Auto Repair
Who Repairs Your Vehicle
Who Repairs Your Vehicle
When it comes to having routine auto maintenance or needed repairs performed, we have three choices. One choice is to do the maintenance or repairs ourselves. Another choice is to have an independent repair person or independent repair facility perform the maintenance or repairs. Our finale choice is to have one of the auto manufactures dealership perform the maintenance or repairs.
Each choice should be thought through carefully as there are positive and negative things in each to consider.
Our first choice is to do the work ourselves. On a positive note, this is the least expensive of the three choices, providing we are not just guessing at what needs to be done and we have the skills and knowledge to perform the work. Another positive note is we can have the work done at any time of the day, night or week we choose.
The negative side of this choice is the person's lack of proper tools, equipment, training and informational resources available.
Our second choice is to have an independent repair person or facility perform the work. Some positive notes here are better equipment, tools, training and informational resources available to the independents. One might ask, "isn't the lower price the independents tend to charge when compared to dealerships a big positive?" While many folks look at the lower prices of the independents work as a positive, we must understand the reason for the lower prices. More often then not, the reason for the independents lower prices is not in the price of the labor as most folks think but it comes from the price and quality of the parts used for the repairs. Many will argue that the quality of these lower priced parts are equal to or exceed those made by the manufacture. I have no information to say yea or nay here so you will have to form your own opinion on this matter.
Each choice should be thought through carefully as there are positive and negative things in each to consider.
Our first choice is to do the work ourselves. On a positive note, this is the least expensive of the three choices, providing we are not just guessing at what needs to be done and we have the skills and knowledge to perform the work. Another positive note is we can have the work done at any time of the day, night or week we choose.
The negative side of this choice is the person's lack of proper tools, equipment, training and informational resources available.
Our second choice is to have an independent repair person or facility perform the work. Some positive notes here are better equipment, tools, training and informational resources available to the independents. One might ask, "isn't the lower price the independents tend to charge when compared to dealerships a big positive?" While many folks look at the lower prices of the independents work as a positive, we must understand the reason for the lower prices. More often then not, the reason for the independents lower prices is not in the price of the labor as most folks think but it comes from the price and quality of the parts used for the repairs. Many will argue that the quality of these lower priced parts are equal to or exceed those made by the manufacture. I have no information to say yea or nay here so you will have to form your own opinion on this matter.
The negative side here is the technology used in each make vehicle, model and year is so different and changing that the independents can't keep up with all the equipment, tools and informational resources needed to efficiently diagnose and repair all the items on every make, model and year vehicle that may come into their repair facility.
Our third choice is the manufactures dealerships. Some positive notes start with the manufactures unique relationship with their dealerships. They provide to the dealerships technicians, training, tools, equipment, informational resources and a direct connection to the manufacturer's engineers that is second to none. When it comes to diagnosing and repairing the vehicles made by the manufacture, no expenses are spared. The manufacture realizes that if their products can't be repaired properly, no one will purchase them. The parts used in the repairs are direct from the manufacture and made with specifications exclusively for the vehicle being repaired. In most cases the warranties given on the repairs and maintenance performed, exceed the warranties given by many of the independents.
The negative side here comes with how each individual dealership is staffed and run. Due to the management of the individual dealership and how much emphasis is given to profit, not every technician is permitted or encouraged to take advantage of all the training and resources offered by the manufacture. Appointments sometimes are not convenient. Prices are higher on a lot of the competitive repairs and maintenance which most of the repair industry competes for. As mentioned earlier, this higher cost of repairs is not in the labor but in higher price of the manufactures parts used. The manufactures justifies these higher parts prices with the claim of higher quality. A comparison given to the difference in parts is to think of the difference in terms of a wool suit verses a polyester suit. Both may fit but which one will wear better and last longer?
Our third choice is the manufactures dealerships. Some positive notes start with the manufactures unique relationship with their dealerships. They provide to the dealerships technicians, training, tools, equipment, informational resources and a direct connection to the manufacturer's engineers that is second to none. When it comes to diagnosing and repairing the vehicles made by the manufacture, no expenses are spared. The manufacture realizes that if their products can't be repaired properly, no one will purchase them. The parts used in the repairs are direct from the manufacture and made with specifications exclusively for the vehicle being repaired. In most cases the warranties given on the repairs and maintenance performed, exceed the warranties given by many of the independents.
The negative side here comes with how each individual dealership is staffed and run. Due to the management of the individual dealership and how much emphasis is given to profit, not every technician is permitted or encouraged to take advantage of all the training and resources offered by the manufacture. Appointments sometimes are not convenient. Prices are higher on a lot of the competitive repairs and maintenance which most of the repair industry competes for. As mentioned earlier, this higher cost of repairs is not in the labor but in higher price of the manufactures parts used. The manufactures justifies these higher parts prices with the claim of higher quality. A comparison given to the difference in parts is to think of the difference in terms of a wool suit verses a polyester suit. Both may fit but which one will wear better and last longer?
Auto Repair
No comments:
Post a Comment