Rush to By an iPhone, Complain about Auto Repair

How often have you seen this: When Apple announces a new iPhone someone you know will rush out the door and wait in line for days in order to get their hands on the new gadget. Price is not an obstacle. They will gladly pay hundreds of dollars for the device, in some cases over a thousand as they buy several. They relish being the first in the office to show off the new phone. They say it will change their life. It does not matter that there was nothing wrong with the phone they have right now . . . they just need this new version. And if they have to take on some debt, that is just the cost of following the herd.

Now take that same person and say, “Your brakes need to be replaced as they are worn.” Or how about, “You need to get new tires and we have to replace a worn tie rod and bushing.” Better yet, just say, “Your oil and filter needs to be changed.” Suddenly, this same person who had no problem buying that new iPhone now says they have no money. Or the cost of the work is too high. Or they complain about how the garage is looking to make a quick buck off them.

This is one of the great mysteries to me. Your life is not going to change because you have a new phone with a bigger screen. You are not going to suddenly find yourself married to a supermodel, winning the lottery or discovering an intact copy of Protrepticus by Aristotle. It is just a phone. Your old phone works just fine.

However, if you ignore maintenance on your vehicle, then you will have problems . . . in some cases, very serious problems. But many refuse to see it that way. They see any expense on a vehicle as a burden, something to be avoided. It is a classic grudge purchase.

It really should not be that way. We have to do a better job telling people the money spent on vehicle maintenance and repair is an investment, not an expense. Too often, we in the service industry give the impression that repair and maintenance work is an expense. We do our best to help make it easier for the vehicle owner to do, but we never make the vehicle owner realize that it is really an investment. That brake or bushing replacement is preserving the value of the investment the owner has made in that vehicle.

Let’s use the analogy of home ownership. When one repairs a faulty switch or door, replaces tired cabinetry in the kitchen or bathroom . . . all that is an investment. It preserves or adds value to the home. Don’t do that, allow the home to deteriorate or remain with knob and tube wiring, and that home will not retain its value over time. The same goes for a vehicle. Make the investment in maintenance and repair and that vehicle will give many years of solid service.