Communication or: how to get what you want when your vehicle is repaired

Hello again. I thought I would address a problem common in the repair industry, and one that is unfortunately probably getting more common

Often you will not talk to a mechanic when you bring a vehicle in for service. This leads to one of the biggest problems we as mechanics have, that is that we often don't have complete information on what the problem is. The driver usually gives good information as to what happened or what is wrong, but this information sometimes doesn't get relayed to the mechanic. A really good service writer or shop manager will write down what you tell him (or her), then will go through the list with you to make sure everything is covered. Unfortunately, really good service writers are very rare. I am convinced that poor communication between driver and mechanic via this third person is a major reason people are dissatisfied with how repairs are done. If we don't know the when, where and why of the problem, it at best takes longer to diagnose, and at worst leads to misdiagnosis or not getting something fixed the first time. As a driver you must insist that what you say about the problem is written down. Maybe in some cases it is better to just write it down yourself, and take the time to include everything connected to the problem, even if it doesn't seem important. You would be surprised at how often we as mechanics are given some little "unimportant" fact that turns out to be just what we need to figure something out.

Make sure you include when the problem first appeared and any noise, vibration, or unusual feeling that went along with the incident. Did it happen all of a sudden while driving, or did you start the truck up after lunch and find it inoperative? Or did it just kind of gradually get worse over the last three days? Did you smell something hot or burning when it failed? Has anybody else worked on the system lately, and what was done? Are there any fluid leaks in the cab or under the hood? Did anything else quit working at the same time?

Intermittent problems give both drivers and mechanics fits, because it is often hard to reproduce the problem. Here especially the more information, the better. Does the problem happen just when it rains? On rough roads? When the fuel gets low? At a certain road speed? If you can get the problem to appear at will, it often is worthwhile to have the mechanic or service writer ride along so you can show him and let him feel or hear the problem firsthand.

Thanks for your time

Bruce