In Response To a June 2008 Reader's Digest Articleby Tanya Hervey
Auto repair seems to be a favorite topic for shows like 20/20 and publications like Reader’s Digest to target in an effort to provide scam awareness to the general public;
in this blog post I’d like to focus on a particular article in the June 2008 issue of Reader’s Digest, called “13 Things Your Car Mechanic Won’t Tell You”.
The article is on page 29, or you can follow this link:
http://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/13-things-your-car-mechanic-wont-tell-you/article57830.htmlThe article is different from most of this subject that I see, because it is the result of interviews that had been done with actual auto mechanics, and although it does point out some good points, like #2 which suggests checking for ASE or other types of certification, or #4 which suggests getting an estimate before the job is done, it also goes a bit overboard with statements like #8 (from “13 More Things Your Auto Mechanic Won’t Tell You”, which is a follow-up article that you can find at
www.rd.com) which states “don’t bring your car in on Friday afternoon, because the mechanics might rush the job to get out for the weekend”. I chuckled when I read that. If that is the case, then you probably shouldn’t go to the dentist on Friday afternoons, because he might rush while filling a cavity, or don’t go to your doctor, because she might rush and forget to do blood work. It just seems like a silly statement.
Friday at Herveys Tire is the second busiest day of the week next to Monday, and we account for that. We book less hours on Fridays to leave extra time to finish up the occasional job that has taken longer than expected so that the customer can have their vehicle for the weekend. It is not unusual for us to put two techs on a job when necessary, and doing that ensures that the job won’t be rushed. Sure, after a long week we all look forward to the weekend (who doesn’t?) but our careful scheduling and large, dedicated crew allow us to get things done, even if it means paying a tech or techs overtime to stay a bit late.
Another statement I don’t completely agree with is # 12 in the follow-up article, which states that “transmission flushes are the biggest scams going”. While I do believe that some shops may recommend transmission or other fluid flushes too often when they are not necessary, fluid flushes do have their place in the industry and in the maintenance of some vehicles. The best indicator of what is recommended for your vehicle is your owner’s manual. The manual contains information straight from the manufacturer that built your car, and therefore should be the first place that you check when you need to know when maintenance is required. Take some time and read through your vehicle’s owner’s manual….you’ll be surprised how much you will learn, and it’s the educated consumer that avoids an over-eager service writer or mechanic.
That brings me to the point of “recommendations”; more specifically, how Hervey’s Tire operates and what you can expect when you bring your vehicle to us for repairs. We operate on an estimate-and-authorize-first policy --- what this means is that once we diagnose the repairs needed, we contact you before any repairs are done, which allows you complete control over the repair process. Also, although we will suggest needed repairs or maintenance, we don’t practice “up-selling”. The owners of Hervey’s Tire, Steve and Al Hervey, are on site every day, so you won’t be the victim of an employee that has been told by corporate to sell, sell, sell. Steve and Al oversee every estimate and repair, and contact our customers themselves. Check us out with this link:
www.herveystire.com/About%20Us.htm#3 in the article suggests that you “Ask, ask, ask” for “recommendations, years in business, warranties offered, licenses, and the type of equipment used” While these are all good things to know, you can save yourself time by doing some homework before you take your vehicle to a new shop --- word of mouth is the best judge of any business. If you ask ten people for the best garage in town, and eight of them tell you the same thing, then that’s the place to try. Every week we get new customers that tell us we were recommended by someone they knew. We don’t spend money on advertising (other than a yellow page ad) because we believe that our customer base is our best advertisement.
Other topics that are covered in the article, and its follow-up article are:
* asking for OE replacement parts
* checking with your dealer before replacing catalytic coverters or emissions parts
because they may still be under warranty
* being leery of a shop boasting a $49.95 brake job – chances are that cheap parts are being used
These are all good things to be aware of, as well as others that are listed. All in all, I liked this article much better than others that I have read, but the title “13 Things Your Auto Mechanic Won’t Tell You” has an ominous ring to it, and suggests the assumption that “all auto mechanics are thieves”, and even the subtitle suggests things not on the up-and-up: “Real mechanics give you the inside scoop on the tricks of the trade”. I’m guessing that the author was going for an eye-catching title; if that’s the case, then he succeeded, at least with me.
Please feel free to add your thoughts, stories or info, but please – no names if you are mentioning another repair facility.
You can e-mail Tanya Hervey at:
tanya@herveystire.comSource: “13 Things Your Auto Mechanic Won’t Tell You”
Reader’s Digest June 2008 issue
Interviewer: Fran Lostys
Interviewees: Gary Montesi, Domenic Disiena, and Bob Sikorsky
