I’ve been in and around the automotive industry pretty much all my life and openly admit to being a certifiable car nut. As a kid, I worked in my dad’s body shop pulling parts off wrecked cars. Later in life I worked for a dealership selling new and used cars and even further down the road I worked as a service advisor before venturing off into the broadcast industry. In 1994, I had an opportunity to buy an independent repair center which I thought would be a great way to exploit my love of cars for my sons and me. But I learned very quickly that there was a whole lot more to owning a repair facility than just a love for cars and the desire to help people.
To say it was an eye opening and interesting experience would be a colossal understatement. The biggest surprise to me was how vulnerable most people are when taking their vehicles in for service and repairs. I had people run in, throw the keys at me while describing a squeak or a squeal, or try and tell me the thingamajig was making noise and so on, not realizing their vulnerability because there just wasn’t enough information to direct a technician to the problem. What that allowed was the likelihood of having to spend more money on diagnostic time, which would run up the bill in a hurry.
After a few years, I decided that there were better ways to enjoy cars then working on them, so I got back into test driving and reviewing for the manufacturers and doing our radio show and it’s safe to say, that I’m much better suited to that. There are a couple of things I learned though, that I know will help ensure that you’ll get the best care possible for your vehicle. Here’s an issue I consider to be the most frequently overlooked.
The single most important thing you must do is understand that you are, in actuality, hiring someone to work for you. Think about that for a moment. I’m pretty sure that if you were going to remodel your home, you’d talk to several contractors, check their credentials, ask to see some of their work and perhaps talk to some of their customers. Even if you don’t own a business and hire people, I’m pretty sure at one time or other you have hired someone to do something for you. It amazes me that people don’t seem to grasp that a vehicle is probably the second most expensive thing we own. Why in the world wouldn’t we do everything in our power to treat it as such?
If you’re one of the fortunate ones that has used a repair facility for a lengthy period of time, and established a professional relationship with the people there, good for you. If not, then before you need work done, do some research on shops in your area. Talk with friends and neighbors and ask who they use and how long they’ve used them. When you’ve found a couple of places that sound good, then it’s time to call and make an appointment with the owner or manager. Explain that you would like to visit with them, and tell them why. I can promise you one thing: the shops that are committed to taking care of their clients will welcome the idea.
When you get to the facility, first impressions are critical. How clean is the waiting room and the shop area? More importantly, are the restrooms clean? Trust your instincts and your first impression. Sometimes pulling into the parking lot may be enough to eliminate a shop. Yes, it is a lot of work, but your time will save you money and afford you peace of mind. You have a pretty healthy investment in your vehicle, so do the legwork. It’ll pay dividends in the long run.
More info on Cathy and Bill at, http://www.ebroadcastmedia.com
