Many people are hesitant or wary of working with their local mechanic when their car starts to give them trouble. Instead of allowing a professional to work on their vehicle, quick home fixes or expensive dealership trips are made. In today’s blog, we will be discussing different ways that you can work with your local mechanic in order to feel completely secure with the work they can do for you!
Communication
Your mechanic is not a mind reader or the driver of your vehicle. When issues arise, it is important that you are fully able to communicate the situation to your mechanic. If there’s a weird sound occurring, try video or audio taping so you can show them exactly what is happening. Also, if previous work has been done to your car, make sure your current mechanic is up to date on all those details. Maintaining communication will ensure they are able to work on, and solve, all the problems you are having with your vehicle. It is also important to receive good communication back from them. Find out what they believe the issue is, how long it should take to fix, and how much the cost will be. Exchanging numbers so that you can stay in contact while the repairs are being made is also a great way to stay in touch.
Realistic Goals
There are a variety of reasons why you might take your car to a mechanic. All these various issues have different ways of being fixed. Some fixes are easy and should solve the problem entirely. Other fixes are quick and temporary, so you can buy time between now and finding a more permanent solution. These different goals and outcomes should be discussed with your mechanic so that you have a realistic goal in mind. These types of goals will keep you from feeling disappointed and let down when your mechanic is unable to completely fix the problem.
Don’t Hover
Depending on the type of repair you are asking for, the time spent waiting for your mechanic to finish could be short or lengthy. In the case that it is a quick fix and you choose to stay and wait for your vehicle, it is important to give your mechanic space and stay in the designated waiting area. Hovering around your mechanic while they are performing the repair can cause delay in the amount of time it takes to finish, which lengthens the amount of time you’re waiting and also makes it difficult for other people hoping to get a repair. When you are left waiting for your vehicle, it is best to stick to yourself and allow the mechanic to do their work in peace. If you plan on staying while your car is being repaired, bring things to entertain yourself. Bring a phone charger if you plan on playing on your phone or watching a movie, bring a book or magazine, or bring along a sketch book or knitting materials if you have an easy to set up hobby that you enjoy. Allowing your mechanic the proper, unbothered time it takes to correctly finish up your repair is not only good for you, but also helps the people waiting for repairs after you!
Conclusion
Hesitating to send your car to a local mechanic is understandable. When you don’t understand how to work with your mechanic, the idea of taking your car anywhere other than the dealership or to a friend’s garage can be scary. In today’s blog, we discussed ways you can work with your mechanic in order to receive the quality and affordable repairs that you deserve. For more information on mechanic work, head on over to Mike’s Brake & Alignment Shop’s website!