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It is vital that a garage or MOT testing station is run as efficiently as possible, and owners need to adopt good quality processes. This will ensure that the business has the capacity to manage demand. It will also keep paperwork to a minimum, maintain a good RAG rating, and ensure smooth VTS visits from the DVSA. Here are some tips on how this can be achieved.
Motorists are being urged to book their MOT early this winter to avoid garages and MOT testing stations being overwhelmed. There is little doubt that these automotive businesses are already feeling the pressure. Garage and MOT testing station owners have worked through unprecedented times as a result of the pandemic, and business peaks have taken on a new pattern.
Perhaps today more than ever before, the focus must be on efficiency and good quality processes. Implementing them will also ensure that potential sales and profits are maximised.
Autotech Training, which helps garages and MOT testing stations stay at the top of the game by delivering essential training, has prepared a series of tips for business owners, and we start with...
10 tips on how to keep your VTS compliant:
1) Ensure that MOT tests are being quality controlled and at the correct intervals
2) Consider utilising a third party to help monitor your testing facility and testing station
3) Make sure your testers are aware of where to find and how to interpret their own MOT data
4) Carry out checks of completed MOT paperwork to ensure that the certificate details and vehicle details match, including the VIN Registration and Mileage
5) Ensure all MOT-related equipment is calibrated at the correct intervals and maintained according to manufacturer’s instructions
6) Know your failure rates and average test times and understand why they are what they are
7) Don’t test outside of your MOT testing hours – this is either before the start time or after the finish time
8) If a tester is going to be away from the business for longer than three weeks remove them as a tester registered to your authorisation
9) Make sure you have a qualified MOT Manager on-site or as a member of your team that works at the testing location, and if not train someone to take on the role
10) Always ensure that whilst testing is taking place that either the named Site Manager, Authorised Examiner Principal, or Authorised Examiner Designated Manager is on-site.
“These are simple, yet effective tips for the owner of a garage or MOT testing station to follow,” comments Mandla Ndhlovu, Training Delivery Director for Autotech Training. “Not only does it enable them to run efficiently and profitably, but it demonstrates to consumers that they have committed to the highest quality standards of work and service, giving them the all-important peace of mind.”
Meeting all MOT testing needs, Autotech Training, a division of Autotech Group, offers MOT Manager Training from its headquarters in Milton Keynes. From MOT Manager courses through to VTS Compliance Audits and MOT Annual Training & Assessment.