Vauxhall - Survey Reveals The Uk Public Does Not Like Looking After Its Health, Home Or Cars

LUTON, UNITED KINGDOM – March 22, 2010: In a new survey commissioned on behalf of the Aftersales team at Vauxhall, one thousand consumers were asked to list which everyday activities they put off and what their reasons were for doing so.

Topping the list in all regions of the country as the tasks consumers were most likely to try to avoid were: DIY with 42 per cent of the vote, exercise in second place with 32 per cent and car servicing third with 27 per cent.

The survey found that consumers were split into two camps. When asked, 57 per cent cited concerns over cost as their reason for delaying activities while a slightly larger number of people, 69 per cent preferred to delay so that they could focus on other ‘more interesting’ activities.

While those in the South East and the West Midlands came out on top as least likely to put off irritating tasks, those in Yorkshire & Humberside listed DIY as their most hated task with 55 per cent of people hoping to postpone. Exercise was most likely to be put on the back burner by those living in Scotlandwith 45 per cent or respondents preferring other activities, while car servicing was least likely to be carried out on time by 33 per cent of those living in East Anglia.

“It’s worrying that nearly a third of those questioned felt comfortable about delaying their next car service,” said Andrew Curley, Vauxhall Service Channel and Aftersales CRM Manager, “Putting off servicing may seem like a good idea in the short term but it can lead to more expense and worry in the long term.”

“The top four reasons for MOT failures according to official government reports from VOSA (The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) are lights, brakes, suspension and tyres, all of which would be checked during regular servicing. The percentage failure rate in each category has been rising steadily over the last few years with light and brake defects now affecting almost 20 per cent of cars failing their MOT.”

Mr Curley continued: “This of course has worrying implications for the safety of passengers and pedestrians but failures in categories such as tyres also have an impact on the environment as fuel consumption is adversely affected when tyres are not correctly looked after.”

Speaking on behalf of human psychology experts, ThinkSpaLondon, Mamta Bhatia commented: “People may put off activities that make them feel uneasy or uncomfortable. They may also worry that the results of certain activities are out of their control and influence, which leads to procrastination and an overwhelming desire not to act.

“People should be encouraged to have a solution before a potential problem arises. For example, thinking about and being aware of the benefits of having your car checked regularly can help take away the negativity that surrounds the activity. With the benefits in mind and a proactive nature you wipe out the guilt that comes from delaying tasks.”

Vauxhall MasterFit offers a variety of service and maintenance packages to help cover the cost of essential parts and maintenance. There are over 400 Vauxhall MasterFit centres across the UK many of whom are open seven days a week to make booking a service as convenient as possible.