Trouble is, if we give away all our secrets in the form of a foolproof list, all the big players will copy it. Best of luck to them.

What I am trying to say is that no list of requirements will ever accurately distinguish a good garage from a bad one.

I have said this before but the worst garages are fueled by the worst customers. Most of us have realised the way to rid ourselves of the customers Tony describes is to charge more than they can afford/are willing to pay.

I tend to treat the first job for a new customer a bit like a job interview. Get a feel for their attitude and go from there. Very occasionally I will tell someone I do not wish to work on their vehicle as the outcome will not be satisfactory for either of us. How do you put that in a code?