ISN Garage Assist Blog

Garage services have always been an integral part of the automotive industry – even though it is not the most glamourous or big money maker within the sector, it has always been working away in the background producing great results for the UK economy. Garage businesses have had to adapt more than ever over the last twelve months to ensure vehicle owners stay safe on the roads. And with little interruption to proceedings (even with nationwide lockdowns) the importance of garage services should not be underestimated – especially in the current climate! More and more vehicles are in need of servicing...

The automotive world is changing. The development and progression in numerous sectors within the industry, means that we are beginning to see changes wherever we turn. For all of us working in garage services, our attention must be drawn to vehicles and technologies that are next to be introduced to the UK market, and how that affects the garage equipment that we use daily. We’ve already seen how the use of ADAS systems in vehicles, has led to garage owners investing in specialist technology to service such systems, and to technicians undergoing training to keep pace with the technology. So, what...

Everywhere you look, there is another brand of garage equipment promoting the “BEST” tyre machine on the market. In an industry where it can be hard to stand out from the crowd, sticking in the minds of a garage business owner is a near impossibility. However, some garage equipment brands have taken the leap from being a standard equipment provider to supplying a premium product with the ultimate premium service. And they’ve done this by establishing a reputation for high quality product and maintaining incredible standards for years, even decades. The garage servicing market is extremely competitive and we know that...

Without taking a look on Google, could you have a guess at how many class 4 vehicles failed their MOTs last year? The Answer: 1.27 million That is a huge number of failures and a lot of garages are finding that they’re down to faults relating to exhaust emissions, especially with diesel engine vehicles, since new MOT regulations were introduced in May 2018. In fact, the last two years have seen more cars fail their MOT due to emissions than in any previous year. The regulations were brought in to reduce the number of vehicles producing excessive emissions, meaning manufacturers have...

Due to the impact of the six-month MOT exemption last April when the pandemic started, the DVSA are now encouraging vehicle owners to get the relevant health checks on their cars as fewer vehicles will need an MOT during April & May. The next few months could become a challenging time for garages across the industry, but the DVSA is taking steps to ensure that business owners are not alone now that MOT work is set to reduce. On March 5th, the DVSA launched a new campaign ‘Whatever your essential journey, make it SAFE’, as the previous ‘Beat the Rush’ launch...

The rate at which UK cars that have missed their MOT by more than three weeks is becoming increasingly alarming. During the last six months that number has tripled, and it could be in relation to the MOT exemption period, which was in place during 2020. Initially discovered by Kwik-Fit, the flexibility offered to vehicle owners last April has caused some confusion for motorists in keeping their MOT up to date. The national fast-fit operation’s latest MOT data found that one-in-eleven drivers (9%) booking their MOT test in the last six months, only did so three or more weeks after their...

As a leading provider of garage services across the UK automotive industry, it was imperative that, at ISN Garage Assist, we sourced the right service platform to meet our every requirement while offering tremendous benefits to our clients. By ensuring we had every base covered with a new system, our expert engineers & area controllers would be able to make our services more streamline – our top priority is you! So, what direction did we take? Introducing Protean... We moved to our brand-new Protean system in 2019, due to the limitations we were experiencing with our previous system which was preventing...

As expected, due to the restrictions in place at the time, first quarter vehicle sales in 2021 were a flop, decreasing 8.9% compared to 2020; however, an encouraging bounce back in April 2021 saw new car registrations increase by 3177% compared to last year. Excellent work! This upward trajectory is predicted to continue throughout this Spring, meaning the end of year figures for new car registrations will be in a much better position than originally thought back in February. Across the UK, more and more vehicle owners are taking to the roads again, now that restrictions are lifting. And the increase...

Have you ever thought that your vehicle should have passed its MOT test?Did you know that the DVSA investigated over 2,057 fraud reports in 2020?Did you know that as a result, 156 garages and 335 employees were stopped from testing? Fraud within the MOT sector is more common than originally thought, and the numbers seem to be rising each year. People can report a garage or tester if they believe MOT certificates are being given to vehicles which should have failed or have not been tested, or certificates are being issued for bribes or for failing vehicles unnecessarily to generate work....

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the average age of cars on UK roads is now the highest on record at 8.4 years. But is this a surprise? Not really. – 2020 saw car showrooms closed and customers unable to leave the comfort of their own homes for large periods of the year. The lack of new vehicle registrations was bound to have an impact on the average age of cars in the UK, in fact it was inevitable! Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “With the pandemic putting the brakes on new vehicle uptake in 2020,...

Vehicles are driven just 4% each day in EnglandCars and vans spend 73% of their time parked at homeOn average, vehicles in England are driven just one hour a day These are the figures found in analysis by the RAC Foundation, stating that cars and vans spend more time parked on their drives than out on the UK roads. Steve Gooding, RAC Foundation director, said: “The average car is driven just one hour out of every 24, a proportion that is almost the same as it was back in 1995. “However, this lack of use does have one silver lining. “It...

Have you ever wondered either of the following after an MOT test on your vehicle: How on Earth did my car pass that MOT?Why haven’t I got any advisories?Did the garage even test my car? There are only two reasonable explanations; you caught the MOT tester on a good day, or the MOT station is renowned for passing vehicles that should have failed. The likelihood is it is probably the latter. In fact, a recent investigation by the DVSA found that testing stations across the UK are passing 1 in 7 vehicles that should have failed their MOT – that's 13.58%...

When you’ve invested in the necessary equipment crucial to the smooth running and productivity of your business, it is imperative that these valuable resources are maintained and cared for to ensure peak performance, reduce the chance of unnecessary breakdowns, and meet increasingly stringent criteria from insurance companies.A garage equipment care plan with ISN Garage Assist will minimise the risk of disruption to your business, keeping your workshop running efficiently.Our care plans can be bought at the time of initial purchase, on installation of a new machine, or within the first six months of purchase. From that point you can leave the...

Everyone has been through the mill over the past 18 months - whether it has been a business folding, furloughing staff or equipment breakdowns, you name it, someone has had to deal with a huge amount of stress to get to where they are today. However, as we emerge from the pandemic, it is great to see so many success stories, including those from the DVSA’s fourth annual review released last month. The published document celebrates the ‘Beat the Rush’ campaign set out last Autumn, to encourage vehicle owners to bring forward their MOT test to spread the demand for MOT...

Garage equipment is a significant investment for any business. From vehicle lifts to wheel alignment machines and tyre changers, kitting your garage out with the tools you need to complete a variety of jobs isn’t cheap.With that in mind, it’s vital to maintain all of your machinery and tools correctly to avoid having to replace them prematurely. This can be a time-consuming and challenging process in itself, especially when you’re trying to tackle customers’ work at the same time. Avoiding downtime is of course a priority, as this can be detrimental to both your company’s bottom line and its reputation.That’s why...

It’s a busy life!Here at ISN Garage Assist we enjoy nothing more than helping our customers, and our alignment and ADAS specialists have been busier than ever in recent weeks. Here’s a round-up of some of our latest installations.First up we installed an Ssence 600 HD wheel aligner, along with a Geolift 4200 4 post lift at the Global Motoring Hub, who work with private collectors buying, selling and sourcing high performance and classic cars.They also offer a Bodyshop repair service to the public and used to outsource their alignment jobs but it was costing too much time and money. Now,...

The RAC delivered troubling news for motorists recently when it published statistics on pothole-related callouts.According to the figures, the third quarter of 2021 was the worst in 15 years for pothole-induced damage.From July to September last year, the company responded to 1,810 breakdown callouts for broken springs, bent or cracked wheels and damaged dampers. Those callouts represented 1.2% of the total during that period - significantly higher than normal.The organisation’s Pothole Index has been tracking these breakdowns since 2006. According to this data, today, drivers are 1.5 times more likely to experience a pothole-related breakdown than in 2006.What does this mean...

Biggest Challenges Faced By Workshops In 2021 RevealedA nationwide survey of garages and workshops by the Motor Ombudsman has named staff shortages as the most significant challenge faced by the industry over the past year.67% of respondents felt that the biggest obstacle of 2021 was simply finding enough mechanics and MOT testers to keep up with customer demand. This was due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected 50% of the garages surveyed. Employees self-isolating compounded the staffing shortfall, and MOT testing demand rose sharply following the six-month exemption put in place the previous year, making it even harder to...

EU Announces Plans To Renew MVBER: Will The UK Follow Suit?The European Commission has confirmed plans to extend the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulations (MVBER) until 2028.It’s currently due to expire on 31 May next year but, provided the proposed five-year extension is implemented following an ongoing review process, independent garages within the EU will be able to continue operating as they have done since the current version was implemented in 2010.The same does not apply here in the UK, though. We adopted the MVBER when we left the EU in 2020, but our version still hasn’t been renewed - meaning...

Mark Berryman, one of the company's longest serving team members, has been promoted to Supply Chain & Operations Director for ISN Garage Assist.Having originally joined as Service Manager within the original Hofmann Megaplan business, Mark eventually became Service Director, and ultimately Managing Director following the acquisition by ISN Europe. The formation of ISN Garage Assist as the 'umbrella' for sales of the company's equipment brands and installation/service activities has led to a reshuffle of key personnel, and Mark will now be utilising the strengths and relationships he has built up over the years with suppliers and key customers, whilst also working...