “ten year test’s” high failure rate. By 1962, receiving a tax disc required both passing a commercial vehicle exam and having a valid certificate. The testable age was reduced to one year for taxis, ambulances, and large vehicles with at least eight passenger seats in 1983.

Many other changes have been made but that’s for another day!

Four in ten motorists fear they can’t afford their next MOT and half of them admit they would continue to drive their car anyway, new research has found. The Halfords research, which was carried out in

Source: Next MOT “unaffordable” for 40% of motorists, research finds

mot testing and car servicing

Car Servicing Tips-Six Easy Steps for Avoiding Expensive Car Repairs by sticking to basics

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Car Servicing Tips; Car repairs need not be that expensive

Significantly, a visit to your local car repair shop can be even more stressful. say, than a trip to the dentist. Perhaps you won’t suffer physical pain. However, your car repair bill can sometimes skyrocket. Frighteningly, this can leave your wallet or purse feeling pretty empty. including leaving you with a bad taste in your mouth. 

The best way to try and avoid costly repairs So, the best thing to do is practice preventative maintenance and follow car service tips to keep your car in the best possible condition.

The foremost thing that you should do is to follow the car manufacturer’s maintenance schedule. Of course, that will be outlined in your owner’s manual. The best guidelines are always the ones that are recommended. Of course, by the manufacturer, and if those instructions are not followed.

Your warranty may be voided for future repairs. Although we are here in Europe. You are allowed to have your car repaired and serviced. As a result, by law, it must be performed by a reputable garage using original equipment service parts and oils. So, without breaking your warranty agreement, Importantly, a reputable garage would be one that operates under the  MOT testing station scheme.

Always be sure to change fluids

regular servicing
Regular servicing is important

Naturally, things like brake fluid, filters, and spark plugs (if equipped) should be what the manufacturer recommends. It is also a good idea to upgrade your motor oil to a higher-performance synthetic oil, which can help prevent certain problems and also improve your car’s overall performance. We keep several types of oil on hand for servicing, as specifications are changing all the time, but using synthetic oil is not a bad thing and will cover most modern engines.

Always be sure that your tyres are correctly inflated. This is especially important, because tyres with too little or too much, can result in excessive wear from bad handling and may cause a tyre to blow out. It is often recommended that you check your tyre pressures every time you go to the gas station. While this may seem excessive, you won’t be sorry that you have kept your tyres correctly inflated and therefore safer. For reasons of both safety and the expense of new tyres, the extra effort is well worth it.

If you notice any unusual noises coming from your car, there may be engine problems! While driving along, check your owner’s manual for information. Quite often, noises are perfectly normal, and there is no need for concern. Your owner’s manual information section will let you know whether or not a visit to the auto centre is necessary.

Use a reputable garage for your car repairs

If you find that you do have to take your vehicle in for some car repair advice, be sure that you are dealing with a reputable local company. Check with the other locals and ask your family or friends for recommendations. Also look out for your local independent garage, as they have very high standards to qualify for membership and a nationwide warranty system. If problems occur, see your local car repair garage.


  • Broken Spring Problem-Roadwork causing damage to many cars -Car Damage Big Problem in Halifax-

  • Unsafe Partworn Tyres-RMA Warning: Unsafe Used Tyres for Sale

  • MOT Test Fee-How “LOW” can “MOT TEST FEES GET” ?

Cars and Climate Change

Hybrid Car Servicing-Good Garage Scheme Car Servicing in Great Britain : Get Ready for …

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Hybrid Car Servicing

Hybrid Car Servicing Pellon Autocentre, Halifax UK

regular maintenance for my hybrid vehicle


Even if your car might benefit from the newest hybrid technology, it still makes sense to have annual maintenance performed on it. By doing so, you can make sure your hybrid is operating without a hitch and find any little faults before they turn into major ones. The mechanics working on your hybrid will do electrical and mechanical inspections to ensure that it is running as efficiently as possible and to help you get more mileage out of it.

If your hybrid is still covered by a warranty, you must follow the recommended maintenance schedule to keep your coverage. The resale value of your hybrid car can also be greatly increased by a complete service history.

choices for servicing my hybrid vehicle at Pellon Auto Centre Halifax UK


A full hybrid servicing option is available from Pellon and may be added to our Bronze, Silver, or Gold servicing packages. An annual service serves as a health check to make sure the fundamentals and hybrid technology are in excellent condition. For a comprehensive package that provides peace of mind driving and helps you save time and money, we can also add a cheap MOT.

In addition to a thorough diagnostic health check, our hybrid inspections also look for damage to cables and connectors, provide an inverter coolant report, and check for brake binding. Any of the following services can be enhanced by the hybrid service component:

Hybrid Car Servicing

Eric Roberts‘s insight:

Winter is on its way ?

This article from the “Good garage scheme” . Thus, pointing out to the motorist to the severe weather conditions the could be imminent. Of course, that may lie ahead. Frighteningly, with the  effects that a severe winter could have on your car. Importantly, if you did not prepare for it by servicing your hybrid car before the winter arrives.

So, helping the consumers by offering an MOT test and service for just about the £100 mark all inclusive. This offer is for most small and medium sized cars and will carry out your hybrid Servicing. Of course, on their cars for the winter ahead. This offer also includes a brake check and your anti-freeze levels topping up the correct winter levels. So you won’t be the one with a frozen engine. We also give your battery a good check over. For fear that, you will not be late to work because your cars battery has failed you.

Of course, it is now 2020 and we are just starting our second Covid 19 lockdown.

If your car does require an MOT test. Then it is important to give your garage plenty of time when booking in your car for a test. In there usual wisdom the government decided to postpone MOT testing for a 6 month period. Consequently, we now have a large backlog of tests.

The second lockdown starting on the 5th November 2020. Thankfully, the government are not suspending any testing for the second time.

See on www.goodgarageschemeblog.com

mot test-Online Bookings on Increase

Annual MOT Testing-Two Old Timers-Call Into Pellon Auto Centre For their Annual MOT Test

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Two Old Timers Call In For

Annual MOT Testing.

Happily, I have said before, that this is a great time to be involved in the auto trade. Of course, as the owner of a successful auto centre. Then we take every day as it comes.  Consequently, apart from the work that we have booked in for that day. So, we had a run of cars that were all affected by “pothole” damage.

So, the first car was a Ford Fiesta ! Suffering from a broken coil spring . Caused by running into a pothole ! Incredibly, the second was a Vauxhall Corsa, with yet another a broken coil spring . Unluckily, the spring had also penetrated the front tyre ! Once again caused by hitting a pothole !

Thirdly the damaged car was a VW Sirocco that hit a pothole and bent his steering arm. Urgently, we managed to fit these cars in between our car services. Consequently, that were already booked in . Happily for the customers we managed to carry out the repairs and we all had a good day !

After lunch, we had another bit of excitement for me.

Unbeknownst to me, we had two vintage cars booked in for their Annual MOT Tests. Significantly, the first car was a regular one for us. So, it was a Rolls Royce tourer. With a 5.6-litre engine and built in 1936. Of course, the car easily passed the test. Apart from a Brake switch light, which we repaired on site. The company who own the vehicle always give their car a pre-mot test. Of course before it is brought into us for the MOT test. But the brake light switch must have been overlooked.

The second car that turned up was a black A35 Austin saloon. Manufactured in 1958 (I was ten years old then). Respectfully, the car was owned by the great, great Aunt of the woman who now owns the car ?

So, the Aunt passed the car onto her niece who later died. Subsequently, the car was then passed onto her niece, who is the current owner. Incredibly, the car was last serviced in 1990. Having only done 2000 miles, (it was then used to tootle around town in). The car has a 948 cc engine

with drums on the front brakes. Including an old fashioned rod braking system at the rear.

The car was then mothballed for the last ten in a barn

So the latest in a line of nieces decided to bring it out and restore the car. She asked for the service of a local mechanic, who looked at the car to assess its condition. Incredibly, the  car only required a new battery and started up the first time. Urgently, the brakes needed some work doing on them! Then he handed the car over to us for its mot test. Lastly, the brakes were sorted using parts from an old MG Midget. Pleasantly, the engine was in immaculate condition and had only done 6000 miles.

Passed mot test with flying colours

The old Austin had a new 063 ApolloPower battery fitted and passed the mot test in tip top condition apart from some very slight corrosion and will see driving up and down the street of Halifax here in West Yorkshire UK this summer. I just love these cars with a bit of history and a story behind them. The A35 was also fitted with cross ply tyres to the front and radials to the back.

Mazda 5 Brake Problems

Car Brakes-Entering the FRICTION ZONE — Older vehicle PARC sees increase in Car brakes sales

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Entering the FRICTION ZONE — Aging vehicle parc ripe for car brakes sales Car Brakes-Entering the FRICTION ZONE

Tire Business

“Where before when a vehicle reached 10 years or 11 years, consumers were thinking of selling it, now they’re thinking of, ‘How can I keep my car going?

Eric Roberts‘s insight:

This is a very in depth articles about car brakes

Un-reasonably,  car brakes are very often taken for granted. So, in other words car owners will just pull into your garage and leave their car. Because there is a banging or rattling noise coming from the front of the car.

This is usually a good indication that the brakes have failed, or are failing ! But brake jobs do follow a pattern.

The spring time is usually the time for our customers car brakes to start going wrong . So, and needing repairing. Of course, in my opinion I think that it is because that drivers use their  brakes. Of course, much more in the winter months and therefore the brake pads and discs .

Drivers almost always wait until the last minute to have them repaired and consequently cause more damage to the brakes.

For example a simple job like a set of brake pads replacing may turn out to be more complicated and end up the car needing new discs, or a seized up brake caliper.

This will result in a larger garage invoice for the customer. The secret is to get a free brake check at your local garage. most garages here in the UK will give a car a free brake check and give the customer a quote for the required work. We are members of the Independent Car Care Centres who also offer a nationwide guarantee throughout the UK and a free brake check on all makes and models of cars.

All this culminates as a good time of year for doing brake work, especially the many older cars that our customers are now hanging on to longer and having them repaired instead of replaced.

See on www.tirebusiness.com

mot test-Online Bookings on Increase

UK motorists-1 in 10 think the MOT test is Only an OPTION?

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Millions of UK motorists are clueless

about the legal requirement for MOT test, insurance and road tax (Mot’s only cover approx 20% of your car being checked but servicing covers approx. 70% as i was told when i last…

Eric Roberts’ insight:

As the owner of an MOT test station

Of course, I do believe these figures from the excellent Auto express magazine. Significantly this article makes interesting reading ! Stating that 10% of UK motorists . Many car owners do not know that the MOT test is compulsory ! Importantly,  on cars that are over three years old.

The British government are computerizing the vehicle system. Including the whole system of car insuring and road tax along with the DVLA MOT Rules. In my opinion, they would be better off aligning the three systems. This of course would make it much easier to regulate and also for ease of use to the vehicle owners.

So, enabling it impossible to have one thing without the other ! Of course, at the moment, they are not aligned . Incredibly, you could have a car insured without an MOT test. In my opinion, this will be the Governments aim. Because at the end of this year the road tax disc will be abolished and the system will go online. Making it easier for the UK motorists, the List of New MOT Rules and  details will probably have to be entered along with the insurance details. Thus tightening up on the whole system which is at the moment flawed.

Today 2019, then this as all been implemented. Therefore no UK vehicles have to show a tax disc ! Vehicle data is all computerised and also available at any time for police officers to check.

Hi I would like to introduce myself. Working in the Garage and tyre and Battery business now for 40 years. So. Working for a couple of national tyre companies before starting my first business. Of course, I now own a company here in the UK called Pellon Tyre and Auto-centre. Blogging about anything to do with cars and their related products. Naturally, that will help my business.

See on www.autoexpress.co.uk