by Richard Serra

Created on: October 18, 2009

Auto mechanics in general are a fairly intelligent bunch in that it takes intelligence to some degree in order for them to pass the grade for what is necessary to be an auto mechanic. Dealerships try to hire the best as they have an image to protect, but the small repair shops are a little spotty when it comes to a decent mechanic.

Decent or not, they are human beings who are out to make money, and if your not smart enough, or think you are smarter than they are, you better think twice. Just like cops who stop a driver and has to listen to something he's heard over a thousand times, so do the mechanics, and in some ways, what you tell or ask them can prove a little more costly for your repair.

People make mistakes every day when bringing a car in for a repair or diagnosis, and the mistakes they make are the ones whereas they give a mechanic every reason in the world to take them to the cleaners. A knowledgeable man walks in and says very little except for what he notices are the symptoms of the cars behavior. A woman walks in with no knowledge whatsoever, and asks a lot of dumb questions (in the mechanics mind) or offers suggestions as to what "she" thinks might be the problem.

The difference between the two is that the mechanic knows that he is talking to a person that seems to be more astute when it comes to his knowledge about his car, and the woman is ready to be scalped. How so you might ask? Well, the mechanic is going to be a little bit more careful in his presenting his diagnosis to the guy with the knowledge, because he suspects the guy is looking for anything not relative to his problem.

But the woman, well, she asks "do you think it's the starter?" Or do you think it's the transmission, brakes, battery, or whatever else she might be wildly guessing. Now the mechanic has a plateful of options he can quote a price on. She doesn't realize that if the motor is turning over, it's not the starter nor the battery. So naturally the mechanic has a free pass to agree with her, and of course charge her for unnecessary work, and possibly not even replace the parts and tell her he did. What does she know?

So one important thing when dealing with mechanics is that you never offer your opinion, never ask what they think it might be unless you know yourself what the problem is, and just want the mechanic to concentrate on what you want done. What you can do is flatter him to a point by saying he was highly recommended for his trustworthy and reliable work.

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