Pros And Cons Of Fixed Price Motor Mechanics
No one enjoys getting their car worked on. While everyone relies on their vehicle as an integral part of their daily lives to run errands and get to work, or hopefully also hit the open road and travel at times, sitting in the lobby of a mechanic garage or auto service center is nerve-wracking. You never know quite what might be wrong with your car, much less how much it will cost for it to be fixed. On top of that, what if the repair doesn't actually work? Visit coastwiderwc.com.au for more valuable information.
There is a growing trend within the industry that many consumers love, and that is one of fixed price motor mechanics, who list set prices for their most routine services. Much like a menu in a restaurant, you know what you're going to get for what price, and there's no confusion or fear that some customers might get charged more or less than others. Using such mechanics has both pros and cons. The major ones are listed here:
Pro) You'll know what you're going to get charged:
As the name implies, fixed price motor mechanics have fixed prices. There's no quote to haggle over. If you want an oil change and their board says it costs $45 for conventional motor oil, then $45 is what you pay for an oil change with conventional motor oil. This is one reason people love quick-change places. The services are listed with concrete prices, and you don't wait two hours for a quote or analysis about what's wrong while they have time to find other problems. Another advantage is that if the problem turns out to be more serious than they thought, they already quoted you a specific price and have to honor it.
Con) Your final total will be different:
Even though the prices are supposed to be fixed, you still have to read the fine print. A true fixed price mechanic shouldn't hit you with surprise labor charges, but there might be taxes, fees, disposal charges, and other little things that add up to a bill a bit different than the one you had in mind.
Pro) It's easier to shop around:
While it's good to have a mechanic that you trust and go to over everyone else, car repairs and maintenance can be drastically expensive. So, shopping around makes sense, given that variations in pricing might save or cost you hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars.
Con) You aren't going to get fast service:
Fixed price motor mechanics often get into price wars with community competitors, which means they wind up in a race to the bottom for lowest prices. That means less profit margin, and they have to make up their money on volume. You'll always drive into a busy shop with a lot of customers ahead of you.
Pro) Haggling might still work:
Even though haggling shouldn't work with fixed prices, if you shopped around and know another place with cheaper prices, you might can ask about price-matching.
Con) You aren't going to get great service:
Since fixed price motor mechanics have low profit margins and high volumes of business, their workers are not well-compensated but certainly stressed out in most cases. That's not to say the actual work they do is inferior, but the customer service might not be what you're used to.
It's inevitable that your car is going to need work, be it a routine oil change and tire rotation or serious work after an accident. Whether or not the growing trend of fixed price motor mechanics is right for you is something only you can know, but with this list of pros and cons, you can make an informed decision.