You are here to get the car of your dreams. Before you even walk in, you are fantasizing about driving down the Pacific Coast Highway, or Main Street of your hometown. You dream of yourself winding down the road, hugging the curves, your fantasy date (or your spouse) by your side with your hair blowing in the breeze. Feel the wind and hear your radio as it drowns out all of you cares. Crank up your favorite tunes and make this your ultimate road trip. You are in love with your new car. You are now going to make your dream a reality and go get that sweet ride!
You suffered through the purchase process. You made the purchase! Your even more in love with yourself. You outsmarted the car guys and have your baby.
Now….
You go by the neighbors’ house. You must show of this prize. You drive everywhere!
The first day that you buy a new car is the only time errands are fun. You park your new love in the furthest parking spot from the entrance. As you walk to the entrance you turn around at least 10 times just to admire her. Nah, you are really admiring yourself. Congratulations, you outsmarted that car salesman. You stole this one. This time it’s going to be different. There will be no scratches, dents or dings – EVER. This amazing piece of machinery was hand built just for you.
And you live happily ever after?
Sorry, but it’s time to WAKE UP! Wake up from your daydream. Of course, the darn thing breaks down! Of course it breaks down at the worst time too.
Now what?
What do you do? This is when the proverbial rubber meets the road. Open the glove box, find the service guy and call ahead for your appointment. That is if the dealership introduced you to the service guy already. That is if you bought the car from your hometown dealer. Or were you the one who outsmarted everyone and drove miles out of your way to save a few bucks.
Either way, you finally get your magical time slot to meet the car guys, the so-called doctor of the car. Anxiety is probably what you feel as you drive your brand new car into the service department. There they are, the service guys just standing there waiting to rip you off. What will they try to sell me? YOU THINK: “I just want them to fix my car!”
Kind of blows your mind doesn’t it? I am here to tell you it does not have to be overwhelming. With just a little knowledge and some inside tips or Top Secrets you can outsmart the service guy all day long.
Don’t you believe the guy behind the service desk is the former auto mechanic or just a good guy hired to take care of you. He is a salesman. He gets paid to take care of your car. In a well-managed dealership, he is professional. He is a service consultant. His job is to keep you informed of your needs. These needs do include selling you things on your car. Most service people get paid a lot to sell. Believe me; I pay my service salespeople very well. When you come in for an oil change and tire rotation, I want you to be prepared for certain things. Items like flushes, fluid exchange, tires, brakes, spark plugs, gaskets, rods, pistons and maybe a valve or two, the dealer maintenance package and the manufacturer recommended packaged services are on the menu for your money. What is a flush anyway? What the heck is a U-Joint service and when do you need it?
I am going to tell you what to buy and what to stay away from. I will reveal the ins and outs of the maintenance game and you will walk away from this read an educated consumer. You will have your own masters’ degree in saving money.
Or as I call it
Cheating the Dealer.
