Tricks We Employ To Cheat Vehicle Owners – Mechanics

Over the years, some mechanics have become notorious due to lack of transparency when dealing with their customers. While there are some mechanics that are sincere and deal with car owners in a honest and transparent manner, others have become notorious for acts of dishonesty.

Some mechanics intentionally seek to rip off customers by repairing components that don’t actually need fixing. Others simply don’t know what they are doing, thereby misdiagnosing problems and causing vehicle owners huge expenses.

Unfortunately, many vehicle owners have labelled the entire industry as “untrustworthy” due to the attitude of some bad eggs within the auto repairs profession.

Experts say if a mechanic wants to rip you off, they usually go for various options.

One of the ways to achieve this according to an Abuja based Auto Engineer, Mr. Oluwasola Ojo is to demand charges for parts not replaced or labour not performed.

Ojo, an Auto Engineer with over 15 years experience says sometimes, in a bid to increase their profit margins, some mechanics would tell vehicle owners about the need to change some parts of the vehicles that are not faulty.

He says, “Sometimes, when some mechanics are called upon to work on a particular vehicle, when they sense that the car owner is not too knowledgeable about his vehicle, they tend to tell him a part that is not faulty needs to be changed.

“When the owner of the vehicle falls for such trick, they collect the money, pretend as if they have gone to get the non-faulty part and quickly come back to fix it without the owner of the vehicle knowing what happened.

“Apart from the fact that the part that was reportedly damaged was not changed, some of the greedy ones among us will still go ahead and collect labour fee from the vehicle owner for a non-existent job.”

When asked what could car owners do to avoid being short-changed, Ojo advises that the vehicle parts that were claimed to have been damaged should be retrieved after repairs.

He says, “Whenever a mechanic asks that a part of your vehicle needs to be replaced, ensure you demand for the replaced one because sometimes, they will collect money and still return the part that was claimed to have been damaged.”

He also says another trick that mechanics employ to cheat vehicle owners is by bringing forward scheduled parts replacements and vehicles servicing period.

He adds. “Loads of parts in your car will eventually need to be replaced. The trigger is either the number of kilometres your car has driven or time. A mechanic who wants to shoot up your bill will often bring forward these major parts replacements unnecessarily.

“For example, if a part should be replaced at 100,000km, some mechanics will start recommending replacements at 70,000km. This is also commonplace at roadside assistance operations where mechanics are incentivised to sell parts, like batteries.

“These people will often replace any batteries that are over two years old even though the normal life cycle is three to four years regardless of whether the problem was actually the battery or it just needed recharge.

“Ultimately, these mechanics are not thinking about you as a customer for the long term, they are just trying to make the most out of every service.”

In order to avoid situations where vehicle owners could be tricked, he says there is need for one to always seek for a second and third opinion from various mechanics before embarking on major repairs.

Experts say that running a successful auto repair business is not only about being clear about one’s chosen area; it’s a matter of clever management because having competent and motivated workers, though important, is no longer a criteria to guaranteeing success.

Ojo says while one may be a talented and skilled mechanic, that does not mean that one can automatically start a successful auto repair business.

He contends that it will take more than having an auto workshop to keep the business going.

He says that one would need to undergo proper tutelage under an expert which might last for up to three to four years before setting up a workshop.

He says,” The first step to becoming an auto engineer is to choose a field, because the business is very broad. We have the body repair section, the auto engineering aspect, the auto painting section and the auto electrician section.

“The need to decide the type of auto repair work you want to do will enable you take a quick assessment of your talents, knowledge and skills.

“Also, you will need a good business plan, sufficient financing, and proper tools and supplies to have a successful auto repair business.”

The tools, according to him, may cost between N50,000 to N100, 000 depending on where they are being sourced from.

He advises anyone who wants to set up a thriving auto repair business to decide whether to open a new auto repair business or whether they will go into partnership with established brands.

Sola adds, “By going into go into partnership in auto repair shop, you will immediately have an appropriate location and equipment, and the experienced employees may choose to stay. If you start from scratch, you will need to find a high-traffic location, purchase or lease the necessary equipment, and hire a new staff of mechanics and other employees.”

Equally important, according to him, is the need to know the ethical standards guiding the business.

He says, “Many customers are apprehensive of many auto mechanics because they have a reputation of making people pay for unnecessary repairs or charging for work that is never performed.

“Having a statement of ethics printed, and hung in a prominent place in the customer reception area would do the magic. The ethics should be centered on being honest with customers, pledging never to overcharge them, and striving for their full satisfaction.”

He points out that there is need to offer guarantee to customers. According to him, “When customers pay for an expensive car repair, they want some assurance that the vehicle will work properly. Offering a guarantee based on a certain period of time or mileage will show that you stand behind all work performed at your auto repair business.”

On relationship with employee, Sola says that an auto repair business that has a constant turnover of mechanics will have difficulty maintaining its quality.

This according to him could give the business a bad reputation, thus preventing it from being successful.

“When you find good and reliable mechanics, pay them fairly and give competitive benefits to keep them from moving on to another job. Customers who build up trust with a particular mechanic will be glad to see him there the next time their car needs repairs,” he says.

He also says that prompt response to customer complaints will make most of them come to a compromise, adding that regular customers are key to running a successful auto repair business.

“Get the contact details of your customers and send out periodic offers for a free or discounted oil change on their next repair or some other goodwill gesture. While it may cost you in the short term, it will pay off in the long term by reinforcing customer loyalty.”

On how profitable the business is, he says that a honest, dedicated and hardworking auto engineer would always have patronage.

He says, “I have been a mechanic for about 15 years now and with the income that comes in daily, I have been able to establish other businesses currently being managed by my wife.

“I have also invested in landed properties within the Federal Capital Territory through proceeds from my auto workshop. The business is lucrative if one is dedicated and has the required skills.”

Another Abuja based auto engineer, Levi Igho says that every entrepreneur must understand that the world is a global village and that businesses are competing across borders.

He says that the notion that customer is king should be taken very seriously, noting that “a customer that is given the right services could keep the doors of any business open.”

Igho, an auto electrician adds, “Customer service is the soul of a business. You can offer promotions; slash prices to bring in as many customers as you want but unless you can get some of those customers to come back by the quality of services you give, your business would not be profitable.”

This he notes could be achieved through various personal relations strategies, which include warm greetings; listening to customers problems; offering options to customers when what they need are not readily available; provide guarantees where necessary and asking for feedback.