Why I Like My Mechanic Better Than My Doctor

Some doctors need to take a page from the customer service manual of my mechanic.  Why, you ask?  When 
was the last time you didn't have to pay for a follow up visit to your doctor?  Original appointment, follow up - just to see how you're doing, appointment to discuss your test results or to check on your medication size (I know - it's all driven by insurance companies - just go with me a minute).  Paying - even with a co-pay - for all of those appointments adds up very quickly.  No wonder people don't like going to the doctor.  Personally, I believe that "follow-ups" should be included with the original appointment.

Any business, medical or otherwise, could learn from my mechanic (Choice Automotive Repair).  His business is based on customer service.  There are a million mechanics around.  But he realizes that it's customer service that brings people back.  He tells me and shows me everything - and he doesn't mark up parts like others do.  I found him through word of mouth when I left my previous mechanic because of lousy customer service.

Recently, when I had to have my transmission replaced, he did what he could to get the price down and still have a quality warrantied product.  The first transmission didn't shift quite right and he made the company build an entirely new one.  I've had a couple minor issues since then with the transmission (covered) - plus some other minor things - and have not had to pay a thing.  He knows that it's not only the big things, but also the "little things" that will keep customers happy and coming back.  Just a smile and hello does not make great customer service.

In businesses where there's a lot of competition and you do the same thing, the only thing that may set you apart is customer service.

Now, to be fair, yes I've liked doctors in the passed, but have never actively recommended one.  Do you think I recommend my mechanic?  Absolutely.  All the time.  I may sound like I'm picking on doctors, but I'm really not, they just serve as a good example.  Actually, every type of business, whether medical, mechanical, service, or retail, needs to look at the whole picture, evaluate the regulations, and ask, "What is going to keep our customers coming back and talking - positively - about us?"  "What exactly is my customer getting, or not getting, for their payment?"