For some females a dealership provides the peace of mind and service levels they expect for their car and money. For others looking for cheaper garage services perhaps, a good independent is likely to save them money. A bit like choosing M&S and Waitrose versus Asda and Tesco, we veer towards the one that we like the look of and which represents the best value for money for our car, the occasion and the budget.

I’d add that in an industry like the UK garage one where businesses don’t have to be regulated or mechanics qualified, it is extremely important to pick one that is measurably better than the rest; not just one that says it is. Your safety might depend on it.

If you want to do your homework about garage choices, measurable signs of quality and the criteria that makes one garage or dealership more female friendly than another, you want to read what an independent advisory service says – the following links will help you here.

A Good Garage Guide for women with advice and tips about buying MOT’s, car servicing and repairs.

Measurable signs of quality in UK garages today – confusing yes, when what we motorists need is just one ambitious standard

A new network of female friendly garages in the UK – if you know one that isn’t listed there, you are invited to pass on the contact so they can be invited to join and fill in the gaps.

The female friendly standard for garages and dealerships – so women can avoid being overcharged, patronised and sold products and services they don’t need.

Businesses that employ women in customer facing roles in garages and dealerships

When women know what to look for they can then cherry pick the businesses that commit to being the best and most female friendly; and steer clear of those that haven’t bothered to make that effort.

FOXY Steph

“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”
Henry Ford

Both are for the title ‘Used Car Retailer of the Year’ and the first was awarded by MotorTrader magazine in 2009. The second is more recent and for the same award category at the Automotive Management (AM) Awards ceremony held in Birmingham in February 2010.

These are reassuring awards for women drivers, bearing in mind that the OFT recently found that one in five used car sale ends in a complaint which is yet another indictment of the poor level of customer service in the UK motor industry today. To make sure they are seen to do things better than many others, Thame Service Station states that it is committed to providing high quality used vehicles at affordable prices. They also come with a service, valet and 7 day insurance policy so you can drive your chosen car away on the same day.

Thame Service Station has also signed the female friendly FOXY Promise which you can see at the FOXY Choice garage website to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell customers services they don’t need or want.’

And they’re modest, otherwise they’d have been on to tell us before we found this out for ourselves…

Congratulations from FOXY, even if we’re a little late!

FOXY Steph

Find out about other female friendly garages in and about Oxfordshire here…



Caroline told me that despite trading better during the recession than in 2008 (in which she is bucking the industry trend) the Bank says she is in a high risk area (garages presumably are discretional income?) so she can’t expect to borrow from them and must fund business growth herself. Whilst I am waiting for my car in the nice and warm reception area there is a steady flow of MOT, car servicing and repair business coming and going which certainly looks healthy to me.

My car then fails its MOT (I seem to recall a recent ‘grounding’ that may have caused this which my husband is unaware of until he reads this…) and needs a central exhaust part <not discretional income in any way Mr Bank Manager> so off I trotted again yesterday to get the job finished.

Whilst I was there I finalised a special offer for local members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club and talked Caroline into being FOXY’s first Female Business Ambassador; a new network to recognise female friendly garages who employ and/or are run by women, giving them the opportunity to describe a typical day for the benefit of other females who might want to know what is involved.

In my experience this means they are more likely to understand and appreciate what women want and many women see this as a sign of reassurance BUT it is by no means compulsory to employ women to be a female friendly business so this is not sexist thing and in fact most of the men I have spoken to quite like the idea too .

More about this later as the Female Business Ambassador network is under wraps and not quite ready to launch yet… hopefully by early February.

FOXY Steph

Before we approve any garage and promote it to foxy lady drivers we first check it out and then identify it as a good garage by virtue of its quality credentials, value for money and investment in facilities.

For quality starters Bushey Hall Garage is a member of the Bosch Car Service network which means it is one of the few to have achieved full OFT approval for the Code of Practice, Service and Repair – this is one of the highest quality standards in the UK garage industry and means the garage is visited regularly. Bushey Hall has always achieved some of the top marks within the Bosch network too.

Then you can expect to save c30% on car servicing, repairs and MOTs compared to car dealership prices.

And perhaps just as important for a women driver, if you play golf or like shopping you are within walking distance of Bushey Hall Golf Club and Watford’s Harlequin Shopping centre. This means you can book your car into Bushey Hall Garage and either play golf or shop until it’s repaired or serviced.

Sounds a foxy arrangement to me. And if you are a member of FOXY Lady Drivers Club this female friendly garage has signed up to provide women drivers and their family with free quarterly car fitness checks and 10% off servicing MOTs and tyres  – all part of the life assistance support services FOXY offers its members alongside motoring and legal advice, offers and accident assist.

FOXY Steph

PS: I run FOXY Lady Drivers Club – a life assistance motoring association for women and FOXY Choice – a unique female friendly marketing service for garages and dealerships that sign the female friendly FOXY Promise to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell women services they don’t need or want.’ By all means contact me via either website.

Yet another novel idea to make women drivers feel welcome – this time in Fife in Scotland.

If you are a female motorist near Eastfield Industrial Estate in Glenrothes you can have your car serviced whilst you work out at the nearby Millennium Fitness Centre (or the other way round, depending on how you see this…).

Not only is the Leisure Centre free but they have a creche too and you can use their beauty studio if you aren’t feeling all that energetic on the day!

Even better if you are a member of FOXY Lady Drivers Club and qualify for free car fitness checks and moneysaving garage discounts throughout the year.

All courtesy of female friendly garage, Falkland Performance Centre, in Glenrothes who are a Bosch Car Service member which means that they can display the OFT code of practice logo which is only reserved for the best.

To be listed by FOXY Choice in the first place, Falkland Performance Centre garage needed to sign the female friendly FOXY Promise to never overcharge, patronise or sell women services they do not need or want. Over and above the leisure centre offer they provide a local car collection service, courtesy car (subject to availability) and employ female staff.

Scottish FOXY Ladies like them.

FOXY Steph

]]> http://www.foxyladydrivers.com/foxyblog/2010/01/07/get-fit-in-fife-whilst-your-car-is-getting-serviced/feed/ 0 http://www.foxyladydrivers.com/foxyblog/2009/12/17/festive-greetings-from-bankside-garage-leeds/ http://www.foxyladydrivers.com/foxyblog/2009/12/17/festive-greetings-from-bankside-garage-leeds/#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:49:30 +0000 foxysteph http://www.foxyladydrivers.com/foxyblog/?p=687 Continue reading →]]> As we wind down towards Christmas it’s good to see some festive cheer in evidence – thanks to Bankside garage in Leeds reminding us of their female friendly FOXY Choice credentials.

Of course it isn’t necessary to employ women for a business to be female friendly (in fact FOXY research last year suggested that women were equally happy to buy a car from a man as a woman in a showroom providing they knew what they were talking about) but in an industry with such a reputation for being male dominated, if you are seen to employ women this could be a source of reassurance for many local women drivers  even if you don’t need to see them when you take your car in.

In Bankside Garage’s case, should reassurance be needed, they are also one of the best garages in Leeds with a BSI Kitemark and operating to a fully approved OFT Code of Practice, as a member of the Bosch Car Service network.

I am sure we all have our fingers crossed for a good start to 2010 after such a miserable 2009 in the motor industry.

Whilst the new car dealerships might have had some help in the shape of the car scrappage scheme (even though this benefited overseas manufacturers not ours) the reality is that the independent garages now need to fight for their share of the MOT, car servicing and vehicle repair work around because many older caps were scrapped and motorists trying to save money have been cutting back on their motoring and trips to garages.

Yet another reason for the best garages to market themselves as different from the mediocre and why the FOXY Choice female friendly marketing services can help in this area.

We’re here to spread the word to as many women drivers as possible in 2010.

FOXY Steph

Female friendly Kelly Clarke garage in North Walsham, Norwich is a part of the FOXY Choice network and provides local members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club with quarterly car fitness checks as part of their annual subscription. Over and above this, when it’s clear that work is required there are some really good reasons to look forward to visiting this garage to get the job done…

The sort of female friendly amenities nearby mean that motorists can drop the car off for a car servicing or mechanical repair and head off (the garage will drop you off/collect you if necessary) to Rossis Leisure in North Walsham for a swim, to play tennis or squash or for a game of 10 pin bowling.

In this way, whilst foxy ladies are relaxing their car gets looked after by garage professionals (you know they are because Kelly Clarke is a member of Bosch Car Service which means they operate to an OFT approved Code of Practice) and that the business has signed up to FOXY Choice’s female friendly FOXY Promise to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell anyone services they don’t want or need’.

Now I am not saying that garages aren’t comfortable places to wait – many are and if it’s just for a short period of time, what does it matter anyway… but when you know you are in for a good few hours wait, without your car, why not spoil yourself and look forward to taking the car to the garage for a change – not dread the garage visit as so many women drivers do?

In short – make the most of opportunities like this (like having a good shop) by taking the car yourself not delegating this to a friend or member of the family.

FOXY Steph

]]> http://www.foxyladydrivers.com/foxyblog/2009/12/13/why-not-go-bowling-whilst-your-car-is-serviced-in-norwich/feed/ 0 http://www.foxyladydrivers.com/foxyblog/2009/12/03/a-great-female-friendly-garage-choice-in-southampton/ http://www.foxyladydrivers.com/foxyblog/2009/12/03/a-great-female-friendly-garage-choice-in-southampton/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:01:22 +0000 foxysteph http://www.foxyladydrivers.com/foxyblog/?p=668 Continue reading →]]> A growing number of women are opening garages or getting majorly involved in the way they are run. This is a good thing. As a recently appointed Women’s Business Ambassador in the South East I am keen to promote female business owners and entrepreneurs in the UK motor industry and to encourage more women to work in and set up garage and car dealership services in particular. This is the only way I can see this industry becoming genuinely more female friendly in future to all round business benefit.

Coming to the end of 2009 I can see that women drivers have a choice of taking their car to a female friendly garage or a leading car dealership in Southampton; you can see for yourself by searching for one near you at the FOXY Choice website.

Make yourself a cuppa and browse the different businesses near your postcode to compare services and amenities then email them and compare prices for your next car servicing. They have all signed the FOXY Promise© to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell women services they don’t need or want’.

A recent recruit is CJ Motor Repairs, a truly female friendly garage in Southampton’s Millbrook Trading Estate and a member of the Women’s Business Club which is how we met. Run by Cherry and Jamie they employ a fully qualified technician, a female trainee in her second year and a male trainee in his second year. Jamie’s Mum runs the office and Cherry has worked in the motor trade for over 15 years. Sounds very foxy to me.

Like me Cherry is passionate about helping motorists prevent problems with their cars and save money. They run friendly car maintenance courses to teach people how to carry out the basic checks safely, how to spot problems so they can be addressed quickly and how to save money on fuel consumption and so on. Cherry tells me that it has only been women who have attended so far so men clearly know it all… We both chuckled after that one – whereas most women are honest about their knowledge levels many men seem to feel the need to pretend they know things that they think they should, even when they are rubbish at DIY and mechanical matters!

CJ Motor Repairs also provide a drop & shop garage service where they drop the ladies off in the town a few minutes away and then phone or text them when their car is ready and they then collect them. They provide a monthly payment scheme so women don’t have any big bills and they also help them find their next car.

Good luck Cherry and Jamie and may 2010 be a good year for your female friendly garage in Southampton…

How many women rely on their husband or partner to look after the likes of their car’s tyres, oil, water top up and the occasional wee repair…

And how many husbands and partners don’t like to say no when she asks for help even if they aren’t very good at mechanical matters or are so busy it has to wait until they aren’t…

I have just read a blog about this very gender subject at FOXY Choice subscriber Swiftest Aldershot Garage’s website.

We know Swiftest knows how to be a female friendly garage for women drivers in Aldershot but I had no idea of the angst garages can face on occasion when hubby’s mechanical handywork doesn’t pass muster come MOT time!

And the point is, why try to do a job that doesn’t come easy to you and takes much longer than getting the professionals to do it? Not only are there safety implications but this can prove very costly if the car fails its MOT and even worse… if arguments about all this end up in the divorce courts.

Stranger things have happened and the point is made tongue in cheek of course… but it can be a contentious area.

FOXY Steph

Especially if they have a BSI Kitemark which is one of the most demanding quality standards there is.

But I’d be wrong on occasion such as when I called to arrange a no-obligation Marketing Review with a FOXY Choice subscriber near Torquay. I was expecting a polite chat with the owner; instead he was unnecessarily rude, offensive and really unpleasant on the phone.  After giving his business two further chances over the phone, that business entry has been marked ‘not female friendly’ and it would take a lot to convince me otherwise or to take any money to promote that business in future.

Which is a shame because that garage clearly needs our female friendly customer service training more than many and a bad impression front of house will be remembered much longer by women drivers than a great mechanic behind the scenes.

Under normal circumstances I really enjoy my marketing chats with the genuinely female friendly garages and dealerships and come away inspired by how hard they are working to get service levels right in an industry that is a long way short of being female friendly enough!!

But it is clear to me that some businesses see FOXY Choice as simply a means to sell at members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club whereas it is much more their opportunity to show off their female friendly and quality credentials to existing customers and other local women drivers.  A quick sales fix FOXY Choice is not; our sister business is a life-assistance support service for women drivers and we do not sell at our members.  However all foxy ladies like a good deal and those FOXY Choice subscribers that give us a MOT or garage offer get promoted to Club members for free so she might  consider their business when the time is right for her (or other family) cars to have a service or repair.

I’d like to think all women drivers got a warm and at minimum polite reply whenever they contact a FOXY Choice garage partner in future.

And FOXY Lady Drivers still can in Torquay of course from female friendly Babbacombe Garage and Harrison Garage in nearby Totnes, both operating a fully approved OFT Code of Practice, members of the well regarded Bosch Car Service network and offering local members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club free quarterly Car Fitness Checks to keep them and their family safe on the road all year round. And of course, by the time you read this, there may be more female friendly business subscribers in your area too.

FOXY Choice