No matter who you are, or what kind of vehicle you drive, you're going to end up at an auto mechanic's shop.
It's inevitable. Even if you own the most reliable vehicle in the world, you're at least going to need to get your oil changed every few months or so. But even the most routine work needing to be done on your car often causes us stress.
Why?
If you pulled aside a handful of people and asked them why, you may get varying responses depending on their own personal experiences. There are, however, a few prominent reasons most of us sweat before picking up the phone and making that appointment.
Because let's face it, there are lots of us that just don't trust auto mechanics.
So here's a short list of the most annoying things about bringing your car to the shop:
3. Not knowing how long it's going to take.
There are very few of us that can say we have all the time in the world to sit around and wait to get our car back. How many of us have thought to ourselves while we wait, "Shouldn't these people know by now how long this repair is going to take -- haven't they done enough of them to know by now?"
The truth is -- they don't always know, because it all depends on the experience of the actual mechanic doing the work. If they haven't done enough work on similar vehicles, then it's hard for them to tell you when you're going to get out of there.
2. Having no idea if the repairs recommended are actually needed.
Let's face it -- most of us could not tell the difference between a radiator and a flux capacitor. How many times have you gotten a second opinion on much needed work -- only to find that the two auto shops had two different diagnosis? If the so-called experts don't even know, then how the heck are we supposed to?
When it comes down to knowing what's needed to get a repair done properly -- we are 100% at the mercy of the mechanics working on our vehicle. Do they know what they're doing? We often just can't be sure the person working on our car has enough experience to get the repair done right the first time.
And that really, really makes us nervous.
1. Wondering (and worrying) about how much this is all going to cost.
While some of us have the luxury of bottomless pockets (I believe it's something like 1% of the population), the rest of us are left to fear the inability to pay the repair bill, which can dramatically affect our everyday lives.
What if the estimate is too high and we can't pay the bill? In order to get your keys back -- the bill has to be paid.
How are we going to get to work on time? Can the kids get a ride to school from their friends? Talk about a helpless feeling.
The most important thing that any of us can do (barring spending the next decade or so learning everything there is to know about fixing cars), is take the time to find a skilled, experienced auto mechanic whose reputation is impeccable in the community.
(If a repair bill DOES cause an issue for you, there is a way to get money for repairs interest-free for 100 days -- buying you time to absorb the hit on your household budget).
If you live in, or can easily get to Northeast Philadelphia, then worrying about the 3 issues listed above can become a thing of the past. Get in touch with Mitch today :)