James, I think customers only care when they have a problem.
I think the vast majority of garages only care when they have a problem.
The knowledgeable and interested people who use this and other like forums are the small minority who care about the industry and the work they do.
Very few spend any time learning and researching outside of normal work hours.
Its why the trade is in such an appalling state.

Garages taking on work with not even a basic idea of how things work is quite normal.

I recently heard two people talking in the post office, about having just picked up a car from a garage locally after having work done, be careful garages will rip you off was the theme.

This is the public's perception of our trade and i personally believe only a licence approved national government backed scheme with tradesmen properly qualified and regulated, and a national advertising campaign to back it, would make any difference.

The young people who are needed in the trade today are not available to us, those we need are training to do other types of work, they may love cars and engineering but they are not so stupid that they join us because the money is too poor and the perception of the job is so low.

Everytime i have a work experience lad from a local school they always send someone who is struggling with school work, the teachers perception of our trade points those lads in our direction, I always speak to the teachers myself and ask them how they would feel with their pupil working on their complicated car, "didn't realise it was that complicated" is their answer.

I don't know where we go from here.

ever the optimist ,Neil.