Tips for Women at the Repair Shop (Mechanics)

By:

Chloe on 04/01/2011

Topic:

Car Buying Advice for Women.

Keyword:

Chloe's Corner.

There’s a feeling of dread that a woman gets before walking into a mechanic shop. It’s the same feeling she might have before entering a football stadium locker room or a 3-day trout-fishing tournament – trepidation. The distinct feeling that she’s about to get taken for a ride, and not in her freshly repaired vehicle.

Don’t let this happen to you. Here are a few tips to help you brush up on your game before you enter the arena.

• Choose wisely – Find a mechanic before you need one. While this seems a little overly thorough, you’re much more likely to make a better choice when you aren’t desperate to get your car fixed, stat. It’s exactly like not going to the grocery store when you’re hungry, otherwise you wind up with beef jerky and packaged cupcakes in your cart. Also, it’ll give you time to get recs and opinions from your female friends, just like you do for a blind date or killer manicurist. Women are fantastic about using word-of-mouth to share their excellent experiences, so capitalize on this by asking around.

• Educate yourself – This may sound obvious, but in order to make sure you aren’t getting ripped off, you need to know what’s being done, as well as how much it should cost, on average. The almighty Googs should be able to give you an idea on price, and you can start here with my series on car maintenance to brush up on your Gearhead know-how. If YouTube taught me to tie a bowtie, it can teach you what happens during the repairs on your car.

• Get a written estimate – Know why? Because it’s harder to go back on something or tack more onto it if it’s in writing. That’s why half of America gets a pre-nup now. So, Jessica Simpson your repair shop into putting it down on paper, that way your hard-earned coin stays in your pocket, at a nice 98 degrees.

• Shop around – Just like sussing out the newest gadget on eBay, you can shop around for your repair work. Try to stay away from the dealership’s repair shop, since their whole job is to sell, and instead focus on independent mechanics that specialize in your car’s brand.

• Don’t cop an attitude – Don’t automatically assume that every mechanic is going to try and rip you off, that just isn’t the case. Assuming that will make you act like a starlet without her morning coffee, and being a jerk only gets you bad customer service. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Got any foolproof methods that have worked for you in the past? Let us know in the comments, so we can add them to our list.