Opinion: The DVSA should come down hard on inappropriate manual advisories

GW columnist Andy Parsons discusses DVSA's investigation into tester who left insulting MOT advisory

Opinion: The DVSA should come down hard on inappropriate manual advisories

You won’t have escaped recent reports and conversations about the MOT tester who’s under investigation for using foul language while entering a manual advisory in the MOT testing service.

Andy Parsons of Shortfield garage in Surrey.

I’m sure we have all seen similar cases of inappropriate manual advisories.

The worrying thing is, some people find it funny.

I’d like to think that my professional colleagues would agree with me when I say that inappropriate advisories are anything but funny – especially  those with offensive and foul language.

“Don’t get me wrong”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favour of humour in the workplace but the MOT testing service simply isn’t the platform to air it.

Sordid comments on a customer’s MOT certificate, key tag, or job card, highlights everything that is wrong with our industry as far as I’m concerned.

Those that find such practices to be funny do nothing to better the professional image that we all want to portray and only add fuel to the popular misconception that we’re all sharks and cowboys pulling apart cars.

As highly trained technicians working on complex vehicle systems we deserve to be respected as professionals and, in cases like this, the DVSA has an important role to play.

Related: DVSA launches investigation into tester who left insulting MOT advisory

While it’s a start, I’m not sure this one is being handled as well as it could have been though.

In this case, the test was recorded in 2015 and the DVSA only became aware of it just recently.

How on earth did it go undetected for so long?

Secondly, what exactly does the DVSA need to investigate?

Surely it is a simple case of who was the tester that recorded it, awarding him/her and the test station that let him get away with it a short term cessation or at least a formal warning.

They should then broadcast this to all MOT stations to make sure that it’s not repeated.

“Swift, sharp action is what’s required”

Swift, sharp action is what’s required.

And I have to agree with David who commented on the recent GW coverage. 

He said: “Is it not time the government started looking more seriously at the types of characters they let into a professional trade?

“Showing that level of maturity what on earth is he doing near someone’s car.”

Yes David, it is about time.

Share your comments below.

Home Page Forums Opinion: The DVSA should come down hard on inappropriate manual advisories

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  • #185213 Reply

    You won’t have escaped recent reports and conversations about the MOT tester who’s under investigation for using foul language while entering a manual
    [See the full post at: Opinion: The DVSA should come down hard on inappropriate manual advisories]

    #186460 Reply
    Tony Vincent
    Guest

    This is totally unacceptable behaviour . All this shows is a unprofessional approach to the job in hand, as a employer I would worry about the techs commitment to his work and does he realise the possible consequence’s to his employers reputation because of his inappropriate advisory’s !

    #187061 Reply
    NIGEL
    Guest

    How many times has this happened ?
    I just keep seeing the same one over and over and over and over again !

    It seems to only to be once by one fool ! ! !

    Have they nothing better to do ?

    #187062 Reply
    Dave
    Guest

    Quote
    “Is it not time the government started looking more seriously at the types of characters they let into a professional trade?
    What’s it got to do with the government who works in our trade ?
    Don’t remember ever being scrutinised by the government when I entered the trade or anyone else I know !
    The tester was an absolute idiot to commit something like to print and should be spoken to by DVSA and his employer !

    #187064 Reply
    Graham Cox
    Guest

    I am not saying this is acceptable but we have no context, this might have been on a friends mot and acceptable as banter at the time, we should not be so quick to judge based on the limited information we have

    #187066 Reply
    Hooters
    Guest

    Professionals within the MoT testing trade have been campaigning hard to retain ‘manual advisories’ whilst the DVSA looked for reasons to withdraw the facility.
    Some testers are remote (in their role) from the vehicle presenter; their ‘advisories’ may never reach the end-user and that could be important for both parties, not to mention the A.E.
    This guy needs to be made an example of!
    I was in court recently (as an expert witness) where the Judge pointed out that “literacy appears not to be a prized skill within the motor trade”.
    The odds are stacked against us!

    #188369 Reply
    David
    Guest

    Quote
    “Is it not time the government started looking more seriously at the types of characters they let into a professional trade?
    What’s it got to do with the government who works in our trade ?

    The MOT Scheme belongs to the government and is their scheme. Over time many changes are made to ensure that reasonably consistent standards are achieved. If an NT or AE is bringing the scheme into disrepute then action must be taken to maintain standards. If that means the removal of an individual that chooses to go off on tangents and do their own things, then removal is justified for the integrity of the scheme and customer relations. It does not matter what the customer looks like, what colour skin they have or whether the tester likes the look on their faces or not, but what does matter is that we maintain standards, be polite, honest and show professionalism to the customers at all times.

    The true employer of labour is the customer, and without them you have no business income.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

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