Working in the world of auto repair changes your perspective. If you’re a car person, you may know all the working parts of the car. You may even know how to do some repairs yourself. In the past, it wasn’t unusual to have people in their garage giving their vehicle a tuneup or changing the brake pads. With the advanced technology in today’s vehicles, it is becoming more difficult to do your own work.
If you work on cars every day, train on the new technology you’ll be repairing, and invest in the tools needed, you recognize the cost of repairs is increasing. You also recognize with all the new fun technology; the cost will keep increasing. When I had my Ford Aerostar when my children were young, I had one sliding door. It slid when I pulled the handle and yanked the door open. No buttons to push. No gently gliding, light-weight door. Opening that door while holding a toddler was just part of being a mom in the 80’s and 90’s. The thing is, that was the only option to have a van door open. Now, you push a button remotely to open and close the door. But there is a cost involved for those nifty, life-altering inventions.
It’s important that we remind ourselves when we’re working with customers to maintain and repair your vehicle— that it’s your money and your car. When you have an expensive repair on an older car we work with our customers to help them determine the best course of action. But we can’t make the decision for you. We supply all the needed information and answer questions but ultimately you know your financial situation and have your own feelings about what you think is the correct action.
As the cars on the road age, we have this conversation more and more often. Keeping our perspective during this conversation is important to help you, our customer, make the right decision for you.