Kitemark Garages Have Increased Trust

A recent survey has shown that garages bearing the Kitemark quality standard are gaining the trust of motorists, according to a new survey. Introduced in 2006, the Kitemark for Garages scheme is run by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and aimed to raise the standards in vehicle service and repair industry.

The report for Automotive Advantage has shown that 60% of garages which have gained the Kitemark for Garage Services have reported increased trust from customers whilst nine out of ten garages in the scheme have received positive feedback about the Kitemark.

However, only a small number of garages have opted into the scheme, which costs £1500 for to join. Each member has to pass mystery shop tests, an annual audit of its business and pay £750 per year to retain membership.

It has been estimated that the scheme needs 2000-3000 garages to join to put a Kitemarked garage within reasonable reach of most people. At the moment, the BSI has 500 applications pending, and hopes more will join.

The scheme is widely seen as the motor service industry’s last chance to put its own house in order before legislation is introduced to force it to do so.