Charlie comes in every now and then.  I guess you could say he’s a regular but I think I would call him more of an opportunist when it comes to his car repairs.

Years ago my younger brother came to work for me. He didn’t know a thing about cars, but was willing to learn all that he could. Teaching new technicians is an art that most shop owners have to learn to do, but teaching your little brother can be a chore and can test your patience.

“Don’t try adjusting the throttle cable—there isn’t one. I can tell when it’s dark enough for the headlights.  Your Air Conditioner is under my complete control, along with steering, windows, stereo volume and braking.   Don’t be alarmed, I’m here to help assist in operating your vehicle. Who am I? Why, I’m your friend, I’m your PCM. Some people may call me a “Human Assistant Logistic” device—call me Hal for short. I like that name.”

If there is one thing I find hard to deal with in this topsy turvy world of the auto repair business is the way some people will react when they are at the repair shop. It’s the way they conduct themselves at the shop when it comes time to get their car repaired.

Over the years I’ve been praised and degraded.  I’ve been called a saint and I’ve been called the devil (or worse). I’ve heard the shouting and the stuff I probably wasn’t suppose to hear (walls don’t always block sound you know). After a while you’ve heard it all before, and the attitudes that you see at the front desk become a part of the daily grind. Coping with all this is what I call; “growing alligator skin.” I try not to take things so personally, I’ll let the alligator skin handle it, and then take off my protective coat before I get back home to the wife and kids.

What gives with the need for such a thing as “alligator skin”? I believe there a several factors inherent to the automotive industry that brings on this crocodilian coat of protection.

Mistrust of the automotive repair world in general is what I believe is the number one factor; but what brings on that mistrust? Is it the incompetent mechanic? I doubt that is always the case. Is it the money out of their pockets which they were not expecting when they drove down the road to the repair shop? I believe it’s more in the hands of the unknowing consumer who reads and watches too many evening news reports on the unscrupulous business practices of the few out there that really are rip offs and not the normal operations of countless decent shops in this country.