[lynne-carcarecenter-com]

Bob, thanks for writing this. It does come down to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, an excerpt from the Owner’s Manual.

[lynne-carcarecenter-com]

As a shop owner with an ever-growing population of female customers, I really enjoyed and confirmed Jody DeVere’s observations on women customers. A few years ago an article of mine, “The Female Customer” was published within the industry and excerpts from it may be of interest to Jody’s readers as well:

“Women are a little different. I can say this with total confidence. Perhaps because I am one (a woman, that is). Also, when I’m not on the job at my own repair shop, I am someone else’s woman customer. This gives me a chance to see the issue from both sides of the service counter. 

“Can we talk? Women customers are coming from a totally different place intellectually and emotionally. Our circuitry is unique and different from a guy’s. Trust me, this is not necessarily bad. And while I don’t mean to reinforce stereotypes or speak unkindly of my own gender, nevertheless, girls, I think we must admit that we can sometimes be a pain in the pinfeathers. 

“When we go to a repair shop, we can ask more tough questions than Barbara Walters. The line of reasoning here is I suppose that the best defense is a good offense. And if in our past dealings elsewhere, we believe we were unfairly treated, we can be frustratingly suspicious, hard to reason with, and defensive. ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ applies here, in spades.

“When we bring along a guy for back-up (who by the way may know only slightly more automotive technology than your Aunt Gladys) we are waving the yellow flag: proceed with caution. However, once your shop has passed through these checkpoints and your credibility has been established, women can become your most valuable, supportive and loyal customers, and a substantial percentage of your customer base. …

“A frequent comment by women customers is that technical people can be condescending or patronizing. It is always a pleasant surprise to a woman when she is treated as an intelligent life form even though she doesn’t know about cars. …

“Recognizing the gender differences and developing communication skills that help women understand and feel comfortable about their repair decisions will help you win them as loyal, repeat customers.”

Lynne Cardwell

Car Care Center

Sacramento, CA

[lynne-carcarecenter-com]

__X__ 2 year, 24,000 miles, conforming to parts manufacturer’s own written warranty if longer.

[lynne-carcarecenter-com]

The experienced commentators above have already said what most of what can be said. I agree that no government, by its nature, can do for us what we should be doing for ourselves. Before you roll your eyes heavenward, please note that it has been done…just not yet by us.

But we who theoretically could license and govern ourselves with a minimum of governmental oversight are also a people known for our strong individualism. I smile fondly when I say, They don’t call us “independents” for nothing. If only we were moderately “inter-dependent” for a cause like building the credibility of an industry. And such a cause implies, probably requires, provable proficiency.

It’s a lingering dream, and it isn’t even an impossible dream. Other fields like insurance and real estate, that by the way call for no less critical thinking or changing business models or technical knowledge, have already done it. But we do have a late start. 

I’ve known and respected Larry, Phil, and others like them for many years. They were not just sitting in the bleachers calling down advice to the players, they were the players on the field. In California governance was a hot topic for years and we thought some form of industry-run or even a govt-industry hybrid might work. But we were fragmented and our multiple goals confused the government folks. Somewhere in the middle of our 3-legged race, we dropped our gunny sacks around our ankles and sprinted individually toward the finish line. Maybe we had to. The economy was an even bigger threat and it required our full attention.  

Many of us still believe in the dream of self-governance. In the meantime, we work to prove our credibility in the communities where God has planted each of us…independently.