UPDATED: Tuesday 18 August
We’ve refreshed the Beat the Rush toolkit. It now includes updated social media posts, and new graphics including a motorcycle.
Please see below.
Millions more customers will need MOT tests this autumn – double as many as usual.
Motorists were granted MOT exemptions for their vehicles from 30 March until 1 August.
Those exemptions will begin to expire in autumn, which is usually the busiest period for MOTs.
Alongside your normal MOT customers for this time of year, there will be many more wanting to get tests as their exemptions expire.
Are you ready for the rush?
Demand for tests will peak in October and November, but September and December will also be very busy. We’re currently predicting that August will be quieter than usual.
That means we may be able to persuade drivers to get their MOT test early. This will give them peace of mind that their vehicle is safe and roadworthy, and will mean they beat the rush in autumn.
For garages, this approach will help you to manage demand and make sure you can meet your customer’s needs during a very busy period.
But we can only do this with your help.
Working together: free toolkit for communicating with your customers
We know that 52% of MOT customers will come to you, at your garage, if they have questions about their MOT.
So, we’ve created some materials for you to use to encourage your customers to think about booking their MOT early.
We’ve put together a toolkit for you. It includes draft messages for social media, for customer emails or texts, and graphics you can add to your posts, messages or website.
The toolkit includes information about the campaign, and some key messages which you can use to start a conversation with customers.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will be taking part too – we’ll be messaging customers who have signed up to the MOT reminder if service if their MOT is due in autumn, and we’ll encourage them to get it done early. We’ll be posting on social media and speaking to the national press to get media coverage.
By working together, we can manage the unprecedented demand for MOTs which will start to peak as more and more customers try to get their vehicles tested from September onwards.
We hope this is useful to you. Of course, you don’t have to use the materials we’ve drafted if you’d prefer to write your own. We just wanted to provide some material to help you plan for this extremely challenging period.
When is this happening?
The Beat the Rush campaign will begin on 31 July 2020, to coincide with the end of MOT exemptions on 1 August.
Throughout August, the campaign will encourage motorists to move their MOT forward and avoid getting their MOT done during the busy period this autumn.
3 easy steps to get involved with our campaign
- Download the toolkit and images below
- Use the templates for social media, email or text messages to your customers – or create your own
- Keep an eye on your emails as we will contact you as the campaign progresses
Here's the Beat the Rush - Campaign Toolkit (click link to download)
Images
You are free to use these images for your communications - just right click on them and save them to a drive on your computer.
Email and web banner:
Facebook images:
Twitter images:
32 comments
Comment by smithj posted on
There is a typo on this bullet point under the supporting messages section.
"All MOT garages will be busy this autumn as the demand for tests will be much higher than
usual. **Pease** consider getting your MOT done this summer to avoid the rush."
Comment by alistairharris posted on
Good spot. Fixed.
Comment by Steve posted on
Business as usual for us as we have stayed open throughout the pandemic
Comment by Roy Peverall posted on
Busy busy
Comment by Ian Carlton posted on
im finding it already busy at our MOT testing station, i also what will wonder between next april and July too ?
Comment by mercedes posted on
right out the door here every body wants a mot know one has heard off the scheme its not in the papers our on t/v this was left too late i think booked out for 3/4 in advance people are asking if there extension is know up and have too get it mot know the phone is ringing off the hook
Comment by Sean g posted on
To little to late i think , the station im at is already mega busy we may have to do 24 hour mots as dvsa didnt take into account all the dealerships that sold cars online during lockdown that have all come at once for mots
Comment by David Simpson posted on
Agree with Craig , this should have been put out as soon as government announced change to extension scheme, obviously the national media/tv/press would be the obvious choice to get the message to the widest possible audience.
Comment by Thomas posted on
What do we do next April and may ?? . The extension should of carried for 12 months. Which would of left mot even
Comment by Ronnie rocket posted on
So what you took 6 months of work off my boss under orders and told us to get on with it
Comment by castrolrob posted on
tests will peak sept/oct but august will be quiet?guess again,weve been heaving out the door for weeks now.as per the above message is there ANY real time contact available with you guys?e mails take days,phone is next to impossible and as for technical queries.....
Comment by richard posted on
I had to try & contact technical on the phone , I gave up & had to make the right/wrong decision myself. I cant afford the time to wait on the line for 45 mins to get an answer , as testers there should be a way we can by by-pass the covid message & all the pushing of numbers on the phone to get an answer. How about introducing a live chat via the MOT system.
Comment by Gary Wardle posted on
I think that all vehicle owners that have chosen to take the 6 month extension should only be entitled to a mot valid for 6 months. This would then put all vehicles back to their original due date avoiding a quiet and rush period next year and the year after and after !
Comment by John Lawrence posted on
Very helpful thank you
Comment by Simon posted on
Thanks for this, very helpful and looks good.
Comment by Jack posted on
It’s a bit late in my opinion for this, this should have been done at the start of July.
I also strongly agree that the test fee should be increased and remain at a fixed price
Comment by R J MOSS posted on
Yery helpful Thank's
Richard / Steven
Comment by Ian posted on
Alot of unroadworthy cars on the roads especially if they had advisories last year.6 months was to long to defer the mot test.
Comment by E O'Keeffe posted on
This is not so helpful. We are completely overrun with MOT's during August due to September registrations.
Comment by Martin posted on
You need to ask VTS at the sharp end when and what would be the appropriate action to get the MOT scheme back on track seeing they are the ones that have done all your troubleshooting and proof reading of the MOT scheme so far.
NOT your tame yes men in the motor trade or detached from reality civil servants.
Only common sense and fair seeing as we get the thin end of the stick every time.
P.S. Why was a Government site used to blatantly plug a private business ?
Comment by mercedes posted on
the banner should be in blue the mot colour not grey it looks lame and is this going to be on the national news etc needs some publicity as most people think the extension is still on as done my text today and got a answer on 3 off them had too phone them too say its ended as of the 1st off august
Comment by Craig Smith posted on
I think this should have been done a month ago. Giving this help out at the last minute is a bit lame.
Images could have been a bit more colourful, but grey is how the mot scheme is so maybe it’s appropriate.
Maybe the DVSA should push the ministry to increase the price and regulate the deducted prices now, then maybe the suspension of the test for six months won’t leave a bad taste which means we now have to work hard to flatten that curve!
Comment by Jack posted on
The test fee most defiantly needs to be increased and a fixed price. There is too many middle men out there that are simply overcharging for a test that they get at a trade price.
Comment by Alison posted on
I think the pricing on MOT’s should be regulated more. Bigger businesses can afford to use them as a loss leader, which makes it harder for small businesses.
Comment by Lonewolf posted on
Just an idea, Why don't you put this post at the top of the blog?
That way when I look at the page I don't see a 5 month post and not bother looking any further. Even more important as this one actually relates to the MOT scheme rather than trying to promote a business.
Comment by alistairharris posted on
We had - think there was a glitch with the "sticky" setting on the other post. Should now be at the top.
Thank you
Comment by john strachan posted on
very helpful thanks
Comment by Ashley Sutton Counter posted on
Why have you not got an image for Motorcycles ?
Comment by alistairharris posted on
We have now added an image for motorcycles. Thank you.
Comment by richard posted on
Any chance of removing the Covid message on the support line or at least remove it for mot stations trying to get through, I had a technical query & i had to keep listening to the message & even then I was told there was a 45 minute wait , I cant afford to wait 45 minutes & how much is the phone call costing every time I listen to the message ?
Comment by colin nisbet posted on
Could have done with a motorcycle image on these banners
Comment by alistairharris posted on
We have now added an image for motorcycles. Thank you.