Fix your car
Before, or as you read this, after I get on to the next part of my journey, I wanted to insert just a little bit about how impressed I was by car repair in America. I had forgotten. Wow. Carl had to take his cars in for servicing at two different dealerships - or rather the repair areas of two different dealerships. Both times, I followed him to the shops, one in Walnut Creek, the other in Oakland. In Oakland, I was floored by the size of the operation. Indeed, I was so floored that I took a couple of photos:
Carl was met by an auto service or customer service representative, who made notes of what was to be done with the car. All of the service was to be performed as part of the pre paid maintenance program that Carl had on his hybrid Prius. A really nice operation. Before we knew it, his car had been taken away and, we assumed, his car was being worked on. We got in the other car, did some errands, stopped by EKS Publishers, nosed around downtown Oakland, and four hours later, we returned to pick up the car. The work had been done, the cashier charged Carl a few dollars by mistake, the mistake was corrected, and we waited a little while, and his car appeared. Ready to go.
This is so different from where I get my car serviced. First of all, I use an average sized mechanic shop, or autofficino. There are some larger operations, but nothing like the scale I saw in California. Indeed, it is so different that I went by this morning to take some pictures. Of course the guys came out and looked over my car, including all the paper work, to make sure everything was working alright. It was, and I am not due for inspection until September, but they wanted to remind me early because once I missed my inspection by almost a year, and they did not want to me to be stopped and fined.
When I do have to have some work done, I can call them and they will come out and get my car, or I can drive over and they will take me back home. When they are done, they bring the car to me, and I drop them off back at the shop. As in America, I get to look at all the cruddy parts that they might have to take out. It is also my choice if I want to stay with them and look over their shoulder as they drain the oil from my car. In the time I have been there, I have never seen them drop one little drop on oil on their terrazzo floors. If I hang around, one or the other will go around the corner and get us all coffee. At most, it has taken them a day to get a part for a car (the windshield wiper mechanism for the 10 year old Mercedes), but fortunately I had the Punto to drive in the meantime.
I was impressed by the service in America, but I have to say, I love the personal touch I get here in Sciacca. One lift, no waiting.
Carl was met by an auto service or customer service representative, who made notes of what was to be done with the car. All of the service was to be performed as part of the pre paid maintenance program that Carl had on his hybrid Prius. A really nice operation. Before we knew it, his car had been taken away and, we assumed, his car was being worked on. We got in the other car, did some errands, stopped by EKS Publishers, nosed around downtown Oakland, and four hours later, we returned to pick up the car. The work had been done, the cashier charged Carl a few dollars by mistake, the mistake was corrected, and we waited a little while, and his car appeared. Ready to go.
This is so different from where I get my car serviced. First of all, I use an average sized mechanic shop, or autofficino. There are some larger operations, but nothing like the scale I saw in California. Indeed, it is so different that I went by this morning to take some pictures. Of course the guys came out and looked over my car, including all the paper work, to make sure everything was working alright. It was, and I am not due for inspection until September, but they wanted to remind me early because once I missed my inspection by almost a year, and they did not want to me to be stopped and fined.
When I do have to have some work done, I can call them and they will come out and get my car, or I can drive over and they will take me back home. When they are done, they bring the car to me, and I drop them off back at the shop. As in America, I get to look at all the cruddy parts that they might have to take out. It is also my choice if I want to stay with them and look over their shoulder as they drain the oil from my car. In the time I have been there, I have never seen them drop one little drop on oil on their terrazzo floors. If I hang around, one or the other will go around the corner and get us all coffee. At most, it has taken them a day to get a part for a car (the windshield wiper mechanism for the 10 year old Mercedes), but fortunately I had the Punto to drive in the meantime.
I was impressed by the service in America, but I have to say, I love the personal touch I get here in Sciacca. One lift, no waiting.
posted by Steve at 3:20 PM
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