A recent report stated that over 80% of the vehicles on the road have one or more service or repair that’s needed, but hasn’t been taken care of. Now that’s a lot of undone service. That translates into something over 160 million vehicles in the US alone. Some of the neglected items are minor. Others are serious safety concerns.
There are several reasons why drivers hesitate to take care of recommended services, especially services that a service advisor recommends when we’re in for something else, like an oil change.
The first issue boils down to comfort with car care. Drivers don’t always feel we know enough to make good decisions. Drivers who don’t know as much about cars hesitate to ask questions because they don’t want to look ignorant. It’s human nature. But, there’s so much to know in this world, we drivers can’t all be experts in everything. So we specialize. It’s very important to ask questions of any specialist, whether it’s your doctor, financial advisor or your automotive technician.
Your technician wants to hear your questions. They want you to understand the recommendation and why it needs to be done. That brings us to the next issue. Folks say that they don’t always know if they really need the service or if they are just being sold something.
At the heart, it speaks to trust. Do you trust your service center and your service advisor? Trust has to be earned and that takes time and experience. But you can shortcut the process when you realize that most of the recommendations are based in manufacturer’s maintenance schedules.
In other words, “you don’t have to trust me, you can trust your owner’s manual”.
Basically, the engineers who designed your vehicle say here’s when you need to have it serviced. That’s who makes the recommendation, not your service advisor. They’re just reminding you.
Now drivers do need to trust your technician’s experience and judgment from time to time. When they inspect your vehicle, they may find problems or concerns. They will explain things so that you can prioritize the concern and make a good decision about whether or not to have something done.
That brings us to the third issue. Money. Often the concern is about spending the money to take care of a recommended service. Our money has many places it needs to go. And drivers have another list of places we want it to go. Auto maintenance isn’t usually on those lists.
Service centres work hard to make sure that they diagnose the problem correctly and fix it right the first time. That’s the only way they can maintain their reputation and remain in business. If they’re not satisfying you and providing a good value, you won’t come back and the service center won’t be around for long.
When there is a real budget concern, your service advisor can help you prioritize the work that needs to be done and come up with a plan for taking care of it that works within your budget.
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403-293-3438
