Can customers get fired? Heck yes, they can.

It sounds crazy since the customer service mantra is "the customer is always right" but there are certain industries that are willing to "fire" troublesome customers. Those customers are the ones that cause the business to lose money, lose time, and lose marbles. One of those qualities exclusively probably won't get a patron fired, but all of these combined will definitely do the trick. A mechanic is willing to listen to a customer with complaints and anxieties, as long as they are willing to pay the bill. On the other hand, a person who never seems to be happy, no matter how much blood sweat and tears the tech put into their car, and then to top it off, isn't willing to pay, is not worth the hastle. This may seem far fetched to some people, but I believe that customers like that have a broken MORAL COMPASS. The mechanic is still human and deserves respect (as long as he is honest and thorough). It is not OK to treat a guy on the street like trash, so it shouldn't be OK to treat your mechanic like a minimum wage grease monkey.

My husband sacrificed for years to get his education. He has a skill that most people do not, so his time is worth what he asks. I am referring to a specific incident. A gentleman called that J never worked with before, so my husband went to his house to fix his car. (By the way, the trip alone costs $20 because of our lovely gas prices.) There was a problem that was not exactly clear so he fixed a few things on the car to see if that would solve the problem. He spent several hours going back and forth to get parts and make sure the job was done correctly. Unfortunately, the original problem was not fixed. He charged $75 for the work that was done because that is what they agreed on, even though he ended up doing more work than that. He told the guy he would go back over and pull his dash out for him for FREE if the problem was not fixed. Meanwhile, they were texting back and forth, and J was giving him tips on what to unscrew or move and other car related stuff. The guy found the the wire that was causing a problem and fixed it. He texted back that he was more "pro than the pros" and that he wanted a refund. He told my husband that he was only worth $8.50 an hour.

I'm not going to lose any sleep over this dude because I'm sure he has a lot of other issues he is dealing with. My point is, that is no way to conduct yourself when you are doing business. Sure, you have to stand up for yourself if you are being taken for a ride, but in this case, the only thing my husband did wrong was to get involved in the first place.

Let's all try to make the world a nicer place. Peace out people!  

6 Ways to Tell if Your Mechanic is Trustworthy

1. Ask to look at the problem. Most of the time, there will be a physical manifestation of the problem on your car, although there are a few exceptions.  

2. Have the mechanic explain the problem. Keep in mind that even though it is bad customer service to be condescending to patrons, it does not necessarily mean they are dishonest.  

3. The use of technical jargon is not necessarily the sign of a dishonest mechanic, but watch out because he (or she, in some cases) could be doing that to confuse you.

4. An honest mechanic will prioritize your car's needs. A good mechanic will tell you everything they see wrong with your car, just so you are prepared, but they will also tell you if work can be put off. My husband will look at cars that were diagnosed as needing brakes, but when he takes a closer look, the brakes have a good month or two left on them. When we are struggling financially, a month can make a world of difference.  

5. Watch if he says no to unnecessary work. For example, the lube guys say you have a leak. When you take it to the mechanic, they tell you it was misdiagnosed and the car is fine.
Look for patterns. If you leave every appointment with the impression that your car is going to explode if you don't get every single thing done they tell you to do, there may be reason for suspicion.

6. A mechanic that does quotes over the phone is questionable. No one knows what a car needs unless they see it, so it is likely they are just trying to get you into their shop. Often those initial quotes end up wrong and they raise the price on you when you come to pick up the car.

There is no hard and fast rule to tell if the technician working on your car is being honest, but if you keep all these things in mind, you will start to notice pros and cons to the shop you are trusting your car with. Good luck!  

ICE

My friend from church said that we all need to program ICE into our phones. 

It means In Case Of Emergency. 

Enter the name and number of someone who you would like to notify if, Heaven forbid, emergency personel need to call someone to help you because you are unable to communicate.

Did you know???

Did you know the DMV has a machine that does your registration for you? 

Now if you are cutting it close to the deadline (like I always do) you don't have to brave the lines or mail it in and hope for a quick sticker return. They will let you walk in, avoiding the line entirely, slip your money and paperwork in the machine and viola, your sticker comes out. 

Congratulations to the government for making ONE thing more efficient.  

You get what you pay for!

Even when the economy is running smoothly, a lot of people try to save money here and there by buying cheap products. 

Maybe saving a dollar on shampoo will be worth the sacrifice, but there are some things that should not be scrimped on. Items that you should not go cheap on are the ones that you put in your car to make it go. Sure, you could say that I am biased because I am married to a mechanic, but it is in your best interest to repair your car to it's maximum potential. 

If you have to feed your family Ramen noodles for a week to be able to afford it, please consider the benefits: 

The parts are going to last longer. Say you have the option to buy a $300 part vs. a $200 part. The $200 one has no warranty and is likely to poop out in a year. The $300 part has a 2 year warranty, but you are sure it will last the entire two years. At the end of the two years with the good part, you spent $300 and with the cheap part, you spent $400, plus the extra time you spent at the mechanic. 

You will also save on extra expenses: If a part fails and has to be put in again, the mechanic still has to be paid for his work. 

I think this applies to more areas of life than just in a car. I am learning that sometimes the savings aren't worth the sacrifice to the enjoyment I get to have in life.  

 

Changing the Stupid Oil

If the engine is the heart of your car, the oil is the blood. 

The oil is a lubricant that reduces friction in your cylinders. (Cylinders are like the guys in the bottom of the boat pushing and pulling the ores.) When the oil first goes into your engine, it is a translucent caramel color. 

To check your on your oil color and to see if there is enough, get your Manuel to find the dipstick in your car and pull it out. Wipe it off and put it back in. (The car moving around will give you an inaccurate idea of how full the engine is.) Take it out again and that is how much oil is in the car. The dipstick should tell you where the full level is and where the lowest level can be. 

As time goes by, it gets darker and thicker and does not lubricate as efficiently. 

Here is some dirty oil. MMMM, tasty. 

This is why we have to change the oil and the filters at regular intervals. Cars used to get oil changes every 3,000 miles, but now there are synthetic oils that can go as long as 5,000 miles. It is more expensive, but worth putting off the next oil change for at least a few months.   

Those dudes at oil change shops can afford to sell such cheap oil changes because they try to tell you that all sorts of things are wrong with your car so that you will get those things done there. Usually they are wrong. Don't tell them to "suck it," or anything because it is always nice to be nice:), but check with a mechanic you trust before getting anything done.  

My icky steering wheel!

My hubby and I decided to take some baby wipes to our steering wheels this week. I recommend that everyone who uses their hands on a steering wheel do the same. 

I'm sure some of you out there keep a cleaner or more disinfected car than I do so this probably won't apply, but if you haven't wiped down the spots you touch the most, it is probably in order. Don't forget the gear shifter, the radio buttons and the door handles.

Just think of all the nasty stuff that is collecting there. EEWW

Healthy Driving Friends!