We all hate going to the mechanic shop, right? I mean I work in one and I can still feel the stress coming off you guys as you walk in, not knowing what is wrong or how much money it will cost to fix it. I thought I would share a few tips for your next visit that I've learned from working in this profession for quite some time.
1) Be Early!
- No matter if your shop takes appointments or not, it ALWAYS tends to work out that the cars that arrive at the shop first thing when they open tend to also be the first to go out. It's not because we're skipping appointments, it's just the way that bay flow works sometimes!
2) Be Very Descriptive About Your Issue.
- The more information the mechanic has to go off of, the better. Even if it makes you sound a little silly, if the car is making a "squeeeeeeak squeeeeak" noise, describe it in exactly that way to the mechanic. It will save the mechanic and you both time, and in all likelihood, money.
3) Be Polite.
- As crappy as it may sound, advisors and mechanics are human and we react to things in human ways. If a customer comes in being very rude and demanding as opposed to calm and understanding, you will usually see that reflected in the service. We (believe it or not) do actually want to help you guys out whenever we can.
4) If You Are Having Mechanical Work Done, Plan to be Without Your Vehicle For at Least a Day.
- Between part stores sending the wrong stuff and running into more problems than you thought while removing old parts, plan on not having your car for at least a day. THAT way the mechanic isn't rushing, and mistakes don't happen.
5) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do Regular Maintenance on Your Vehicle!
- Believe it or not, we are not just trying to make extra sales when we offer to perform regular maintenance services on your vehicle. These flushes, filters, plugs, etc. can have a MASSIVE impact on how much trouble you run in to down the line. Maintenance your vehicle people!
I hope some of these will be helpful to you, there are more I may add to a later post but right now there is a catastrophe involving a tire machine going on in the back shop, so until next time, Thanks for reading guys!
