“They can’t put anything on the Internet that isn’t true!” It is sad how many gullible people believe that! Many consumers don’t want to work on their car themselves but they want to buy the parts themselves and have us install them because they found them online somewhere a little cheaper. I want what is best for my customers and I don’t want to embarrass them but I won’t be putting on cheap parts they find on the Internet either. I have a reputation to uphold and I warranty my work. I’ve been ordering parts for years and have trusted parts suppliers. I don’t go get them out of the junk yard or buy a part that will last only three months. I buy parts that will withstand the rigors of driving and weather, that are reliable, and the pricing is competitive. I put my customers’ safety first.
I appreciate the Internet as much as anyone, but it doesn’t have the expertise that we have when it comes to ordering the right parts and repairing cars. It doesn’t care about keeping consumers safe. I know the automotive repair profession isn’t alone when it comes to this frustration. Everyone suddenly thinks they are the expert even though they didn’t go to school for years to be the best at this job nor do they have to have constant education to keep current.
I know I’m in good company, though, as doctors complain about the same issue. It seems consumers also trust their health to the self-diagnosis they do with the help of the Internet. Well…just like the doctor isn’t going to write a person a prescription based on a diagnosis a patient found on the Internet, I’m not going to order a part or put on a part a customer found themselves. I’m a trained professional in my field with certification to prove it. Doctors are the professionals in their field and they too have the credentials to prove it.
Some consumers have taken it a step further. They believe so much in what they read on the Internet they not only purchase the parts themselves, they try to fix it themselves. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to “undo” the damage of do-it-yourself repair. Of course the Internet provided step-by-step instructions but somehow it wasn’t as easy as it looked. The really sad thing about this scenario is the consumer was trying to save a few dollars and they ended up paying so much more as it is often more expensive to undo the damage the cheap fix cost.
Thankfully, the majority of my customers trust us to do the job right at a very competitive price. I promise if you tried to do-it-yourself and failed, we will never reprimand or cause you to feel uncomfortable. We will undo the fix and not say a word. I do worry, however, about what will happen when consumers start doing surgery on themselves or loved ones because the Internet provided easy, step-by-step instructions! Scary!
Please call us with any questions at 626-963-0814 or visit our website at www.CertifiedAutoCA.com.
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