A little advice from a mechanics' wife.

Just a few pieces of advice I'd like to put out there for you to maybe keep in mind the next time you go to have your car worked on for whatever reason...


1. Have realistic time expectations. Just because you are taking it in for an oil change doesn't always mean that you will be in and out. It's likely that they are already busy, or have another waiting before you.  You may take it in for something relatively minor and end up having to leave it for multiple days. They might have to wait for parts to get there. They might have to order a special tool. There are several things that can slow them down. And the bigger the problem, the longer the wait.  I would say maybe have someone you can call to pick you up should the issue be more than you expected it to be.  Just know that you may have to wait longer than you expect, or want, to.

2. You get what you pay for. Unless you know someone who can give you a good deal, it's probably not going to be cheap. And as with anything else, if you go to the cheapest, fastest place- just know that you might not have the best quality work done. You'd hate to have to turn around and spend even more money to get some re-fixed just because you want speedy work instead of accurate work.

3. M is for mechanic, not magician. It takes time to check out a car and diagnose a problem. And not everything is able to be fixed quickly. Cars can be way more complicated than you'd think.  Also realize that they run into issues too. One small problem may lead to a bigger problem. They can't snap their fingers and fix it. And just because they are mechanics does not mean that every single problem is easy to figure out. I can tell you that's not the case at all.

4. Don't take your car in on E. If your taking your car in for some kind of issue other than oil change or something minor, chances are they will have to drive it down the road to hear/feel what you hear/feel so they can better diagnose the problem. And them they will likely drive it again once it's been fixed to make sure that what they did actually seemed to fix it. Don't take your car in on empty. Just don't do it.

5. Be appreciative. That's pretty self explanatory. As long as there is an honest mechanic doing work for you, you'll be taken care of. Don't be a jerk.


Today is National Tradesmen Day so I wanted to make a post having to do with my husbands profession. Many of my family have been, or can be classified as tradesmen; carpenters, electricians, wood workers, and mechanic. I actually didn't know about National Tradesmen Day until about a month ago. I think it's cool. So, today (or any day), thank a Tradesman!

 

TGIF.

♥♥♥

Brandy