| Years ago we used to use the local "service station" | | | | reputable. He thought the transmission was breaking |
| for basic car repairs, such as tune-ups, lube jobs, tire | | | | down and that I should replace it, at considerable |
| rotations, oil changes, etc. There was usually a senior | | | | cost. I took it to another who thought there was a |
| guy there who you trusted to take care of your car, | | | | problem with the engine seals. I finally took it to a |
| and if he didn't know how to take care of a problem, | | | | mechanic who studied the problem and discovered |
| he would know someone reliable who could. But local | | | | that the belt was simply on backwards and rather |
| service stations disappeared as the price of gasoline | | | | inexpensive to correct. |
| escalated and replaced by mini-marts that also | | | | To me, auto repair is about trust. If I trust the |
| happen to sell gasoline. | | | | expertise of the company or individual working on |
| Today you basically have four choices for taking care | | | | my car, I will gladly pay them whatever they ask. But |
| of your car; do it yourself, dealerships, service | | | | if the trust is broken by either a mechanical snafu or |
| centers, and independent mechanics. Sure, you can | | | | harvesting of the consumer, I'm going to pick up my |
| still repair your automobile yourself, if you have the | | | | marbles and go somewhere else, and blacklist those |
| time and inclination to do so, but cars have become | | | | who have wronged me, as well as tell my friends |
| more complicated over time, as well as | | | | about them. |
| over-engineered, making them much more difficult to | | | | I have seen a lot of mechanics come and go in my |
| work on than years ago. You can also take it to the | | | | area. Those that are out to make a quick buck |
| dealership where it is typically "hit or miss" in terms of | | | | rightfully don't last very long. But those who are |
| getting good workmanship. More troublesome to | | | | honest and conscientious about their work are worth |
| consumers though is when they go in for one thing | | | | their weight in gold (such as the mechanic who |
| to be fixed, and the dealership recommends five | | | | figured our my belt problem). If you find such a |
| more things; I call this "harvesting" of the consumer | | | | mechanic, hold on to him and tell your friends about |
| by the dealership, others call it a "shakedown," but it | | | | him. Without such support, these craftsmen of the |
| is an expensive proposition nonetheless. | | | | auto world will eventually disappear. |
| Service centers are usually run by tire companies | | | | When we go into service shops, we want to believe |
| who also try to "harvest" the consumer by selling | | | | they will maintain our best interests like they did at |
| new tires at every opportunity. I also don't find the | | | | the service stations of yesteryear. In reality, most |
| mechanical workmanship to be very good at these | | | | are interested in only maintaining their own interests |
| places. I had a mechanic at one of these centers | | | | and consumers are crestfallen when we discover this, |
| replace a worn belt on my engine. Unfortunately, he | | | | usually too late. Perhaps what is needed is an |
| put on a new belt backwards which caused the | | | | independent consumer rating system implemented |
| water pump to spin backwards causing the car to | | | | over the Internet whereby we can grade the |
| overheat and make a strange squeaky noise. It took | | | | companies and people who service our cars. Without |
| me a long time to figure out what was wrong. I took | | | | such a watchdog, we will inevitably go on spending |
| it to an independent mechanic who appeared to be | | | | good money for bad service. |