4 Things To Look For When Searching Mobile Car Repairs Mechanic
In today’s busy fast paced world, customers are looking more and more to convenience when it comes to getting those mundane jobs done.
Think about how rapidly mobile businesses have grown from nothing over the years. Now you can have your pool cleaned, your lawns mowed, your cleaning done, meeting with financial institutions, dogs washed, haircuts, massage, dentistry, food delivered and so much more. As you would be aware there is a well-known franchise that pretty much has every home service covered out of a mobile van.
Convenience is King as we spend more time working, we want to spend more time doing the things that you really want to do like spending time with family, going for coffee, play and watching sporting events, travelling and just relaxing. The saying “you are here for a good time and not for a long time” seems to be more of a focus than ever before.
If we look back to the Baby Boomer generation who saved their money, bought houses, investment properties and were frugal with their money. They also did a lot more work around the house, like the lawns, general repairs, painting etc. However when Gen “Y”s and future generations appeared on the scene, it was more and more about living for the day.
Even though I sit on the boarder of Baby Boomer & Gen “Y” I have done my time working around the house every weekend and spending time (normally most of Saturday) doing those mundane tasks.
With three teenage girls, my wife and I want to spend time at their sports games, dancing and taking them to places of interest, not sitting at a tyre store or mechanical workshop waiting on my car.
Today we are spoilt for choice when it comes to mobile services and in particular mobile mechanics. So what do we need to look for when researching or booking a mobile mechanic.
1. Research your Mobile Mechanic
It has become much easier to google broad groups today and drill down to individual companies and read their google reviews. This is just a starting point as companies easily ask family and friends to add comments on google and make their business look potentially better than it really is.
Try to look at a cross section of comments and the company responses to bad feedback as customers find it easy to go straight for a poison pen if things don’t go their way i.e. there was more wrong with their car than the customer expected, they did not realise the inside of their tyres are worn and need replacing etc. No one likes surprises that cost you money, especially when driving the car, you did not notice anything different, so why does it need fixing??
If predominantly there are good google reviews with the odd poor one, then this is a good start.
2. Your Mobile Mechanic is like your Family Doctor to your Home Fleet of Vehicles
One of the reasons you go consistently to a doctor or GP is because they have a good reputation and you like the service. An important part of the service is that you build a relationship with the doctor and he understands you and your family history. So when you visit the doctor he or she has a file on your whole family history and can make an informed decision on what could be wrong with you, what check ups you need, given your age and lifestyle and any specialist you may require, should that be necessary.
My wife and I both decided on the same GP before we got married and took all our children there as well. It was great, as there were generations of information for us all to discuss if we were concerned about any aches, pains or body changes.
Your mechanic is the doctor (GP) for your family fleet of vehicles. Good companies will keep records of your vehicles and what was done and when. If this is the case, then those companies will keep records of who serviced your vehicles sending the same mechanic out with servicing history on your vehicles.
Like a GP a good mobile mechanic will keep records and notes on the servicing and repair history of your vehicles. Having this information will save you time and money. Each vehicle is driven differently and have their own needs and areas to check. Vehicles driven off road, in highway traffic, long distances on freeways will all need different requirements and checks. Your long-term mobile mechanic and their company will know this.
3. Time is Money
If your mobile mechanic has never worked on your car or models that are the same, there can be a costly learning period as the mobile mechanic gets to understand the different issues that are particular with that model. You can’t afford to be paying people to learn by trial and error on the job, so an experienced mobile mechanic is key.
If you currently take your car to a dealership, have you ever asked who is working on your car? Are they fully qualified and experienced trades people? Or do they just drop the oil, put on a filter and push your car out.
You are within your rights to ask about the skill set of the company you are considering. Ideally you are looking for a company that has a strong cross section of mechanics with many years of experience. It is impossible to have one mechanic that is a Guru on every car and every issue. Having a team of experienced Mobile Mechanics allows each mechanic to call on the strengths of others, which happens within our company. We not only rely on the skill set of our team, we also have many specialist contacts that we can call on for advice, parts and assistance with specialty diagnoses.
4. Support Levels & Communication
Having a detailed service history on your vehicles is also great for emergencies. If you or your family member has a breakdown in the car, you can call most good mobile mechanics like East Coast Mobile Safety Certificate and we will try to assist over the phone before potentially sending one of our mobile mechanics to you. Even if you are interstate, companies like East Coast Mobile are happy to assist other mechanics by providing your service history to assist wherever we can.
Communication is also important as a service reminder stuck on the windscreen is no longer good enough on its’s own. Today companies keep details of your services and can schedule SMS and email service reminders to ensure your vehicle does not exceed it’s service intervals. Keeping on top of your scheduled servicing will save you money long term.
When looking for a reliable mobile mechanic, research, look at the experience of the company and team, take into account their backup service and support.
Happy and Safe Driving.
