Thus, I am always at the mercy of auto mechanics when it comes to keeping my car in running order, and pretty much wind up paying to fix whatever I'm told is needed, whether or not it could be done elsewhere for $500 less or not done at all without jeopardizing drive-ability or safety for another 30,000 miles.
As I have owned only 4 cars in my driving-age lifetime and have driven each for close to or well over 100,000 miles, I think I have done a pretty good job of keeping my cars maintained and don't feel that I've been too egregiously bilked by mechanics.
But as an auto repair idiot, it is often a bit uncomfortable taking my car in for service when it runs beyond the manufacturer's warranty. I realize that high-mileage vehicles will invariably need to have some work done, but per my level of comprehension, mechanics could literally speak Japanese to me, write down a dollar figure of any amount and, should I give a look of incredulity, add an exclamation mark to signify the importance that the repair be done right then and there--and I pretty much will say "go ahead."
Just last November, I paid about $1,600 to have my 2004 Dodge Stratus repaired, and I couldn't even tell you what was done. Anything under the hood beyond the engine, transmission and radiator is all a mass of confusion to me, where it seems that $20 parts require $1,000 in labor to replace.
Part of the problem is that I've never found one mechanic that I completely trust and depend on. Whether because I have moved, or have chosen the garage most convenient for getting repairs done during a workday, or have been (sometimes temporarily) convinced of the superiority of new car dealership service centers, I have tended to switch between Firestone repair centers, dealer mechanics and local gas station garages.
I cannot say that I know that any of these places has done me terribly wrong, but I am also not certain that they haven't.
Which brings me to a couple of unusual experiences of late at Wil-Ridge Auto Service in Evanston, IL. It is too soon to say that Wil-Ridge is completely phenomenal--though the few online reviews I've seen have been quite glowing--but I've been extremely impressed so far with what they haven't done.
The other day, I was alerted that my passenger-side brake light wasn't working. I'd never been to Wil-Ridge before, but they are close to where I currently live--and convenience to work isn't a consideration at the moment--so I called and they said bring it in.
I did, and although their parking lot was completely full, less than 20 minutes later, my car was ready and the cost was a whopping sum of $5.
"You're used to _____ Dodge prices," said John, the owner, when I looked amazed. And while I don't feel a need to specifically disparage the Dodge dealership I've recently been using for service, they had charged me $30 to replace a brake light.
So when John suggested that I should bring my car in one morning to have the exhaust checked because he was concerned with the way it sounded, I took him at his word.
This morning I took it in and although I should've gotten there earlier than the 8:15 the I did, within a half-hour, it was ready. No repair, no $100 fee just for checking it, only that I should listen for the exhaust getting louder, as that would signify an urgency for getting it fixed. But for now, it was drivable without worry.
John very easily could have said--as other mechanics would have--that I should get it fixed then and there. And while funds are tight, I would've pulled out my credit card and done it.
But when I asked him when it should be done, noting that I wasn't currently employed, he said that I should monitor it and come back when I could better afford the $560 it would cost. No scare tactics; in fact, if anything, his lack of "get the sale" urgency was a bit off-putting as I was unsure when I should plan to return.
Yes, I realize, the lack of tactics could be a tactic in itself. But I prefer to trust people, even auto mechanics, and seeing how I could've already paid $120 more than I did for what he'd done to date, and just about anything he asked today, I'll be happy to go back to him when the exhaust--and just about anything else--needs fixing.
In this day and age, when seemingly every business in the world is trying--albeit usually without much imagination--to get business through Facebook, Twitter and the magical, mystical world of social media, companies of all types can take a cue from Wil-Ridge Auto Service and realize that the best way to engender customer loyalty and good word-of-mouth--even via social media, such as this blog--is to just treat people decently.
Exceeding expectations is sometimes only a matter of doing what is unexpected.
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