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Motorists pick top 50 garages -
vote now for your Golden Garage

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

50 of the UK's best in running for top garage accolade

Motorists vote in nationwide attempt to map out the good guys

In a bid to reward good customer service, motorists have voted in droves to dispel the myth that taking your car for a service can be a nerve-racking affair. Garages from across the UK have been nominated as reliable and professional car service and repair centres, in the annual Golden Garages competition - http://www.goldengarages.co.uk/ - and the top 50 has just been released.

Thousands of motorists have voted in the contest, organised by the government-backed consumer watchdog for the motor industry, Motor Codes, to highlight first class, honest operators. The top 50, selected from across ten UK regions, will now progress to the final voting stage of the competition to find the UK's best workshop, with the overall winning Golden Garage set to be announced on 4 April 2011.

The shortlist of garages can be found on the Golden Garages website and motorists are invited to vote in the next stage of the competition, to select the ten best, by casting their vote online.

The national Golden Garages winner will then be chosen by a panel of expert judges, including TV personality Mike Brewer, What Car? Editor-in-Chief Steve Fowler, Emma Butcher, Editor of Car and Accessory Trader and Motor Codes Managing Director, Chris Mason.

Top 10 voting for Golden Garages opens this week and closes on Sunday 13 March 2011.

As Chris Mason explains, Golden Garages is an initiative designed to celebrate good customer service and instil confidence in the motorist, "We all need to feel secure about who to trust with our car and our money and, at Motor Codes, we're developing a network of safe haven garages committed to open and honest trading. The Golden Garages contest allows us to publicly recognise the commitment of these reputable garages recommended by their customers."

Steve Fowler, What Car? Editor-in-Chief, said, "We get inundated with consumers looking for recommendations of where to get their car serviced or repaired and we always say the same thing - check out the Motor Codes website to find a garage you can trust. The good guys will get the publicity and new business they deserve and, most importantly, customers will get good service and peace-of-mind".

Motor Codes operates a self-regulatory code of practice for garages across the country, ensuring that motorists receive consistently high standards of service. Supported by consumer groups and government, including the Department for Transport, Motor Codes raises standards across the industry and the Golden Garages competition forms an important part of this process.

Motorists are able to search for garages that subscribe to Motor Codes via its online Garage Finder tool - www.motorcodes.co.uk/garagefinder - and can make an informed decision on where to take their car, based on the feedback of other garage customers. Ratings are viewable on garage profile pages and current statistics show that over 95% of Motor Codes customers would recommend their garage to friends and family.

The Golden Garages competition can be followed online at http://www.goldengarages.co.uk/, as well as on twitter at http://twitter.com/GoldenGarages.

Motorists taking part in the voting could win a thrilling Porsche Driving Experience at the world famous Silverstone race track. Garages compete for a prize fund totaling £12,000.

Top 50 Nominated Garages

Scotland

W Livingstone Ltd - Uddington, Glasgow

Rutherford Seat - Earlston, Berwickshire

West End Garage - Uphall, West Lothian

North Road Garage - Kelty, Fife

Grierson and Graham - Dumfries

Northern Ireland

Sere Seat - Lisburn

Sere Chevrolet - Belfast

Agnew Auto Exchange - Belfast

Isaac Agnew Seat - Belfast