If you’ve ever taken your certified used cars into the repair shop and dreaded sitting in the dingy, dirty waiting area, things could be changing.
A recent article reported that many auto repair shops are becoming more upscale to make customers more comfortable while they wait. Of course, there will still be the ones with hard plastic chairs and a fuzzy TV mounted on the wall in one corner, but those are becoming the exception rather than the norm.
Those hard plastic chairs are slowly getting replaced by soft, comfy couches. Many repair shop owners are covering the dingy cement floors with plush carpet that feels good under the feet. Some repair shops even include an HD TV with gourmet coffee permeating the air.
One reason for the new improvements is to appeal to more women who need their certified used cars repaired. A recent survey showed that “women account for at least half of all collision- and mechanical-service customers.” This number can be as high as 80 percent!
The repair shop with the nicest facility, according to the automotive publication AutoInc is in Houston. It has a 405-gallon saltwater aquarium, designer chairs, gourmet coffee, candies and biscotti. It’s almost like you want your car to break down so you can just hang out in the repair shop.
You probably won’t have much of a chance to visit the repair shop waiting areas if you own one of the certified Mercedes vehicles. But you still need oil changes and routine maintenance so you won’t miss out entirely on the new improvements and luxuries.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:05 am
“One reason for the new improvements is to appeal to more women who need their certified used cars repaired.” This is smart. My wife never goes into our car’s repair shop. Actually anything looks or feels dingy drives her crazy.