Car mechanics are unfortunately up their
with lawyers, traffic wardens and investment bankers in the professions that
people tend to loath. They have a reputation for ripping off innocent motorists
and often providing poor workmanship on your most prized possession - your car.
Though there are always bad apples, the notoriety of the humble car mechanic is
undeserved.
Here are a number of reasons why getting
your car repaired isn’t as bad as you think it is:
Why garages
aren’t as bad as you think
Delays
If you own a car and are used to using it
nearly every day, not having your car must feel like a part of you is missing.
Not many things can match the frustration of a freedom-loving car driver being
forced to wait at a rainy bus stop. It’s therefore understandable that every
single day that a car is delayed at the garage, increases the resentment of the
car owner.
Unfortunately, delays just happen. There
are a million things that can go wrong with any automobile because the car is a
wonder of modern technology, built with 30,000 parts (according to Toyota), and
capable of things that would be considered near miracles a century ago. As
frustrating as it is, remember that the mechanic likely wants to get your car
out of his workshop and back onto the road as soon as possible too. You should
never just conclude that you’re being ripped off - a good relationship with a
trustworthy mechanic is something to be treasured, so don’t get angry!
Cars Are Expensive
Buying, taxing and fuelling a car is
costly - there’s no getting away with it. Our modern economy and society runs
on the transport that automobiles provide but combined with concern about
traffic issues, concern for the environment, and the government arguably using
transport as a cash cow, motoring can be terribly pricey for most people. Given
that the UK drivers pay on average £160 a month on their
automobile
and that the average new car in the UK costs £33,000,
is it really that surprising that car repairs and servicing costs a significant
amount of money? Getting a car fixed is like getting stung for £10 delivery
when ordering an electronic appliance online...except that the TV that you’ve
just bought didn’t cost tens of thousands of pounds!
You Feel Powerless
The average person hasn’t got much of a
clue when it comes to performing an auto repair. The modern automobile is a
highly complex machine that requires trained professionals to know how it works
and how to fix its problems - this means that people generally have to
completely place their trust in the mechanic. As cars are worth so much it
means that the mechanic you employ, could be effectively be responsible for
whether you stay in a luxury hotel in Cancun this summer holiday or a static
caravan in North Wales. The feeling of powerlessness is an obvious emotion when
placed in such a situation, so try not to let it affect you!
Cost Cutting Is False Economy
For all the money that car owners splash
out on their car, it is often quite surprising how little they spend on
maintenance. Perhaps because people are resentful at just how much they spend
on their wheels, they try and cut it down as much as possible - and the easiest
way of doing that is penny pinching on its service. This however is false
economy because if problems are just ignored, they invariably become more severe
which leads to whole parts failing or the issue causing problems with other
parts of the machine. Prevention is always better than a cure! When you are
purchasing a car, the actual initial payment is just a single facet of your
expense - remember to include maintenance in your automobile budget. Garages
always offer financially affordable services that can stop you having to come
in a year later with a wreck.
How to find a
good car garage near me
Word Of Mouth
The simplest and easiest way to get a
good mechanic is to ask the advice of your friends, family and work
colleagues. Take a non-mechanic’s advice
with a pinch of salt though, they may be guilty of the assumptions listed above
and unfairly tarnish the mechanic’s reputation!
Online Review
If your family, friends or work
colleagues don't know any mechanics (or have nothing good to say about them!),
why not try the internet? There are numerous sites such as ClickMechanic.com
that offer you a
conclusive list of garages around the country to choose from. All are vetted,
offer qualified mechanics and include instant fixed price quotes. The best part
is that each garage is rated by customers to ensure that you only choose
someone who is both professional and honest!
Things that you
can do yourself to cut the costs
Is Your Car Speaking To You?
As automobiles become more super computer
and less nuts and bolts, your car’s capability to self diagnose gets ever more
sophisticated. Check out your car’s diagnostic system to zero in on what is
going wrong exactly and use the internet for additional help. This lets you
know what the issue is before you go into the garage, as well as letting the
mechanics know that you know what work needs performing. Being aware of a
problem gives you no excuse to let long-term problems build up and end up
costing you a fortune when your Ford Mondeo breaks down on the motorway.
Get Quotes
The price that a garage charges can vary
considerably depending on the particular business. As with many purchases in
life, it’s always best to talk to a number of sellers to gather a list of
quotes. Though price is obviously important you should be wary of anywhere that
gives a quote suspiciously lower than the others - they might use inferior
quality parts and offer a substandard service.
Prepare
The more you know about your motor
vehicle, the better you’ll be able to have an inkling of what issues your car
may have. Even a brief flick through your saloon’s manual may be able to help
you fix something yourself. The vast
majority of mechanics are honest but if you are unlucky enough to get lumped
with a wrong’un, they will be less likely to take you for a ride (pun intended)
if you know the difference between a wheel and a steering wheel. Being able to
show your knowledge of the fuel type, engine size and model number will give a
signal to the dishonest mechanic that you haven’t got ‘sucker’ written on your
forehead in felt tip.
Invest In Yourself
Though automobiles are very complicated
machines, there are a number of simple tasks that you can do yourself if you
learn how to. A car maintenance course can help you do basic fixes and save you
a bunch of money in the long run. It can also protect you from being taken
advantage of if you are unlucky enough to pick one of the small percentage of
garages that are less than honest. These courses are often reasonably priced
and are usually in the weekend or evenings.
Tell The Car Mechanic Exactly What You Want
When you enter a garage you should ask
for an estimate of what the work will cost and be firm with exactly what you
want being done. You should request to be telephoned before they start any
additional work and be clear that the price stated includes extras, labour and
VAT. If the garage is reluctant to abide by these demands you should rightly be
suspicious and try another one. If the mechanic tells you that he or she can’t
give you a fixed quotation because of the particular issue with the car, you should
at the very least attempt to decide on a spending limit.
After the work is done and you are
settling up, you should insist on an itemised bill. This means that you are
able to see if they have added extras that you didn’t agree to or made unfair
charges.
Acorn Tyres - A
Quality Car Service Near Me
If you own a car and
live in the Aylesbury or Stoke Mandeville area, why not get your next service
at
Acorn
Tyres
? Whether its a tyre replacement, a malfunctioning
clutch or a simple MOT, Acorn Tyres is a highly reputable garage staffed with
experienced mechanics ready to give you an honest opinion and a bag full of
expertise. Give us a call on 01296 612 075!
