Where should I get my car serviced?
Where was it done last time? Was it a reasonably pleasant experience or, at least, relatively painless? Did all or most of the following occur:-
- Did you arrive on time
- Did they immediately acknowledge you
- Did they listen to you
- Did they fully understand your requirements
- Did they make it clear what they intended to do
- Were you advised when the job would be finished and the likely price
- Was parking easy and the yard tidy
- Was the receptionist and the office tidy
- Was the waiting room acceptable
- Did they actually do the job you wanted
- Was the price close to that expected
- Did they find that additional work was required & did they seek your approval first
- Was it ready on time
- Did they clearly explain the final invoice
- Did they indicate when you were next due and what would then be done
- Was the vehicle clean when you collected it
OK, all fairly clinical and the minimum that should happen. However, were you really comfortable? Were you given all the time you needed to get an explanation clear to you? Was their advice particularly pertinent for you? Did you feel they really appreciated your personal circumstance and tailored their scope of work and payment plan accordingly? Are they consistent in their manner?
Would you say that the overall degree of your satisfaction and comfort is a big thing in choosing to go back next time and whether you would recommend them to friends? That last point is probably the clincher – would you be confident in recommending them? Use the above as a guide to compare your current service and repair workshop.
Do not feel forced to attend the shop insisted on by a sales person under threat that either the warranty will be voided or that they have greater technical knowledge. Under current Consumer Law the warranty is protected provided your service man carefully follows the Manufacturer’s Logbook procedures. And technically, there are now laws in Europe and USA that require the Manufacturers to make vehicle information fully available to all legitimate repairers. Similar laws will soon be enacted in Australia. Remember, the choice is yours!
Happy motoring and for more info log onto www.jackmans.com.au
Your Team
