Checklists Are Coming!

Greetings, Readers!

I have had a number of clients recently that expressed concern over not knowing what to tell the shop about their vehicle. All they know, is that their car (or truck, van, SUV, or what-have-you) "broke down" on them. When asked to give more information, they get that classic deer-in-the-headlights look. Some of them get snippy and say, "I don't know! I'm not a mechanic, else why would I be asking you for help?!" Hey, I've been in a place of frustration myself before - even recently, despite what I know! - so I know better than to take their venting personally.

So, what do I do in these situations? I pull up this 'symptom checklist' in my head, while offering a simple apology to transition the conversation. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sir/Ma'am. I believe my question didn't come across as intended. Often, people know certain quirks about their car and the way it behaves. When the car behaves differently, that 'insider knowledge' can help us to figure out what repair(s) need to be considered. I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, so we can work together to determine what you need. Would that work for you?"

At that point, I ask the relevant questions one-by-one, skipping some and inserting others as the conversation dictates. Every time I've gone through this, the client generally winds up asking if this list of questions is somewhere on the internet. I'm telling you right now, I haven't found it anywhere. Yet. I know the internet is an immense web of knowledge, so someone somewhere may have put up a similar list. Problem is, I have yet to find it... as is the case with my clients.

So, for those who have been hunting for such a checklist... you will soon find it here. I am creating it in the Google Docs cloud system, so I can share it with even more people once it is complete. I started working on the checklist this morning, but had to dash out for a few errands. I am still not ready to post it, but when I do you will find it either in the "Links" tab/page or on a separate tab/page for "Forms" (or "Documents", haven't decided on the heading just yet).

I'll be back with more soon!

PPM