5 Best Practices When Taking Your Car to an Auto Repair Shop
Auto repair shops are the backbone of the car repair industry and fix thousands of vehicles on a daily basis. However, nowadays, more and more people are avoiding their scheduled visits to the repair shop, considering it a cost-effective approach. Not only is this idea misleading, but it also reduces the overall life span of your vehicle and increases maintenance costs. Repairing and regularly maintaining your vehicle is highly important, and the best way to do so is by taking it to a repair shop.
And if it’s your first visit to a mechanic, we would like to share some good business practices you should adhere to. This article will cover some of the common mistakes new owners make and what should be your approach when visiting an auto repair shop.
So without further ado, let’s begin!
Learn to Communicate
Proper communication is the key to a faster diagnosis. The better you convey your message, the quicker the mechanic can detect and fix the problem. So how can you become better at communicating with your auto mechanic? You could start by making a list of the issues you are facing. Secondly, watch out for warning signs and note down the time and frequency of the issue. Keep your ear open for gunshots-like sounds or rattling noises coming from underneath the car, as it could mean you have a problem with the exhaust system, and the mechanic might try to diagnose the car for the same. However, don’t tell the mechanic what needs to be repaired until you are extremely sure. Guessing things can only make it worse and counterproductive.
If you are not certain of what’s causing the problem in your car, the best way to quickly find a fix is to tell the mechanic about the symptoms you notice. The technician can then use his or her experience to single out the problem-causing factor and repair the vehicle.
Leave your mechanic alone
Many auto mechanics complain about customers hovering over them and disrupting the natural flow of work. Some even go ahead and start suggesting various methods and techniques to the repairer. Not only is this practice annoying, but it can also prevent mechanics from working at their full potential. And it’s not that watching over them is wrong or anything, but not all mechanics are comfortable with someone having lesser knowledge about car repairs supervising them.
Remember that you are paying the mechanic, and it’s their job to fix your car. You don’t have to suggest or watch over every move they make. These mechanics are trained professionals who have acquired a significant amount of experience in the field and know what they are doing.
So take a chill pill, relax and make yourself comfortable in the waiting area and let the experts look after your car for you. And if you are bored, you can always take out your phone and try a couple of free spins before your car is ready. It’s a really fun way to spend your time in even the most boring places, all while making easy money.
Don’t drop a dirty vehicle at the repair shop
Arriving with a dirty vehicle gives the impression that you don’t take care of your vehicle. Apart from that, it’s also basic etiquette to provide a clean car to your mechanic. Not only does this showcase your good morals, but it also makes repair work easier and more effective.
Dust particles from a filthy or muddy vehicle can enter sophisticated parts of your car while repairing it. Complex repairs, such as complete transmission overhauls, require a spotless environment. Even a speck of dust particles can contaminate the circuitry or the interiors of the transmission.
Hence, always make sure you bring a clean car to the mechanic, and if you don’t have the time to clean, stop at a car wash before you visit the repair shop.
Keep in touch
Give your mechanic your contact number or email after you drop off your vehicle. This way, you can always keep track of how far the repair work has progressed. Your mechanic might also contact you for several reasons, including a new price quote or a new deadline which often happens when more troubleshooting or the use of an automotive diagnostic scanner is required. Try to make yourself available when such a thing happens. If the technician is unable to reach out, your vehicle might end up spending a lot of unnecessary time at the repair shop unattended.
Get an estimate
One should always get a price quote before leaving their car at the hands of a mechanic. Also, don’t forget to ask for an estimated time of delivery. But don’t just take their word; ask for a written work order instead of mentioning the exact price, including car parts and labor charges, along with the time required to complete that particular piece of work.
Luckily, depending on where you live, auto repair shops may be obligated to submit a complete estimate for review before starting to work on your car. I can’t be sure for Europe and the rest of the world, but it’s the case for myself in Canada, and a friend who does Mini Cooper repair in Minneapolis also assured me it was the case for him, too — I can only assume it’s the same pretty much everywhere in North-America.
Last Words
An auto mechanic is a human. After all, you cannot expect your car delivered according to your whim. Every repair shop provides service to hundreds of clients who are equally valuable to them as you are. So before you say stuff like, “Hey Joe, I want my car by tomorrow,” remember that there might be several cars already in a queue before you arrive, and if all the owners ask for a special favor at the same time, it can cause quite the fuss. Instead, you should focus on the quality of the repair rather than the speed. A rushed or hastily done repair might prove to be a significant safety hazard in the long run and can also increase your overall repair costs. Let the mechanics take their time, and if you think the repair wasn’t done properly, you can always come back and report the issue.
