Car Repair Appointments: Why You Should Make One
As soon as something seems wrong with your vehicle you want to make an appointment for a car repair. Some problems, the longer they persist, the more damage they can do. When you call to schedule a time to bring it in, most places have a set of procedures to follow with each and every customer. Knowing these procedures can make your first appointment a little easier.
Scheduling
When you call to set up an appointment you are choosing a time to come in. It doesn't mean that this is a set time that a technician will be looking at your vehicle Schedule a time that will work well for you. There is usually paperwork to be filled out and at least a visual inspection that takes place so plan to spend between twenty to forty minutes at the drop off. This will vary depending on what is wrong with your vehicle and whether or not you are a new customer.
Transportation
Because you are bringing your transportation by for car repair you need to find a way to get home or back to work. There are several different options to choose from. You can have someone come along with you to pick you up and drop you off when the vehicle is done. If you are just having something small done you may be able to just wait somewhere in or around the facility. Some shops offer courtesy shuttles. They will drop you off at home or work and then pick when up when everything is completed. This is something that you want to call about in advance so that you can make the necessary arrangements. Remember that most car repair issues do take some time to diagnose and resolve so most of the time you aren't going to want to wait around.
Vehicle History and Customer Information
When you arrive at your appointment you will meet with a representative from the car repair facility. There are two main pieces of information that you will need to provide. First,
you will need to give them some basics about you and your vehicle. It starts with the your contact information as they want to be able to get in touch with you when things are taken care of and in case they need to discuss other work that needs to be done.
It is also important to get information about the vehicle. This includes the make, model, VIN number, mileage and overall condition. If you have a maintenance history you can present it to them now. This would be all of the oil changes, tire rotations, and any other issues that have been addressed in the recent past. Most representatives will walk around and make an overall inspection of the vehicle. This includes the tread on the tires, any noticeable damage, and leaking that may be coming from the undercarriage.
At this point you will be given an estimate for the inspection as well as any other services that you have agreed to. Most facilities will call when you when they figure out what the problem is and let you know how much the car repair will cost and when you will be able to pick it up.
