I’ve worked on cars since I was twelve. Despite all that experience, I’m not perfect. My daughter has a poster that says, “I am perfect(ly imperfect).”
I agree with that reasoning! Mechanics are human beings too. Curious about what kinds of mistakes mechanics make? Here are four of the most common ones.
1. Failing to confirm the specifics of the repair.
I would like to share a funny story. One day, a woman brought her car to my auto shop (It’s called Great Bear Auto Repair and Auto Body Shop – come see me sometime!).
She was concerned about a noise she kept hearing. I inspected her vehicle and saw a bad ball joint. It’s a good thing I fixed it, because if that joint broke, the wheel could have fallen off.
She turned around and came back, because she could still hear that sound. Whoops. I made a mistake! The noise she was so worried about? It was a water bottle rolling around in her back-seat! I couldn’t even make this up.
2. Repairing the car without your consent.
I’d like you to remember this mantra: If you are get charged for a repair that you didn’t request, consider it free. You heard me right. It is wrong to charge a customer for a repair or a service or a product without their consent.
If a delivery guy randomly showed up at your door with enough pizza to feed an army, would you pay for it? No! You would explain that you must have been the victim of a really unoriginal prank, because you didn’t place that order.
There are a few ways to prevent this miscommunication. First, leave your contact information and ask the mechanic to call you before they perform any repairs on your vehicle. For added education, ask them to show you the problem. Finally, confirm the cost of the job so you’re not surprised later.
3. Forgetting to notify you of a delay.
Leave all relevant contact information at the front desk. If you don’t hear anything for a few hours, check in. This is especially important when you have a busy week ahead. Sometimes a job gets delayed, because the auto shop has to order a part that wasn’t in stock. Ask for a realistic time estimate so you can arrange for alternate transportation if necessary.
4. Rushing.
Mechanics don’t rush for no reason. It’s usually due to an impatient customer making them feel rushed. Never push a mechanic to hurry. They’ll do it in order to keep your business. It’s what you asked them to do. This is not for your benefit. Hurrying can cause accidents. If you’re truly pressed for time, schedule your appointment on a different day. Otherwise, bring a book and be patient.
Highly Important Note
This blog post is not meant to be a judgment of mechanics who mess up sometimes (I do too!). I’m sure you’ve dropped the ball at your job a time or two, right? Don’t feel bad. Mistakes are a normal part of the human experience. As Albert Einstein said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Please share this blog with your friends so they can be mindful of these common mistakes mechanics make.
My sister called me earlier and mentioned she needs to take her car to a repair shop, but she’s worried about them giving her costly fees, so she asked me for help. I’m glad you talked about making sure your mechanic won’t fix anything without consulting you first, so I’ll email your tips to my sister right now. Thanks for the information on how to have a pleasant experience when visiting a mechanic shop.