February 14, 2013 - If you can answer yes to that question without a moment’s hesitation, then good for you! Though our favorite automotive doctors are not as highly trusted as the medical profession, they actually don’t rank half bad. According to the Gallup poll from 1999 through 2010, our wonderful grease monkeys of the local, and/or chain garages are actually pretty well thought of.
On the other hand, there are some folks who do not trust their mechanics very much at all. Why is that anyhow? The likely reason is that they haven’t taken the time to cultivate a relationship with this important person in their vehicles’ lives.
I make the analogy between mechanics and medical doctors for a good reason. Most of us don’t like to hop, skip, and jump around between doctors because we like to trust these ‘keepers of our health’. We like to know who is going to be poking and prodding and sticking and examining us from top to bottom. That’s understandable.
It might be wise to give that same consideration to the individual who is going to poke, prod, grease, adjust, tweak, and change your fluids too. Well…okay, your vehicle’s fluids as the case may be, but nonetheless, have you ever thought of it that way? It’s not a life or death decision for you, but it could be for your vehicle.
Next to your home, the cars/trucks/vans/motorcycles, etc. of our lives are some of the most expensive investments we will ever make. Doesn’t it make sense to take care of them? Doesn’t it make sense to trust the keeper of our vehicles health? Of course it does!
So…how do we go about learning to trust our mechanics?
The same way you learn to trust anyone else! You must build a relationship with your mechanic. You can start out by getting some recommendations from friends. You can do some Googling. You can check out the Better Business Bureau. You can do all of those things, BUT your greatest resource for getting to know them is…get to know them!
Don’t hop, skip, and jump around from one mechanic to the other. Establish a repertoire with them just as you do with your physician and their office staff. Talk to your mechanic. Learn about your vehicle and let them help you take care of your prized investment.
Invest time in this relationship and you will save thousands of dollars and many headaches!
