The Appointment Part 2

With your first appointment well under way it is time to start talking about what kind of things you should be looking for from the service writer, as well as the technicians that will be working on your vehicle. The way in which you are greeted is a very big thing. For myself, I always like to be sure and greet the customer with a smile and to welcome them to my shop. After I have determined what the customer has come into the repair shop for and am writing the estimate, I like to make a little small talk with the customer. Ask how their day is going, or perhaps what kind of plans they have for the rest of the day. Just something to break the ice a little bit, to make you the customer more comfortable. Another thing that should be looked at is what kind of questions did the service writer ask you as you were being checked in. If your appointment was for something basic like an oil change or perhaps something like a tire rotation, chances are there were not too many questions asked. However if you are there for something like a brake inspection or tire alignment, there should be more detailed questions asked. With a brake inspection one of the biggest questions that should be asked is, what kind of problems are you having with your brakes? For example, does your care vibrate when the brakes are applied? Or perhaps, is there a squeak when the brakes are applied? If you are there for something like an alignment, the questions would start with something like does your car pull? Or perhaps, have you noticed a tire wear problem? With any of the questions that are going to be asked the more detailed that your responses are, the better the chances are that the technician can properly diagnose the problem. One of the biggest tools in a automotive repair shop is communication. The better the communication in the shop the more effective the repair facility will run, and the better the repair work will be on your vehicle. Be as forth coming with all the information that you can think of. Maybe write down a few of the symptoms before the appointment, so you don't forget any details. If you are getting your vehicle checked for a noise, try and be as specific as possible as to when the noise started and what are the driving conditions when it happens. For example if your car has been making a noise when going over bumps for the last month, and only does it at speeds of 20-30 mph. That is information that you as the customer would want to tell the repair facility. At the same time the service writer should be asking you questions and trying to get to the root of the problem. If the service writer is not doing any of these things, chances are that you should be starting to look for another repair facility.