Quite often, during my radio show, I have people call me and complain of sub-standard service from sub-par auto service providers. They usually try to group all service providers under the same negative umbrella. Upon probing and questioning, I usually find that the caller was “deal shopping” for auto service. Be careful! Yesterday’s prices were based on yesterday’s cars. Today, not only has the ball field been upgraded, but the game has changed!

First, let’s take a look at the deal shopper. It usually goes this way... Mr. or Ms. Customer takes their respective car in for service because of a drivability problem of some sort. Perhaps there’s a vibration at a certain speed, or an engine miss, sometimes it’s transmission related or whatever... Once the shop has evaluated the malady, they give an estimate for repairs, which the customer doesn’t like. So the customer pays the bill for the diagnostic services (which they don’t like to pay for) takes the estimate in hand, and starts shopping around for the lowest price they can find for the service. They try playing one shop against another in an effort to start a price war.

Busy, successful shops will not get involved in this type of gaming. They usually politely and quickly quote the shoppers and move on because they don’t have time to play such games. If they get the job, great! If they don’t, oh well... they have plenty of other loyal and dedicated customers to serve. So frankly, they don’t have the time to cater to the “deal shoppers” that try to beat them out of every dime of profit every which way they turn.

Where does this leave the deal shopper? In what I refer to as (Twilight Zone music starts, voice echoes and trails off) “auto service limbooooooooo.” You see, by getting into price warring, you expose yourself to the likelihood of getting sub-par auto service. By choosing the shop that offers a significantly lower price, they have to cut quality somewhere. So they install lower quality parts, hire lower quality personnel, “get by” without up-to-date, state-of-the-art information systems, tools, technology, diagnostic equipment, and training. All this makes for sub-par services, which will cost you time and money (which are one in the same, resulting in double losses!) in the long run.

Speaking of deal-seeking, some of you out there want your car serviced for the same prices you paid years ago. But you may argue, “Tom, I am willing to pay the difference that inflation has made. However, prices are a lot steeper than that for most auto repairs today.” Of course they are! Just look at the price of the average mid-size car .... $23,000 (compared to about $4800 in 1975)! Why is this? Cars cost more because of the advanced technology (this is a whole other article). Service costs more because of the training required to work on this highly complex equipment.

Today auto technicians are not the same breed as the mechanic of yesterday’s car. The tools of today’s auto techs include, not only wrenches and sockets, and screwdrivers, but also computers, electronic probes, gas analyzers, and a myriad of other electronic test equipment (each with its own set of software for each make, model and year). Yesterday’s service manuals have been replaced with on-line computer systems that house hundreds of thousands of pages of technical information about each make, model and year. To analyze and process this information and translate it into an effective repair, the technician must go to college and master courses in such disciplines as physics, electronics, thermal dynamics and chemistry. They also study English, math, computer science and sociology to round out their education and develop their communication skills. Technicians must be prepared to resolve malfunctions on autos that are more complex than any failures that may have occurred on any of the Apollo Moon Mission space crafts.

Servicing computer-controlled engines, brakes, suspension systems, climate control and traction control systems all interconnected by electronic multiplexing is not a task for the untrained individual. Each time you start your engine and place the gear selector in drive, over one million conversations are taking place every second between several computers to insure that the journey you are about to embark upon is as safe, efficient, and comfortable as possible. Trained technicians take this responsibility seriously. They understand that you are relying on them to provide accurate diagnoses and effective dependable and safe repairs. So for those of you who thought you were paying a mechanic to work on your car, I hope you now realize that you are paying a technician.

Article printed with permission from Tom Torbjornsen find his website at: http://www.carshowtomt.com.