Can you really trust a mechanic? (part 2)

I own an auto repair shop, but I really hate working on cars. I am not a mechanic by trade, nor by hobby. My first foray into auto mechanics was when I took shop in 9th grade. The school had just purchased a new 500cc motorcycle engine for the shop’s use. My partner and I were the first to tear it down and put it back together. Unfortunately, we had a handful of pieces left over when we finished. My experiences with auto repair just went downhill from there.

There were a lot of minor things I could do on my own vehicles. Most of the time, however, I had to look for a mechanic. My friends and family had just as difficult of a time as I did finding an honest shop, so I got no recommendations there. Where do I go? How will I know what I’m being told is the truth? Auto repair is such a mystery, and finding a shop I felt comfortable with was always hit or miss (mostly miss).

The problem is that I was never made to feel comfortable. No shop ever made an effort to build or develop any trust. It was about as bad as going to a doctor to diagnose a persistent cough. I’m in a cold, small room – naked, with a piece of paper (they call it a gown, further humiliating my manlihood) covering my front side. My bare thighs stick to the vinyl bench, and its paper cover creeps ever so slowly up my backside with every move and adjustment. I want to pass the time reading the ancient copy of Nursing Today on the chair, but also wonder how many sick people have put their grubby hands on it (I’ll just sit here and wait). The doctor flings open the door, exposing my half naked body to the hallway pedestrians. I struggle to keep the gown from floating up with the draft of the open door. The doctor is as cold as the room, with no bedside manner whatsoever. He makes no effort to warm up his stethoscope before pressing it onto my skin. He shoves a flashlight tip in my ear and gags me with an oversized popsicle stick. His notes are a series of heiroglyphs purposely scrawled so that I can’t decipher his prognosis, which doesn’t seem to really address the problem anyway.

“Take this to your pharmacy and come back in two weeks if you don’t get better.”

What! Are you guessing!? But you know what, I fill the prescription anyway, took the meds, and went back to another doctor two weeks later. Why? Because the doc made me so uncomfortable and did nothing to make me believe he knew how to fix my problem, or make me like him whatsoever. No trust.

So, what was I looking for in a repair shop that was so difficult to find? What eluded me for so long? It really was a combination of things that are the backbone of trust:

* Sincerity. Sincerity by itself does not build trust. I could be sincerely lied to. However, you can sense sincerity, and it helps.

* Respect. Talk to me like you would your own mom, not like to another mechanic. Most people will nod their heads ‘yes’ but have no idea what the mechanic is talking about. Make sure I comprehend. Respect my time and honor your commitments.

* Courtesy. Be professional with me. Use common courtesies like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Be kind and use my name. Look me in the eyes (it makes me feel like you are not lying).

* Honesty. Don’t tell me I need to do something. Don’t use scare tactics with me. Be honest about your opinion and give me choices or priorities. If I don’t need the repair, tell me and you will have earned a customer for life.

* Show me. It makes a lot more sense when you show me what you are talking about. In addition, I feel much more confident and know you are not hiding anything.

* Fix it. If you say it will be fixed I expect it. If you believe there may be additional unseen problems at least make me aware of it beforehand. If you make a mistake, correct it.

* Comfort. Look at things from my perspective. Keep a clean and comfortable waiting area. Make sure your magazines are current and interesting. Your bathroom better be spotless because I’m not sitting on a dirty toilet seat.

This is how I’ve always wanted to be treated at an auto repair shop, and I never found it. Close, but not completely. Because I am not a mechanic (but an auto repair consumer), I see things from a consumer’s perspective. I strive to make our shop a place I would have gone to; a place my mom would feel comfortable in; a place I feel confident in recommending.

Is this too much to ask for? I don’t think so.