The basic rules of any self regulatory scheme apply to the Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair. For garages who engage and comply with the Code nothing much changes. Non compliance, however, will increase exposure to the individual elements of the Code and increase the penalties and costs associated with complaints.

1. Signing up

It's a straightforward, cost effective scheme with no rigorous pre-entry audits or overblown costs. Upon subscription you will commit to:

• Make consumers aware of your subscription to the Code
• Display your certificate and brief guide leaflet dispenser
• Name a Customer Relations Representative
• Advise your customers of their option to refer any dispute to the advisory and conciliation service, when appropriate
• Comply with the processes and requirements of conciliation and arbitration should a case be opened against you

It's important to remember that conciliation or arbitration cases aren't necessarily viewed as a bad thing, more an indication that you are complying with the requirements of the Code and offering your customers the assistance and protection they may require, at a time when they need it.

2. Compliance Check

All Compliance Checks will be caried out by RAC inspection services. You will receive your first Compliance Check within 24 months of your Subscription and thereafter will receive follow up visits within 24 months of your previous visit. A Compliance Checker will visit your premises and assess your operation in key areas:

• Code Compliance
• Self Assessment detail (provided by you upon subscription)
• Quality of work (actual assessment of throughput from that day)

The check list will be available from the subscriber area of the website, so you can ensure you are prepared. Remember this is not an audit of your business, it is a check to make sure you are what you claim to be and doing what you claim to do.

3. Points based performance monitoring/non-compliance sanctions

Codes need teeth, so to ensure the poor performers do not tarnish the good reputation of the Code and its compliant subscribers, a points scoring system that will ‘trigger' progressive sanctions has been developed. Subscribers will incur penalty points in the following circumstances:

• Failure to meet conciliation timescales and supply relevant information
• Poor compliance check results
• Poor consumer survey feedback

You will not fall foul of the progressive sanctions providing you:

• Adhere to the timescales and requirements of conciliation
• Provide the conciliation service with all relevant information to assist with the swift conclusion of a case
• Perform well against the Compliance Check list
• Have a reasonable overall rating from the Consumer Survey returns

In cases of non-compliance, the progressive sanctions escalation procedure is:

1. Warning letter number 1
2. Warning letter number 2
3. 'Consumer Warning' against your listing on the website
4. Refer to the Independent Compliance Assessment Panel (ICAP), who will decide on a range of actions to include expulsion, at which point the OFT will be informed

As consumer choice is the deciding factor for any business, your performance may just give you the edge against other garages in your area once the consumer can carry out a postcode search.