RMIF defends garage standards

The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF) has defended its members after car repair garages came under fire from the British Standards Institute (BSI).

The BSI has been critical of the motor industrys response to its Kitemark scheme for garages, which was launched two years ago but has so far attracted just 150 applicants. Sales and marketing director of BSI, Ian Harper, said that the motor industry had monumentally failed to improve the standard of customer care.

However, the chairman of the Retail Motor Indusrty Federation, Alec Murray, said: The RMIF has several thousand members, and customer protection is provided through membership. We provide consumers with access to the industrys established conciliation service. The RMIF believes voluntary service level improvements are the best way to serve the consumer.

In spite of these assurances, closer government regulation of car servicing and repair may been needed to raise standards, according to the BSI. If the consumer is going to be protected, I think some form of compulsion may be the way forward, but were not directly calling for it now, said Harper.