Why this customer thinks the auto shop rocks

This particular person — me — thinks the auto shop rocks.  I don’t care if you’re an independent, a dealer, or whatever.  You have saved me from many a jam in the 10+ years I’ve owned a car, and it’s overdue that I say thank you for it. 

My first car was a 1987 Buick LeSabre my parents handed down to me and my sister when my parents — who bought it new — moved and didn’t need a car anymore.  The guy at Meinike helped me with my choices when (a) the brakes were almost shot when (b) it failed inspection and (c) I was lucky to have two dimes to rub together.  

Oh, and there was the time that I had to have the fuel injection repaired when the lines to two cylinders when kablooey.  But that car was solid, the only reason we got rid of it was when the master brake cylinder blew at 160,000 miles and it was pretty much a no-brainer to just get rid of it…oh and besides that my sister was getting married and I had just bought a new car.

Said new car was a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix.  Hey my first new car!  VROOM!  Well I had an occasional water problem with the sunroof, but hey that was an aftermarket roof and the installers tried to fix that small water leak that happened whenever I parked downhill in my neighborhood.  Oh well, I can deal with that with a towel, no biggie.  

Now, the time that the big transmission repair had to be done — some solenoid failed in the transmission — well the DEALER’S SHOP found that one and it was fixed under warranty.  Let’s see, they did the brakes too, good thing because I was going on my honeymoon like 2 weeks later and my wife and I had 2 pennies to rub on that one.  Oh yeah and Merchants saw how much of my tires were ripping apart and were wondering how I got 36K out of 30K tires.  How I wish I still had it, I mean I brought my first child home in that car… 

And since then I have a 2005 Dodge Magnum SLT.  Yes I would rather have a Hemi in it, but the V6 is fine for me, thank you very much, since I have two babies to worry about now.  If you need a good shop, call Fitzgerald on Rockville Pike in Maryland, I mean they found a really atypical lube problem in the right front of the AWD system when I perceived something and replaced the whole right front under warranty. Maybe the TSB on that, if there is one, has my name all over that.

So those are my shout-outs to the techs.

I think I am blessed in some way to have encountered mechanics and techs out there who have put time, energy and skill into fixing my cars as well as they have.  Probably it’s because I’ve always been careful to tell the service writers about what issues I do have, or at least perceive to be happening, when I go in — communication is key you know, and having been on the receiving end of the customer service line for 5+ years, you can bet I learned quick about how clear, rational communication is what evey rep wants, not overly-emotional and panic-driven screaming.

Personally I wish every moron out there that screams at you guys for no reason should get their cars and drivers license taken away and have to take the bus.