Mechanics Are The Lifeblood Of Our Vehicles

In much the same way that we all want a general practitioner who we feel comfortable with and able to tell them personal information which might be more than a little embarrassing at times, we need to find a mechanic we feel comfortable with and who we trust to take the best care of our vehicles.

Mechanics Are The Lifeblood Of Our Vehicles

Service centres or smaller workshops?

Mechanics, unfortunately, do not all come with stirling reputations and with customers lining up to have their vehicles attended to by these champions. There are some real gems out there, often smaller businesses who work quietly in the background – as it were – and get the job done perfectly every time. For these professionals, no job is literally too small for them to handle, and if they feel that they cannot take on extremely complex jobs due to not having access to a particular specialized piece of electronic equipment or simply a lack of manpower, they will be honest enough to tell you. After all, we are talking about the smaller auto-mechanics here, and not the big, branded auto-shops which are mostly attached to particular brands of vehicles and can often be found on the same premises as the sales division.

Stay with the best for as long as possible

For many years, my Toyota was regularly and seamlessly serviced by the workshop attached to the franchise from which I had originally purchased the car, but as the years ticked by and the value of the car dropped accordingly, it became an expensive exercise to keep on paying top-notch prices for servicing a vehicle which, admittedly, had never really had any mechanical problems. Ignore the fact that this was precisely because it had always been serviced by the best mechanics in the first place! A move across the country forced me to re-examine my servicing options and I found an amazing small workshop which specialized in Toyota vehicles, along with several other makes and brands. They provided a service which was very close to what I was used to, although without the frills and niceties such as free Toyota-branded goodies with every service as a loyalty reward. Until I eventually sold this much-loved vehicle, this small workshop remained my one and only service centre, and I never had cause to doubt my decision, and nor did my pocket!

Be wise in your choices and ask questions

This is not, however, always the case. There are those small workshops which will accommodate almost any make of car, new or old, but lack the level of expertise required for the more sophisticated models. Advances in electronic and other computer-based components in newer vehicles have consistently called for continual upgrades in the equipment needed to repair such components. Not all small workshops can afford to continuously upgrade their tools, and if they are not prepared to outsource the more intricate work to service centres which have the appropriate equipment and try to do the work themselves on less sophisticated machines, problems are eventually going to arise. I think the request from Joe Public would be a simple: “If you feel you can’t handle this issue or it’s too complex for your shop, please just be honest and let me know rather than attempting to fix a problem you feel is beyond your capabilities.” For most people who buy the best car they can afford without actually blowing the house budget, the next issue to be considered will be the cost of servicing the vehicle or being able to afford the parts needed when things go wrong.
In the UK, for instance, it is almost impossible to find a workshop which will repair and service a vehicle. Cars are much cheaper to buy overseas, and when major problems begin to crop up on a fairly regular basis, most people opt to get rid of the car and buy a newer model as it is definitely a cheaper option. Because the prices of cars – both new and used – in South Africa is ridiculously inflated, it pays to keep your existing vehicle running smoothly for as long as possible, which is why there is such a need for good workshop mechanics here.

No motor plan? Use recommended mechanics!

Over time and experience, we have found that the best way to find the right service mechanic for your car – if your vehicle is not covered by a motor plan or extended service warranty – and the cost therefore falls on your shoulders, is to ask around and speak to people who have repeatedly used the same mechanic because they have built up that assurance of trust, reliability, quality and price affordability. These are the smaller shops which will be in your corner in the fight to keep costs of parts and labour affordable whilst keeping your vehicle running smoothly and reliably between services. They are the “good guys” who will not argue if something does occasionally go wrong during a service and problems crop up almost immediately afterwards. They will not expect additional compensation to rectify the matter if they have missed a potential problem or it has gone wrong through no fault of the customer within a very short space of time.

There is a solution for every situation – guaranteed …

I am all for standing up for the smaller business which offers quality, good service, competitive pricing and specialized knowledge. This is not to say that I have a problem with the larger (and cleaner!) service centres if your vehicle warrants it and you or your motor plan have it covered financially. It’s all a matter of degree and sticking with an option that works for you in all ways. To get back to my first analogy – it’s basically the difference between going to your trusted GP for the problems which can easily be resolved but heading out to the specialist when the problems are more complex. They each have their place and are equally as important and knowledgeable in their own fields – it’s just a matter of degree.

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