Contents: A view from the car service ⇊ How to behave ⇊
What we are like and how to behave. Practical advice They say that abroad, a damaged car is abandoned on the road and a fully repaired one is received at the doorstep of your own home. The insurance company is handling the car, and it also pays for the work; the owner doesn't even know which car service center did the restoration. Someday it will be the same for us, but in most cases (especially if the repair is not entrusted to a branded station) our owner, when contacting a car repair shop, is forced to enter into long-term and sometimes difficult relationships with its craftsmen and mechanics. In relationships on which, as we know, the quality of repairs and their price often depend. It is no secret that the same master performs the same work with completely different quality. And it is not a matter of ill will or the mood of the performer, but of the fact that in our far from comfortable conditions, the repair of our far from perfect machines turns into work, often creative, the result of which, among other things, strongly depends on the desire of the one who will perform it, and the impression that the customer makes on him. There is even an unspoken rule: what is the client, such is the work. And although the client is always right, his rightness has a different impact on the outcome.
What are we like? And how should we behave correctly so as not to end up at a loss in every sense?
A view from the car service
Workshop workers characterize the most typical clients and express their attitude towards them in different ways. The general picture looks like this.
The client is a "dandy". He arrives in a car hung with various "bells and whistles" and "gadgets": additional headlights, brake lights, spoilers, active antennas, etc. It seems that the main components of his car are not the engine and gearbox, but a tape recorder with speakers. Masters don't like such clients. As a rule, they are not able to appreciate all the work spent on repairing the object of their desire, but are ready to find fault with a trivial scratch that supposedly was not there before.
The complete opposite of dandies are "workers". These are people for whom a car is not just a mechanism for transportation, but a means of existence. These people mainly turn to the services of a service to perform those jobs that they cannot do themselves due to the lack of a special tool or capabilities. They don't pay attention to minor defects like the creaking of new ball joints, but they are quite capable of creating a real scandal if it turns out that, say, white silicone sealant was used to seal the cylinder head cover, and not red high-temperature.
"Rationalizers". Their cars are equipped with additional filters, electronic correctors, gasoline magnetizers, electric systems for protecting the body from corrosion, "tricked out" spark plugs. Having turned to the service with a knocking engine requiring major repairs, such clients are sincere. are surprised that, it turns out, despite all the aspect modifiers that they regularly poured into the engine, the oil still needed to be changed. Masters don't respect such people.
Very difficult to repair cars for "riders" who are used to only driving a car. Treating a visit to a car service like a visit to the dentist (go when the going gets tough), they start minor illnesses to such an extent that it is easier to throw away the car than to treat it all. On such cars it is easier not to unscrew the nuts, but to cut them off with a grinder. These people will learn with interest that a torn CV joint boot will require replacing the entire unit in a month.
In early spring, "carefree snowdrops" appear in the workshops, a variety of the same "riders". In their eyes there is a silent question: "Why is it that last fall the car ran briskly, but now it creaks like an unlubricated cart, the gears do not change, and the engine starts poorly?" They cannot understand that if the car is not preserved, then many parts of its suspension, engine, and even the body itself deteriorate more from long-term parking under the snow than from daily trips.
A special category are female drivers. As a rule, their cars regularly undergo all scheduled maintenance, the engine is clean, and the cars are well-maintained. It is difficult for women to assess the real danger of any creaking or knocking noise, and they turn to repair shops for every reason. Sometimes for trifles like replacing a blown fuse. Their cars don't give mechanics much trouble, but real craftsmen look down on them.
In general, as you might guess, car service workers treat almost all of their clients (in my soul for sure!) arrogantly and dismissively condescendingly. And not only with us. This is probably explained by the psychology of perception: "They ride, and we carry their sleds for them." There is even a saying: "The driver is just a gasket between the steering wheel and the seat, which should be changed first." Rich and not so rich, "teapots" and "know-it-alls", hot-tempered as gunpowder and calm as tanks, we are all beyond the love and deep respect of those who tighten the screws on us. Then who, if not loved, then at least respected by the craftsmen, to whom do they perform repairs most efficiently and diligently?
Based on our observations, the most successful relationships between mechanics and those who know the specifics of car repair and have at least a general idea of what needs to be done and how. At the same time, such a person is not required to be able to "tighten the screws" himself, but his knowledge and ideas are quite sufficient to understand why it was necessary to do one thing and not another, what caused the deviation from the rule and the accepted canon, and, most importantly, it is difficult to pull the wool over his eyes. He can always forgive a mistake or error, but he is capable of strictly demanding compensation for a botched job. He always knows what he wants and knows how to achieve it. Well, if there are no such skills, then there is no desire (strength, time) delve into the specifics of repair, considering that the car was not bought for that? Then you need to choose a branded car service, where quality is guaranteed by its high reputation and strict control by the management. But that's not what we're talking about now.
How to behave
The tips below will help you avoid common mistakes that affect the quality of work and its price.
1. You need to prepare for your visit to the car service. Wash the car. Especially in areas where renovations are planned. Remove all unnecessary things from it. Disable the alarm and unscrew the security nuts, placing them in a visible place. Cover the seats with old covers, a clean cloth or plastic. Some people leave a bottle of mineral water in a visible place. By doing this you show respect to the people who will be working on your car.
Try to make future work easier in every possible way. If the car has additional electrical equipment (electric lifts, ignition system additions, etc.), leave their diagrams or warn about their presence.
2. Be prepared to clearly explain the defects that need to be corrected, and ask to check the operation of those units that need to be repaired in your presence. Do not make a diagnosis yourself and especially do not give categorical recommendations. If you, for example, say "tighten the chain" when you hear it making noise, it will simply be tightened for you. And after a few days the damper will be destroyed and, for example, the entire cylinder head will fail. Ask the mechanic to listen to the engine himself (see suspension) and decide together which parts must be replaced and which ones need to be repaired.
Agree here on the list of replaceable elements and specify who will purchase them. If the service takes responsibility for quality (especially complex) parts, it is better to entrust their purchase to him, even if this makes the repairs somewhat more expensive. When purchasing parts yourself, choose the best of what is available. Don't skimp on small things - nuts, pins, dust boots, rubber bands and generally all disposable parts. Replacing them not only improves the quality of repairs, but also greatly simplifies them, and at the same time lifts the spirits of those who are actually doing the repairs.
3. If you have no idea how to fix a particular problem, don't be lazy, open the instructions or repair manual and at least get a general idea of the matter. This will add authority to you in the eyes of the mechanic, will make him work more carefully, and will make you control the progress of the work.
4. If possible and desired, be present during the repair or at least regularly inquire about its progress. In the process of work, many small questions arise: to do or not to do, to change or not to change. It is better if they are resolved immediately. In addition, defects are revealed that will be very difficult to eliminate later, but at the moment - possible. For example, when a wing or rear panel is changed, an unsightly picture of corrosion of the elements surrounding them is revealed (even new cars), it can be easily eliminated along the way, but it requires approval from the customer, since it requires additional costs on his part.
Observe the work unobtrusively, do not stand over the soul. Finding and fixing many "individual" problems is a trial and error process, and no one wants anyone to see that they are making a mistake. At the same time, be ready to answer any questions that arise or explain something to the master. He knows the car in general, and you know the behavior and background of this particular instance. Besides, only you know what type of oil is in the engine and what polish was used.
Try to control the quality of work step by step. A minor body defect that was not specified in the initial estimate is much easier to fix before priming than after painting.
5. Discuss the warranty period and the procedure for filing complaints immediately. There are especially many questions regarding the quality of painting. The GOST for this type of work allows for light shagreen and the presence of small debris, but does not allow paint drips. Our advice is not to demand a very smooth surface. It is easy to obtain by applying the thinnest layer of paint. Moreover, in this case there will be no drips, whereas light shagreen, indicating a thick layer, can be polished, and the presence of a small drip even in an inconspicuous place will significantly reduce the amount of payment for the work.
6. Nothing lasts forever, but you probably won't be happy if, say, the paint peels off right after the expiration of this warranty. Therefore, it is better if you buy consumables and some specific tools yourself, which may not be available in an average workshop (after consulting with those who will be working with them). For example, if you've ever used silicone polish on your car, invest in a special product to remove it. Some polishes containing Teflon cannot be removed with anything, and it is necessary to remove all the paint with a special remover. Buy only the best quality anti-corrosion primers, preferably two-component epoxy primers that are known to pass the salt spray test. The price difference of 50-70 thousand rubles per liter will pay for itself many times over and very quickly (just don't confuse them with paint primers!). At the very least, the can should say that they are used on clean metal and have anti-corrosion properties.
7. When you visit a workshop for the first time, think about the fact that your visit here will certainly not be your last. Therefore, make sure that the next repair will cause even less inconvenience to the mechanics: ask the master to spray the threaded and other connections with some silicone spray lubricant before the final assembly. It is better to have it in the trunk, as well as a universal liquid like WD-40.
8. Do not haggle after you have been given the final price, but before that ask for a detailed estimate with the types of individual works and their cost. This is something that makes sense to discuss in detail in order to eliminate double payment for the same work. For example, if you need to replace the brake pads and brake cylinder, you cannot automatically add up the prices for these jobs, since replacing the cylinder already requires removing the wheel, brake drum, etc.
9. And lastly. Don't try to give the master a tip as a thank you, and especially don't give him a bottle of vodka. This was the custom when his salary was 5-6 percent of what you paid into the cash register. Today, his earnings, together with bonuses and other payments, amount to more than half of the amount you paid. Find other ways to show him your respect and appreciation. For example, give an exclusive souvenir, an expensive book, a unique key or something like that.